Inshore North Carolina Kayak Fishing

Many of us constantly track the tides and the wind, but few people are more in tune with coastal conditions as a dedicated kayak angler. With so many external factors that impact an anglers success, its important to be connected to the subtle changes that occur out on our local waters, especially as the seasons change and the fish are in transition. Successful anglers are always looking for those moments where everything comes together, knowing that the right conditions can often lead to special days that keep us going.

Last week I saw a window of opportunity as the late afternoon high tide coincided with a switch in the winds direction, so I loaded up my Wilderness Systems fishing kayak up on top of my Toyota FJ Cruiser for a quick trip to one of the coastal systems that had been holding some quality redfish and scattered speckled trout over the past couple of weeks.

With the tide up I would be able to concentrate on throwing topwater, so I had two different size Rapala Skitter Walks tied on, one smaller one in chrome and the larger one was bone. I also had a rod rigged with a weedless jig in case I found fish up in the shallows where a topwater would spook the fish, but my plan was to focus on surface action as the fish would have plenty of water to feed aggressively on top with the tide. Include a few other essential items that I keep stocked in an old milk crate that lives in the back of the FJ, and I was ready to role. I have learned to keep things organized and on hand as you never know when these short windows of opportunity may arise.

Kayak fishing the marsh here in coastal North Carolina typically involves targeting Redfish, some speckled trout, and an occasional flounder. All three species like to live in the same neighborhood, but they do prefer slightly different habitats features. That said, when conditions are right you can find them, all intermixed, with even an occasional striped bass to keep it interesting depending on where you are fishing along our coast.

Many kayak anglers along the Carolina Coast are targeting red drum, our state saltwater fish. Drum can be found in our coastal waters year-round and they are one of the strongest fighting fish we have nearshore, constantly testing the anglers tackle in a game of tug of war that we sometimes lose. A kayak is a great way to stalk reds as they like to get super skinny and are extremely boat shy most days. A quiet approach is essential and there are times where you can slip right up on the fish with a kayak without them becoming aware of your presence. Anglers should fish areas with mixed bottom along the marsh shoreline paying especial attention to any submerged aquatic vegetation or oyster reefs. Look for abrupt depth transitions that allow the reds to come up on the flat to feed but have somewhere to quickly sneak away to the cover of deeper water if they feel threatened.

Anything that creates structure can hold fish so rock piles, shoals and edges all are worth exploring. Having a kayak that you can pop up in to a standing position greatly helps your ability to sight cast the reds but often they will give their presence away in skinny water, pushing wakes as they displace a good amount of water finning in the shallows. It’s hard for a slot red to hide in from an angler with a keen eye and a good pair of sunglasses. Sometimes all you can see if the shadows and color change but often with assistance from my Smith Optics polarized sunglasses, I can actually spot the fish and make a accurate cast out in front of them. This usually guarantees an eat, but if you throw it behind them or right on top of them you are not as likely to get hooked. Quality sunglasses defiantly are worth the investment. I really like my Techlight glass copper lenses for inshore water on bright days and the Polarchromatic Chromapop glass lenses on the overcast days when the sun is in and out. Since they adjust to the ambient light conditions, they are ideal on overcast days when you really just need to cut the glare off the water’s surface.

Speckled trout are most prolific in fall when they school up but they are caught year round by anglers who pay close attention to their seasonal changes in habitat. During the spring and summer, the trout move downstream to higher salinity water as they spawn near the ocean on flats and shoals in water from 1-4” deep. This time of year, I often use the kayak as my fishing platform but since the fish are skinny, I have found it best to stake out and wade the flats in less than knee deep water.

When big female trout move shallow, they become super aware as threats come from all angles and while they are ambush predators, they certainly are still prey to many species. Sharks will patrol the flats and work the drop offs and it’s not uncommon to see a osprey feeding on a speck from its perch or nest high up above the water. While kayaks are much quieter than an outboard or even trolling motor, I really prefer to wade when I can as it keeps me in contact with the bottom composition and I can stay cool. I just like stalking the flats like a ninja, staying as quiet as I possibly can.

As we transition to fall the trout will be staging up in deeper water, so the kayak really does become more of a fishing vessel for me. I am often moving around more in the Fall covering ground and fishing different holes where the fish like to school up. Often, I have moved upriver into deeper more stable water. It is important to rig things in a way that will allow the angler to be comfortable and have access to all of the gear that you need. Typically, that includes a pair of pliers, three light rod and reel combos, a small waterproof lure box that will hold three or four extra lures and a Gecko large waterproof dry box for my phone keys and a light snack.

