The N.C. Coastal Recreational Fishing License is required for saltwater rod and reel fishing. The license can be purchased on a 10-day, annual or lifetime basis. An annual saltwater fishing license for state residents costs $15, and an annual nonresident license costs $30. Ten-day licenses are $5 for state residents and $10 for nonresidents. Contact the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries for saltwater regulations or for more information, (252) 726-7021, (800) 682-2632, or www.ncdmf.net. Be sure to familiarize yourself with regulations, including size and bag limits, which are posted at most piers and marinas.

Freshwater licenses are issued by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Call (888) 248-6834 for credit card purchases or purchase from one of the locations listed below. Nonresident freshwater fishing licenses for 12 months cost $30. Three-day licenses cost $15, a license for one day is $10, and trout fishing is an additional $10. For residents, the annual 12-month fee is $15 with an additional $5 for a comprehensive license that includes trout fishing. A one-day license (not including trout waters) is $5. Licenses may be combined with a hunting license and can be obtained at slightly higher rates. As regulations and fees are complex and subject to change, you're advised to check the website for complete information at www.ncwildlife.org.

Wilmington

Brunswick County

The most up-to-date sources of fishing information are charter captains, fishing piers and tackle shops. Detailed reports also appear frequently in the Sports section of the Star-News.

Each of the area's piers has its own personality. Some have become bent and bowed after years of battering by the ocean and hurricanes, and some have been rebuilt time and again. Many are festooned with odd novelties and memorabilia and proudly display photographs of trophies reeled up from the sea. On busy days, expect to be rubbing elbows with other pier-fishers, but in the off season, a pier is a peaceful place to be. Almost all piers charge a daily fee for fishing and some charge a nominal fee to stroll out and watch the action. Most piers offer seasonal fishing permits, tackle shops, snack bars, wet cleaning tables, restrooms and a great view.

Wilmington

Wrightsville Beach

Carolina & Kure Beaches

Southport/Oak Island

Holden Beach

Ocean Isle Beach

Sunset Beach

Topsail Island

With good access to miles of beaches along our coast, surf fishing is naturally popular. The best time for surf fishing is during high tide with an outgoing tide, but you don’t have to fight the sunbathers for space. There are some great out-of-the-way fishing spots in the area.

In Wrightsville Beach, you’ll find good fishing behind the jetty at Masonboro Inlet, on the south end of the island. For anglers looking to get away from it all, the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area offers an undeveloped 4-mile stretch of beach and tidal marsh approximately 5 miles south of Carolina Beach that is accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicles. The entrance to the area is off U.S. Highway 421 before the North Carolina Aquarium (bear left at the fork in the road) and to the right of the beach parking lot. There is also a public beach here with changing rooms, restrooms and shower, a snack bar (open seasonally only) and a ranger contact station. Phone (910) 458-5798 for information about hours, fees and permits. The daily 4WD fee is $10. An annual fee is $40. Otherwise, there are no services, so bring everything you'll need and pack out everything you bring. (See the Beach Driving section in our Sun, Sand and Sea chapter).

If you're looking for something a bit more adventurous, try fishing The Rocks, a 3.3-mile breaker extending from Federal Point, south of the Fort Fisher Ferry terminal. The enclosed water around Zeke's Island is called The Basin, and fishing on both sides of the barrier is excellent. However, The Rocks can be very dangerous, especially at high tide when they're slippery, wet and partly under water, so be sure to enter and leave the area during low tide.

Although surf fishing is popular on all the beaches of Oak Island, a great spot can be found at The Point, at the west end of Oak Island bordering Lockwood Folly Inlet. You can throw a cast net for bait on the north side of this spit of land then fish either from the south side or the western point. From here you can see the eastern end of Holden Beach and the Holden Beach bridge, but you can't get there from here!

Although saltwater fly-fishing requires skill, patience and a little luck, it is gaining in popularity on our coast. Those who pursue the sport have a fantastic love for it. Neophytes and aficionados of saltwater fly-fishing can find resources in the Wilmington area and in many tackle shops throughout the region.

The abundance of fishing equipment suppliers underscores the popularity of the sport in the Cape Fear region. You'll find full-service stores specializing in everything you need for inshore, offshore and fly fishing. But beyond just gear and bait, these stores offer tips from the experts on the best techniques to catch fish in local waters, so take advantage of their advice.

Tex's Tackle & Bait

215 Old Eastwood Rd., Wilmington
(910) 791-1763
www.texstackle.com

The largest independent tackle shop in the region, Tex's Tackle & Bait carries everything you need for a successful fishing adventure, including rods, reels and frozen bait. The store's extensive inventory is impressive, as is its commitment to carrying only the best quality products at competitive prices. The line winding department offers a wide range of monofilament and braided lines, and the frozen baits include ballyhoo, squid, shrimp, cigar minnows and much more. Owner Tex Grissom, a lifelong fisherman, and his knowledgeable staff can answer questions and provide guidance.

