Potential Move

[carrageenan]

Anyone here surfcast in N/S Carolina? Looking to leave New England for warmer weather, but I'd like to stay coastal for stripers. I'm told surf-casting in SC is "non-existent", and when I visited beaches in the area it looked featureless. If anyone has any info please advise or reach out via PM, I don't want to be the guy who spot burned. Thanks 

[Functional]

Not sure where in New England you are but if you are familiar with the stripers running up the Hudson River there is a river like that in the north east part of NC. Not sure on SC and lower portion of NC but I'd surprised if there werent any others. There are also quite a few lakes with stripers of good size to fish for.

 

Southern fishing and many other things are very different than up there (coming from a X new yorker).

[carrageenan]

Where in NY were you? I fish Long Island, CT, Rhode Island and Maine now and then. Never been to MTK, I don’t like crowds. Took trips to SC then NC this year,  it looks to be more affordable, but I will miss striper fishing a lot.

[TnRiver46]

They catch striped bass in NC salt, not very big ones tho. I’ve surf fished a tad in SC, it’s tough until the fall season. In the fall a bunch of shrimp move shallow and people do pretty good. I’m usually there in June and the locals say come back in the fall. Well my wife’s birthday isn’t in the fall! Haha

 

@desmobob just put up some pics of nice NC saltwater catches in the other species latest catch pics thread 

[Functional]

17 hours ago, carrageenan said:

Where in NY were you? I fish Long Island, CT, Rhode Island and Maine now and then. Never been to MTK, I don’t like crowds. Took trips to SC then NC this year,  it looks to be more affordable, but I will miss striper fishing a lot.

I was in dutchess County. Never did much saltwater fishing and the part of the Hudson River I did striper fishing was the freshwater part above the Newburg/beacon bridge. I think it was around april they chased the shad going up the rivers to spawn. 

 

The roanoak River NE of Raleigh is where they run in NC and you can get them in lake gaston right in the same area. If you wanted a healthy dose of fresh and salt, living between raleigh and the ocean with a bias towards the type you like most wouldn't be a bad idea. Where I live I can be at any of the major lakes around Raleigh in 1.5 hours or less and to the ocean/tributaries in 3. The "famous" lakes in SC are also close enough to enjoy a weekend trip no problem. 

[carrageenan]

Before I took up fishing I used to visit my girlfriend in Beacon all the time, haven’t been on the Hudson unfortunately. The wife and I are looking at the York and Charlotte areas depending on where I can find work. I saw a couple articles about Gaston though, maybe we’ll get up that way for a trip.Thanks for the tips!

[Functional]

5 hours ago, carrageenan said:

Before I took up fishing I used to visit my girlfriend in Beacon all the time, haven’t been on the Hudson unfortunately. The wife and I are looking at the York and Charlotte areas depending on where I can find work. I saw a couple articles about Gaston though, maybe we’ll get up that way for a trip.Thanks for the tips!

 

There are some pretty nice lakes to the east of Charlotte and there is Norman north of Charlotte but from everything I see and hear it gets absolutely crazy busy during the summer. 

 

I think lake James has striper as well as musky or Northern pike. Opportunities for smallies out that way too. 

 

Lake tillery is just east of Charlotte and the state record of 15lbs and some odd Oz came from there. My family lives in the Monroe area so I've fished some there. You'll be fine either way lol. 

[VolFan]

It just depends on how tied to surf fishing for stripers you are - it’s here, but mostly in NE NC, but there’s great Shad and striper runs on the east side through spring up to be coastal rivers.  Raleigh has Jordan and Shearon Harris which have phenomenal largemouth fishing. Charlotte has the Catawba chain (Norman, Mountain Island, Wylie, Wateree, and a few others) with great bass and catfish and a few striper and hybrids thrown in. Further up the Catawba chain (Hickory, Rhodiss) you have better striper fishing, and then Lake James has a little bit of everything and some great smallmouth as well. There’s no shortage of great fishing in NC, go to TN. ?

[mrpao]

I'm in SC and I haven't heard of many people surf fishing for stripers. Most of the striper fishing is lake based.

My brother in law is a huge striper fisherman. He does alot of tournaments. He's got some nice fish on his walls.

[carrageenan]

14 hours ago, VolFan said:

It just depends...

 

11 hours ago, mrpao said:

I'm in SC and...

Thanks guys! I do mostly inlet and brackish stripers but I will miss the open surf a lot. I’m coming to terms with it and I guess it’s okay, one less rod I need to have.