Carolina Beach Fishing Vacation Rentals

What Can You Catch

The fish you land all depends on where you are fishing. The Carolina Beach Fishing Pier, which juts out into the Atlantic, can get you up-close and personal to a wide variety of fish, but that list just expands as you change location and type of fishing.

Pier Fishing:  people are reporting good catches of spots, flounder, Virginia mullet, blue fish, croaker and black drum.

Surf Fishing: we’re seeing all kinds of surf-fishing success right on the beach. Folks are catching spots, croaker, puppy drum, flounder, blue fish, black drum, pompano, Virginia mullet and even sharks!

Offshore Fishing:  If you’re bringing a boat or plan to charter (here’s a great resource if you are chartering), you might catch king or Spanish mackerel, dolphin, or even sailfish.

Bottom Fishing:  grouper, snapper, black bass, grunts and grey trout are all accessible – and sound yummy.

Inshore Fishing:  whether you choose the Cape Fear River or the Intercoastal Waterway, we’ve heard talk of speckled trout, red drum, flounder, croaker, spots, pigfish and large blue fish getting stuck on those hooks of late.

Tidal Flats:  if you’re a shellfish eater, you’re likely to get your fill of crabs and clams on our tidal flats.

According to CarolinaBeach.com, fishing is typically at its best during the fall and spring months, although the summertime is also a popular season for surf fishing, pier fishing, and offshore charter fishing for the big species (like dolphin, sailfish, and marlin).

A License To Fish

Before you start angling for a catch, you need a fishing license . A Coastal Recreational Fishing License, which is commonly referred to as a saltwater fishing license, is required by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. If you don’t have one, don’t worry. They’re easy to find at any bait or tackle store in and around Wilmington . Or you can purchase one online before you come.

Be sure to comply because rangers do check. And it won’t break the bank. A fishing license for 10 days is approximately $5 for an NC resident, and $10 for a non-resident. Of course, anyone under 16 does not need a license – nor do you need one if you’re on a chartered fishing trip as the captain’s license usually covers all on board.

Two Tips From Local

As someone who regularly walks Carolina Beach, we can tell you there is a lot of shore fishing going on, whether rods or nets are used. There is seldom a time, rain or shine, that no one is fishing on Pleasure Island . But as we poked around and spoke to a few people, we learned two things that might make your fishing vacation even more fun.

1. One spot for the long-haul If the vacation rental you booked is not a beach front home, you’ll want to get familiar with Freeman Park. At the far north end of Carolina Beach, it is open to 4WD vehicles, so you can load up your truck with everything you need for a full day (or evening) of great fishing. Note that a permit is required to drive on the beach ($20 – $40 for daily; $225 annually at this writing). And remember – it can get very crowded in the summer. I this seems like a fishermans dream to you, check out The Seahorse Paddock a fantastic condo on the north end near Freeman Park.
   
   1. Don’t forget Carolina Beach State Park . It is adjacent to the Cape Fear River, has an on-site boat ramp/marina, and is within walking distance of the beaches.  
2. Fishing Tournaments: If you are a competitive person, you might enjoy some of the organized tournaments that take place at Carolina Beach. In July, for example, you could participate in the East Coast Got-Em-On Classic King Mackerel Tournament . You might bring home big winnings!. If summer crowds aren’t your gig, check out the Carolina Fall Flatfish Tournament, the around-the-clock three-day Pleasure Island Surf Fishing Challenge – fun for the whole family. Besides, the fish and the family seem to love the cooler weather.