SUNSET BEACH, NC (WFXR) — The float drifted and bobbed and then suddenly went under.
“Got him!” exclaimed Captain Tim Disano ofTideline Charters as client and friend Mike Amato reeled in something big at the other end of the line.
That something turned out to be a large speckled sea trout (speck). After a brief fight, the fish was in the net.
Specks were on the agenda this day fishing inshore on the salt creeks and Intracoastal waterway near the North Carolina-South Carolina border. So were redfish, black drum, and Spanish Mackerel.
For a lot of families, a trip to the beach defines their summer vacation, and a fishing trip is often in the plans. There is quality inshore saltwater fishing in coastal areas of Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas, but the area near Calabash, North Carolina is one of the best.
“In the realm of what makes an area good, we have everything,” Disano said. “We have good tide, we have a lot of bait, we have a lot of current.”
Disano has been fishing this area of the Carolina border his entire life.
“We have world-class fishing, especially at certain times of the year,” said Disano.
Depending on the season, Disano targets trout and redfish in different ways. During the spring, when there is good current and the fish are up inside creeks and inlets, Disano likes using live bait, usually a shrimp, under a slip float.
The rig is tossed up current of a spot where fish are likely holding, and then allowed to drift to the fish.
“Targeting moving water is the number one thing,” Disano said. “We have an extremely healthy speckled trout fishery, and slot reds are in the creeks all year long,”
At other times of the year, artificial baits and popping cork and other rigs are used. It all comes down to water temperature and water conditions.
There is no shortage of the target species, and there is no shortage of quality-sized specks.
“We found a really good class of fish in that three to five pound range,” Disano said. “Good numbers of them, too.”
On this day, we also hooked up with a large 29-inch redfish. Catching reds of that size is not uncommon in the area.
“That class of fish is here to stay,” Disano said. “We’re talking that 24 to 30 inch class of fish.”
Later in the day while fishing the Little River Jetty, Disano spotted bait breaking off of a beach. Because the water was calm, he took the boat outside the jetty and followed the school of pogies. It was not long before we were sight-fishing Spanish mackerel in the bait.
Since larger fish like bull reds and cobia will move into those schools, the captain baited up a heavier rod with one of the pogies. It was not long before the reel was screaming.
“Big shark!” said Disano as Amato got the fish close enough to the boat to see. The fish dived, made several more runs, and then broke off.
“I liked the idea of not bringing him into the boat with us,” said Amato laughing.
“We had to drop a bait down just to see if there was a cobia underneath,” Disano said. “We have no shortage of sharks, but it was worth a chance.”
