Crystal Coast Inshore
North Carolina's Crystal Coast in an 85-mile stretch of beach, maritime forest and marsh that runs from Swansboro to Cape Lookout. We have more square miles of marshes, creeks, sounds and bays than you could explore in a lifetime. Step aboard our skiff, run down the Intracoastal Waterway, and within minutes you'll be gliding across a secluded flat looking for Redfish, Speckled Trout, or any of our other inshore species.
Throw a top-water plug along the edge of a grass shoreline, give it a few twitches and watch a Redfish explode on it. Double-haul a shrimp fly to a Tailing Redfish in flooded Spartina Grass. Pitch a soft plastic into the current, and wait for the tap from a hungry Speckled Trout. Watch a Flounder viciously explode on a gold spoon in inches of water. Cast a crab fly to a Bonnethead Shark in calf deep water, as he searches for a hidden crustacean to eat. Come visit us in the dead of winter and see several hundred redfish schooled in only a few inches of crystal clear water. There are tons of possibilities when fishing the inshore waters of the Crystal Coast.
Below are a few of the options for fly fishing or light tackle here on the Crystal Coast. Although many clients choose to focus on a certain species, we can often find multiple species in the same trip.
Throw a top-water plug along the edge of a grass shoreline, give it a few twitches and watch a Redfish explode on it. Double-haul a shrimp fly to a Tailing Redfish in flooded Spartina Grass. Pitch a soft plastic into the current, and wait for the tap from a hungry Speckled Trout. Watch a Flounder viciously explode on a gold spoon in inches of water. Cast a crab fly to a Bonnethead Shark in calf deep water, as he searches for a hidden crustacean to eat. Come visit us in the dead of winter and see several hundred redfish schooled in only a few inches of crystal clear water. There are tons of possibilities when fishing the inshore waters of the Crystal Coast.
Below are a few of the options for fly fishing or light tackle here on the Crystal Coast. Although many clients choose to focus on a certain species, we can often find multiple species in the same trip.
Redfish - Year Round
Our State Fish may go by many names, Redfish, Red Drum, Puppy Drum, Bull Drum, Channel Bass, etc….but one thing is for sure, it’s one of the most sough after saltwater fish in the state. Redfish are available year round in North Carolina. In the Spring, these fish spread out through the marsh, where they will spend the summer in search of crabs, shrimp and baitfish. They can be found working the shallow bays and creeks, searching the mud bottoms and oyster reefs for an easy meal. During these warm months, they will readily take a top-water plug or fly. In the fall, they feed hard on bait as it schools up to migrate to warmer waters. During the winter, the Reds will school together by the hundreds and congregate in areas that hold higher water temps to help keep them warm through those cold months. In the winter, algae dies off, turning the water crystal clear and making for excellent sight fishing. We prefer to fish for Redfish strictly by sight-fishing for them in shallow water. Sometimes we can actually see the fish, and sometimes we are casting to wakes, pushes and muds.
Tailing Redfish are without question, one of my favorite sight fishing targets in the Carolinas. So much so, that I named my guide service after them. May through September, Redfish will consistently tail on the Spartina Grass flats on the extreme high tides around full and new moons. Some years they may start as early as April and last until October. The moon's gravitational pull causes large tide swings, flooding water up onto what is normally dry land, flooding out the homes of the tiny Fiddler Crabs. For those couple hours that the grass flats are flooded, Redfish will push into 5-15" of water in search of these tasty crabs. When they find one, they will go nose down and kick their tail above the water surface. And then you have a target that can be seen from a hundred yards away. Do you have what it takes to sneak within casting distance and gently place a fly six inches in front of his face without spooking him?
Tailing Redfish are without question, one of my favorite sight fishing targets in the Carolinas. So much so, that I named my guide service after them. May through September, Redfish will consistently tail on the Spartina Grass flats on the extreme high tides around full and new moons. Some years they may start as early as April and last until October. The moon's gravitational pull causes large tide swings, flooding water up onto what is normally dry land, flooding out the homes of the tiny Fiddler Crabs. For those couple hours that the grass flats are flooded, Redfish will push into 5-15" of water in search of these tasty crabs. When they find one, they will go nose down and kick their tail above the water surface. And then you have a target that can be seen from a hundred yards away. Do you have what it takes to sneak within casting distance and gently place a fly six inches in front of his face without spooking him?
Speckled Trout - May through July, and October through December
Speckled Trout, or Spotted Sea Trout can be found year-round in North Carolina waters. Depending on the time of year, they can be found anywhere from our coastal rivers on out to the beach front. The prime time to catch them is the fall and winter when they school up and migrate out of the marsh in search of food. They are normally found in slightly deeper water during the cooler months, and can be caught on medium light spinning rods or 5-6wt fly rods with intermediate or sinking lines. Speckled trout are a schooling fish, so when you find one, you will usually find many. Large Speckled Trout can also be found in the summer months over lush Eel Grass beds where they will readily take a topwater at first and last light.
Flounder - Year Round
We don’t normally target Flounder on fly in the marsh, but we still catch plenty of them. Flounder will pounce on most flies or soft plastics fished near the bottom. This year, we are seeing good numbers of “flatties” back in the marsh bays and creeks.
Inshore Light Tackle and Fly Rates (Redfish, Trout, etc)
(Poling Skiff - 1 to 2 anglers)
Half Day……….4hrs……….$450
3/4 Day………..6hrs……….$550
Full Day………..8hrs……….$650
*Cost is for 1-2 anglers; $50 extra for a 3rd angler.
3/4 Day………..6hrs……….$550
Full Day………..8hrs……….$650
*Cost is for 1-2 anglers; $50 extra for a 3rd angler.