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission maintains free ramps for pleasure boaters and anglers. Parking is generally scarce in the summer months at the busier locations such as Wrightsville Beach (which now has mostly metered parking, but many of the meters conveniently accept credit cards). The ramps are identified by black-and-white, diamond-shaped Wildlife signs. For information on public boat access, call (919) 707-0150. Detailed information with directions for ramps throughout the area, including access areas for the disabled, are at www.ncwildlife.org/fs_index_05_boating.htm.

Wilmington

Dram Tree Park, on the corner of Castle and Surry streets off Front Street in downtown Wilmington, is almost beneath the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge and gives access to the Cape Fear River.

Castle Hayne

Access to the Northeast Cape Fear River is by a ramp on Orange Street off N.C. Highway 117 bridge, a half-mile north of the intersection with State Route 1002.

Sutton Lake

From U.S. 17, take U.S. 421 north 3.2 miles. Turn left on Sutton Lake Road and go 1.5 miles to the road's end.

Pender County

The Northeast Cape Fear River and its tributary creeks are accessible by three public ramps. A ramp that allows access to the west bank of the river from I-40 can be reached by taking N.C. Highway 53 east about 1.7 miles, then County Road 1512 to its end. A public ramp on the east bank is off County Road 1520 about 7.7 miles north of N.C. Highway 210. The intersection of N.C. 210 and Secondary Road 1520 lies about 3 miles east of I-40 (Exit 408). Holland's Shelter Creek Campground and Restaurant, (910) 259-5743, is 7.5 miles east of I-40 down N.C. 53. Canoes, kayaks and paddle boats are available and the restaurant offers a memorable glimpse of local flavor. The private ramp gives access to Holland's Shelter Creek. (For more on Holland's Shelter Creek, see our chapters on Camping and Restaurants).

The Beaches

Wrightsville Beach, at the east end of U.S. Highway 74/76 drawbridge, has a public ramp accessible from either side of the main road. This access to the Intracoastal Waterway is very busy in summer months, especially on weekends, and parking is limited. On Pleasure Island, there are four ramps east of U.S. 421 at Snow's Cut. Coming south, make a hairpin right turn at the south end of Snow's Cut bridge onto Bridge Barrier Road. Turn right at Spencer Farlow Road and follow it less than a half-mile to the Wildlife sign. The dirt parking lot is down a short road on your left. If you're coming north from Carolina Beach, exit U.S. 421 at Lewis Road just before the bridge and take an immediate left onto Access Road. Spencer Farlow Road is less than a half-mile ahead. You'll find another ramp at the end of U.S. 421, south of the Fort Fisher ferry terminal, which gives access to the Basin off Federal Point. Also on Pleasure Island, Carolina Beach State Park, off Dow Road, (910) 458-8206, has four ramps, a marina and ample parking, and it provides access to Snows Cut and the Cape Fear River. The ramp directly beneath the N.C. 210 high span in North Topsail Beach is generally uncrowded. It is accessible from the last turnout from the northbound side of N.C. 210 before the bridge. Access is to New River Inlet.

Brunswick County

In Southport, boat ramp access to the ICW can be found at the Southport Marina. At the foot of County Road 1101, accessible from N.C. Highway 133 on the mainland side of Oak Island, the public ramp gives direct access to the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). At Sunset Harbor, east of Lockwood Folly River, a public boat ramp gives access to Lockwood Folly River and Inlet and the ICW. From N.C. 211, take County Road 1112 about 6 miles south and turn right at Lockwood Folly Road. Follow to its end. At the Wildlife Boat Ramp on Fish Factory Road, there is access to the ICW. At the Oak Island Parks and Recreation Center, 3003 Oak Island Drive, Oak Island, access is into the Davis Canal. Boat ramps at 55th Street NE and 57th Place W offer access on the Intracoastal Waterway. At Holden Beach, public boat ramps are under the N.C. Highway 130 bridge on the island side. Freshwater anglers may launch into the east bank of the Waccamaw River at the N.C. Highway 904 bridge at Pineway, about 5 miles north of the South Carolina border or the Boiling Spring Lakes Boat Ramp & Dock on Alton Lennon Drive. Access to the Cape Fear River can be had at two Winnabow locations: From U.S. Highway 17 at Winnabow (about midway between Wilmington and Bolivia), take State Road 1521 east 3 miles to the Rices Creek bridge; Town Creek is 2.5 miles east of Winnabow off State Road 1521.

Topsail Island

There are three public boat ramps on Topsail Island with access to the Intracoastal Waterway. In North Topsail Beach, there is a boat ramp at the end of Shrimp Lady Lane under the high-rise bridge. Ramps are free, and there is plenty of parking. Surf City has a public boat ramp at their new Soundside Park, 517 Roland Avenue (just over the swing bridge). The Town of Topsail Beach, on the south end of the island, has a boat ramp offering access to the Intracoastal. The ramp is located on South Anderson Boulevard just past Town Hall in downtown Topsail Beach.