The ‘general’ consensus is that live shrimp is the best and most universal inshore bait because shrimp are abundant in the inshore habitat and are universal prey for trout, redfish and flounder. It is also generally agreed that live shrimp are a more effective bait than artificial. Why?
As a kayak angler, my livewell options are limited. So if shrimp are the best bait, which artificial shrimp is best? Recently I have explored this question and herein are my conclusions. I started with the premise that, ‘If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck. Or in this case: ‘If it looks like a shrimp, swims like a shrimp, sounds and smells like a shrimp, then most predators will decide that it must be a shrimp’.
Does it Look like a shrimp? According to Wikipedia, shrimp are widespread and there are thousands of species that vary in size, shape and color. Popular shrimp baits are rather distinctive in shape but several vary in size and some have a wide range of colors. I think that the pre-rigged versions have the most realistic shape – but I am not a fish, so what do I know. The picture below includes a few of the most popular shrimp baits that you will find in local stores, so you can decide which ‘Looks’ the most realistic based on the local shrimp in this area!
Does it Swim like a shrimp? In a SaltStrong article, (Best Shrimp Lures To Fish Under A Popping Cork [Brand Comparison] (saltstrong.com) ), Tony Acevedo looked at the action of shrimp baits under a popping cork by filming them in a swimming pool. He rated them based on their ‘action’ on the pop and how they settled in the water. A synopsis of his results in the chart below.
Does it Smell and Sound like a shrimp? As for smell, Berkley Gulp Shrimp and Z-Man Scented ShrimpZ are rated as having the best scent but anglers can add scents such as Pro-Cure and Dr. Juice when they think appropriate. I have found that Fishbites E-Z Shrimp strips are very effective with some lures, however, these may interfere with the action of the pre-rigged lures. Berkley and Vu-Du make shrimp baits with built-in rattles that may that attract fish. In addition, D.O.A. sells rattles that can be inserted into shrimp baits but I would suppose at the risk of affecting action. Also. there are rattles that can be attached ‘in-line’ to the leaders.
All -in-all, there are countless variations among the many shrimp lures. I am not endorsing any of these to work in any particular situation. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “With one lure, you cannot please all of the fish, all of the time”. You be the judge.
First of all, let me thank those that went to the Club meeting last Thursday. It was very well attended. I hope those that went enjoyed the excellent presentation by Captain Tim Disano from Tideline Charters. Those that didn’t go missed something. Missing a meeting is missing an opportunity for learning from those that have knowledge that perhaps you don’t. It is an excellent way to become more skilled and to potentially catch more fish. Please take the time to attend a meeting. I promise you it’s worth it.
Secondly, let me thank those that came early and helped set up, and stayed after the meeting and helped break down. Hopefully we will be back in the Pink Palace next month and all the extra effort won’t be required. But, we’ll keep you informed as we are appraised of the situation.
The Club is now up to 107 members on the roster. Seven new members joined this month. A special welcome to all the new members. Poke around on this website and get familiar with what we offer and get yourself enrolled in the Fishing Tournament. Also consider going on to Facebook and sign up for the Sea Trail Fishing Club group. Just go to Facebook, search for the Sea Trail Fishing group, and follow the prompts. Email and Facebook is a primary means by which the Board of Directors communicates with the Club. Getting signed up means that you may, for example, see posts from time to time of people that are looking to go out on charters and need people to join them.
The guest speaker for next month will be Amber White. She is the owner of the Mad Kingz Tackle Shop. A new location just opened in Ocean Isle Beach.
The guest speaker for July is already locked in. I won’t tell you who it is at this point. But I will tell you that it is something different, and that it will be good. You won’t want to miss it.
As of today, the Island Seafood Company is offering a 5% discount on purchases to members in good standing of the Sea Trail Fishing Club. If you are a member in good standing, you will have a membership card that expires on 12/31/23. If you are not a member in good standing, either see me directly or send me a check to cover your dues. Thank you to the owner, Richard Craft, for his generous support. If you are unfamiliar with the business, make it a point to stop by. The owner works hard to ensure a very good selection of fresh and local fish, plus a good selection of shrimp and a whole lot more.
And finally, Gary Massey, the owner of the Sunset Beach Pier with his wife Teresa (both of whom are Club members, by the way) posted on Facebook today that several people caught their limit of speckled trout on the Pier today. That is really good news for the upcoming Pier event on June 10. Get your float rigs ready! If you are a member in good standing, you could be in for a real treat on that day!
As Thoreau would have said, “That golf course is best which is golfed least.”
This beautiful largemouth was caught on a fly rod popper. – Photo: Capt. Gordon Churchill
We all like fishing. At least, if you’re reading this, that is my assumption. I’ll fish for anything that swims.
I’ve been happy catching pinfish and croakers and delighted to catch gorgeous, 6-inch-long brook trout. Most of the time these days, you will find me plying the coastal salt waters in pursuit of inshore fish of one kind or another. It takes a bit of planning and often a bit of effort to figure out where we want to go, assess the weather, get boats and gear prepared, and there is no guarantee that fish will actually be in the place we had planned on them being.