I am a minimalist; I try to pack light and plan accordingly knowing that most of my trips are day trips that will not require a lot of excessive gear. I do recommend as handheld radio in case you lose service or have a problem out on the water. Of course, having a PFD is important too. There is a lot of debate on wearing the jacket on the water, for me honestly it depends on the circumstances. During the summer if I know I will be on the shallow flats I don’t normally wear a jacket, but I have a Mustang self-inflate belt I wear instead. I always have an actual jacket close by in case it is needed. I know that is a risk and that you can drown in shallow water, but in life we take calculated risk every day and I personally feel comfortable in that setting. Anytime I am in the ocean or paddling in our cooler season I put my jacket on.

I encourage everyone to take safety into consideration and utilize the gear you need. Accidents happen and you want to plan accordingly, something as simple as a restroom break can turn into a deadly situation when out on the water in the cold, so please remember to always be careful and file a float plan just in case. If the budget allows, why not invest in some technology that would allow emergency crews to find you if you ran to trouble like a Spot Satellite Messenger. Hopefully you will never need it, but it does bring you and your loved ones some peace of mind that you have in in the event of a true emergency.

My kayak is rigged with two flush mount Scotty rod holders behind me and a Powerlock adjustable rod holder up front for easy access. I have inserted a plastic rod holder into the obligatory milk crate that sits behind me for additional safe storage for tackle and personal items I have in my Gecko dry box. Include a small kayak anchor and my EGO floating kayak net and that’s really all you need. No electronics or fancy foot pedals required, although I admit they are nice in design and they allow you to extend your range especially on those windy days. My goal is to have a lightweight boat I can load and launch by myself with the necessary gear but not a lot of unneeded items to get in the way or possibly break. I just haven't been able to justify the expense and in honesty I like to stay lightweight and capable of loading and unloading solo. That is one of the reasons I purchased the Malone Sea Wing auto rack with load assist. With a lightweight boat I can easily strap it down for safe transport without breaking my back.

As far as tackle goes, I prefer light to medium light action 6 ½ to 7’ Star Rods. The Stellar Lite series is the cheapest model they make that offers the lifetime warranty. For right at $100 you get a quality rod made with durable components designed to hold up in the salt. I am also a fan of their Seagis inshore rod series which reduces the guide size near the tip of the rod. The small weight reduction shifts the balance of the rod closer to the handle and is noticeable after a long day of repetitively throwing artificial lures.

I continue to use Penn reels in large part because my dad always did. For the price point I have yet to find another brand that is as dependable as the Penn Slammer series and the Conflict is one of the lightest reels on the market. Again, anything I can do to reduce overall weight matters when I maybe making 2-300 cast each trip. I really like the Slammers in the kayak because they are sealed ad hold up better to the occasional spray and saltwater dunks that inevitable happens when paddling. The newer Penn reels are designed to be braid friendly, so depending on a lot of different factors I typically am fishing 10-20lb braided line and utilizing a reel somewhere in the 1000-4000 class. The 2500 is my go-to as it allows me to effetely target both reds and trout, but there are days where I switch based on location and target species.

When it comes to lurers, most of my regular readers know how much I love topwater. I mean, who doesn’t! Something about surface feeding action and the anticipation of setting the hooks really speaks to anglers who enjoy the visual aspects of stalking fish in the shallows. I wrote an entire article on my love of topwater that you can find back in my blog, but for now I’ll just say different techniques work on different species on different days. Don’t be afraid to change up your presentation until you figure out what the fish are looking for.

In super skinny or cooler water sometimes, the fish will not eat topwater so typically I will switch over to a really light weight presentation if I am shallow, with either a 1/8 oz or weightless jig tipped with a Fishbites Fight Club soft plastic. I will troll them as I cover ground and occasionally cast them to spooky fish that might be a little hesitant to swipe at a surface plug. I also really like to fish weedless gold spoons and saltwater spinner baits. Both designs create a wobble and flash that predatory fish have a hard time resisting. The key is being able to fish the water column effectively from top to bottom. If I plan on fishing for trout in deeper holes, I will use heavier jigs or likely switch over to a sinking or slow suspending lure design like a X-rap or Mirrolure. These baits are especially effective when the fish ore suspended in the water column. I just released an entire article recently on targeting trout during the fall season, make sure to check it out for more insight into proper presentation.

Of course, natural baits work, but I prefer artificials especially when kayak fishing because I don’t like having to worry about keeping the bait alive. Plenty of flow through bait wells that work I personally just find more joy in fishing with lures. That said, I found a lot of the spots I fish today while cutting my teeth on our local waters over 10 years ago fishing a shot gun spread of finger mullet. Whatever it takes! As long as you are catching fish, having fun and learning… that’s the main reason I fish other than to spend more time outside in nature. The connection you develop and the knowledge that you gain is the reason for the purist!