Too many variables exist in seasons, wind and waves to make any saltwater fishing excursion a sure thing. However, there is fishing that is available to most people less than 30 minutes away from most anywhere we might be on the coast: golf courses. It is my fervent belief that the best use of a golf course, and the most productive use of the acreage within, is fishing for the bass that live in the so-called “water hazards.” The ponds aren’t hazards, rather they are treasure chests filled with bassy jewels. They’re always there, don’t have anywhere else to be, are usually hungry, and can get really big. Catching them isn’t especially difficult, but there are things to be considered.
The first consideration is access. The best, of course, would be a golf community where you actually live. If you reside in one of these neighborhoods and have never checked the local bass population, you should probably remedy that sooner rather than later. Also, if you have only ever caught a few small panfish or little bass on worms fished under a bobber, you are missing the very best part.
But first, a little science. Due to the acidity of the soil in most of eastern North Carolina, any ponds or lakes we have in “wild” places will be full of mostly small bass that have difficulty spawning due to the unfavorable pH of the soil and, hence, the water. However, golf courses have fairways and greens that are heavily fertilized, which changes the acid/base ratio to something that’s not always best for the environment but is more beneficial to bass. A bit more alkaline than acidic is best. A pH number between 6.5 and 8.5 is optimum. Under that is going to start trending towards too acid.
Now for the access part. Look for a golf course near you. If you don’t already live on one, try to figure out if somebody you know lives on one.
Another good option is farm ponds and for the same reasons. If there is an out-of-business golf course around you, that might be worth checking into as well. Regardless, if you aren’t sure if you are allowed access, assume you don’t and progress from there.
Now, let’s go with the assumption that you have access to one of these fertile bodies of water. You may want to know what I’m talking about when I say there are better ways to do it. There are plenty of options to fish these ponds but I’m going to pinpoint what I consider to be the best.
If you were to ask me what lure I would use if I had one cast to make into a bass pond, I’d tell you it’s a Senko plastic worm. Furthermore, I’d also say that I would rig it “Wacky Style.” You might be nodding your head now, or you might be wondering what the heck I’m talking about. A Senko is a plastic worm made by the Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits Inc. It looks simple enough. Practically plain and without adornment. But it has a certain density that makes it sink at a certain rate — just slow enough that the fish can see it and get to it from a ways away. This is accompanied by a captivating wiggle that it has as it falls with a side-to-side motion that is not easily produced by imitators.
You can hook them with a standard weedless plastic worm hook in the Texas fashion, and that is good for heavy weed cover. But most of the time I use the Wacky Rig. You can use almost any kind of hook, but I prefer the ones made specifically for this kind of fishing and that you can find at any tackle shop that sells to bass fisherman or in online outlets.
Another bass that ate a Senko fished by Rick Harper of Rock Hill, South Carolina, during a visit to the North Carolina coast.
Photo: Gordon Churchill
Simply put the hook in the middle of the worm near the collar. That’s it. It seems too simple, but when you drop it in the water, you’ll see that wiggle. It’s pretty cool. Cast it over toward a log or some floating vegetation. Let it drop. Shake the rod tip a little. Lift and twitch. Let it drop. Lift. Drop. Twitch. Drop. The drop is the key.
You may feel a tick, the line may come tight, it may move to the side, or maybe there will just be a slight weight on the line. Set the hook sharply. You don’t need to haul back freight-train style like the knucklehead TV bass guys. Just snap it back quickly. Be ready for anything. You could be catching a bunch of “nice” fish in the 2- to 3-pound range, and then … a 9-pounder shows up to the party. When she comes clean out of the water and hangs in the air, it’s a vision you won’t soon forget. When she hits the water again, it will sound like a canoe paddle being slapped down.
Plenty of other methods will work. My absolute favorite is a 6-weight fly rod and a small popper that I make out of craft foam. I carve them using scissors until I get the shape. My friends call them “Marshmallow Poppers.” Walk along the shoreline and cast in a 90-degree arc covering the water in front of you and along the shoreline. A simple waltz time makes a good popping time: Pop, 2,3. Pop, 2,3. They’ll hit it usually on 3.
Capt. Gordon catches a nice bass from a small roadside pond.
When I start seeing the first frogs of the season, I like to be on the banks of a pond in the evening.
Finally, try to avoid using plugs with treble hooks. Chances are, you’ll see these fish again if you take care of them. Treble hooks take a bit of doing to get out for a quick release. Oh, and yes, this is going to be 100% catch-and-release fishing. Don’t take Big Momma Bass out of that pond. She’s got too much value to add by making more bass for future excursions. Say “hello.” Admire her. Let her go. It’ll be cool to know she’s still in there when you drive past later.
Last week my 24-year old grandson sent me a picture of a bass that he had just caught near his home in Missouri. The bass was nice but his smile was priceless. In addition, it was especially meaningful to me for two reasons. The first was that it was important to him to share his success with me. He grew up without an interested father and I taught him to fish in a small pond in New Bern over 20 years ago. Fishing is a great sport to share with both kids and friends. Remember that we all started somewhere and no matter our ages we should be willing to help those who are starting out. There is no greater feeling than helping someone develop a skill or knowledge and see them start to “get it. Watching a new angler succeed and feeling their excitement will remind you that it’s not always about the big fish. Do you remember why you even started in the first place?
On the other hand, never think that you know it all. That’s not possible, there’s always something to learn. Most anglers fall somewhere between a beginner and expert, but no one wants to stay there. If you want to land at the top of the leaderboard in the Club fishing tournament, or just start catching fish every single time you hit the water then you need to improve your game. How do you do that? Here are three suggestions.
Talk To People. Instead of being an elitist and ignoring the guy sitting on the sand, bank, boat or dock fishing, take a few minutes and talk to them. Anglers could learn a lot in just a few minutes by asking questions. Just a few minutes of talking with them can give you the insight you need to hook up.
Find an Expert Mentor. Spend time on the water with a skilled angler in a purposeful way. Don’t just fish with them, observe what they do and ask questions. Most excellent anglers are more than happy to share their expertise on how they locate and catch fish. Most are happy to share details and have no secrets in that regard. In the next breath, though, they might not be willing to tell you about their secret fishing spots. That tidbit of info may be hard for them to give up. If you are in for a paid lesson, there are several very knowledgeable charter captains in the area. Don’t go out with the mindset of just coming home with some fish for the table – or that once in a life-time trophy catch. Use the experience to learn from the expert! Ask questions, look at the equipment they are using, check out the terminal tackle, etc., etc. Get your money’s worth out of the experience!
Join a Club. The Sea Trail Fishing Club offers many ways to improve your fishing knowledge. It is a place to meet others that may have more knowledge and experience or, maybe, just different experiences. Sharing stories and ‘hooking’ up with others of like interests is an enriching experience. The Club holds monthly meetings and invites local charter captains to share a little of the local lore. The Club also holds events and schedules charters for its members. For example, last year the Pier Fishing event allowed some members to learn about a whole different kind of angling experience – and at a discount rate! There re also other clubs in the area and many, like ours have websites that open up a whole new realm of angling opportunities.
Be a Mentor. Finally, become the teacher or mentor that you had when you were starting off. Once you have gained all of that hard-earned fishing knowledge, be prepared to pass it forward to others! Sometimes that is one of the most rewarding parts of the journey.
Hey Anglers – With the influx of new members to our Club and the warming climate, there have been a great number of new sign-ups for the tourney. The numbers have increased from 86 to over 112 competitors for the various fish species. More sign-ups mean that more places are awarded in each fish category! Here is a short summary of changes that have occurred on the Leader Board:
Mike Griffin posted a 19.5 inch Spanish Mackerel to a category having no previous entries. In the Flounder category there are 16 competitors, so a second place slot went to Mike Antista for a 14 inch entry. Red Drum contestants increased to 21, so Clint Morschauer jumped in at second place with a nice 26-inch catch. Speckled Trout anglers increased to 23, allowing Alan Trojan’s 22-inch catch to take 3rd place in that category.
A new first place 17-inch Sheepshead entry by Clint Morschauer knocked Larry Hershoff off the board by 3/4 of an inch. Tough luck Larry. Here’s what Clint had to say:
“It was 4/17 and I was out with Alan & Gary. Captain Tripp Hooks took us to one his spots along a stretch of docks. I think we were south of the Sunset Beach bridge. We were drifting and bottom fishing our shrimp as close to those docks as we could. I managed a beautiful cast on a Carolina Rig to an outside corner, let it drop to the bottom where she decided to munch. We all had a great day.”
And in the Largemouth Bass category John Crespin took first place by posting a 28.5-inch catch, outdistancing Robert Levine’s 26-inch fish. I really didn’t expect Robert’s fish to be beat! Here’s John’s account of the catch:
“The fish was caught on 27 March 2023 at approx 5:43 pm in a nearby pond in Sunset Beach. I had also landed 5 other bass prior to catching the big one. The other bass were between 2 and 5 lbs. Equipment: A 6′ 6″ All Star rod GT40X, a Quantum bait casting reel, with 15-lb braided line and a 3/0 Gamakatsu offset shank worm hook. I was fishing a 3/16 oz Zoom Rainbow shad fluke. I was letting the bait go to the bottom and popping it off the bottom and letting it stay in place for 3 or 4 seconds and continued this process and it was working that day. The big bass took the bait as soon as it hit the water and the fight was on, the bass came out of the water at least three times it was a heck of a fight. The fight took a lot out of the fish and once I landed the fish, I had to unhook it, take my measuring tape out of my back pack and attempt to keep the fish still and also attempt to take a clear picture (I took 5 pictures of the fish and it moved 4 of the 5 times) and ensuring I returned the fish back into the pond before it was too late.”
Sea Trail Fishing Club 
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