OBX near shore wrecks

[Jim McFalls]

Has anyone fished The Boiler south of Oregon Inlet? I'd like to try that when I'm down there in late May.

Thanks!

[yakscientist]

My family and I fished some of the closest wrecks off our runabout boat, ones within 10 miles or so from shore from hatteras, NC a couple years ago. It was during the hottest weeks of the year so fishing was sub par at the wrecks themselves, though my brother and dad did troll through a school of false albacore and got a couple nice ones. I don't think out of either week we caught any fish at the wrecks, but on the ride out and back we found 12 different species stopping at various points and fishing the bottom (lizardfish, bluefish, pinfish, spot, croaker, rays, etc). I imagine if you stop at the wrecks and fish the bottom you might get some good fish, we never stopped at them though just trolled through and around them. My brother gets very sea sick so despite taking meds, he always determines how short the day is and we always have to keep moving relatively quick so we're limited by that.

I'm actually going to Avon NC sometime next month and also at some point in the spring, so I'll post my findings here and am anxious to hear yours. If I were you, I would troll the usual paddletails or shiny spoons, but also maybe try some big plugs too like xraps or crystal minnows. Another good bet is slow trolling live bait, whatever you can get with a cast net that's legal to possess. The guides I fished with in FL like to slow troll live bait, and fisherman in Oak Island use a similar technique. See if you can find some good king mackerel live bait rigs, there are lots of toothy critters so wire rigs help, though I think the limited drag/speed our kayaks produce helps us land more fish on traditional line so wire might not always be a necessity.

[Jim McFalls]

My family and I fished some of the closest wrecks off our runabout boat, ones within 10 miles or so from shore from hatteras, NC a couple years ago. It was during the hottest weeks of the year so fishing was sub par at the wrecks themselves, though my brother and dad did troll through a school of false albacore and got a couple nice ones. I don't think out of either week we caught any fish at the wrecks, but on the ride out and back we found 12 different species stopping at various points and fishing the bottom (lizardfish, bluefish, pinfish, spot, croaker, rays, etc). I imagine if you stop at the wrecks and fish the bottom you might get some good fish, we never stopped at them though just trolled through and around them. My brother gets very sea sick so despite taking meds, he always determines how short the day is and we always have to keep moving relatively quick so we're limited by that.

I'm actually going to Avon NC sometime next month and also at some point in the spring, so I'll post my findings here and am anxious to hear yours. If I were you, I would troll the usual paddletails or shiny spoons, but also maybe try some big plugs too like xraps or crystal minnows. Another good bet is slow trolling live bait, whatever you can get with a cast net that's legal to possess. The guides I fished with in FL like to slow troll live bait, and fisherman in Oak Island use a similar technique. See if you can find some good king mackerel live bait rigs, there are lots of toothy critters so wire rigs help, though I think the limited drag/speed our kayaks produce helps us land more fish on traditional line so wire might not always be a necessity.

This is great! Thanks. And good luck in Avon!

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[bluefishnc]

Boilers can be ok. It really depends on how much of the wreck is uncovered. The sand moves a lot in and sometimes the only structure is the smoke stack. Not even sure if that is still sticking out of the water anymore. When it is ok you can find triggers, spades, sheep etc... A few sharks blues as well. Current is usually ripping due to the proximity of the inlet though and water clarity can be an issue around there as well for same reason. It can be a really tough launch on top of that due to the swell and deep trough at shore break. Bottom line... on the right day it is worth it. But if it aint blue sky, windless, and slick I'd go elsewhere. Other spots like the old lighthouse jetties, the wreck up in nags head, or islands behind the inlet or down behind hatteras are way more productive. If you had a buddy and a slick day though I'd go offshore at Cape Point. On the right day that area is unbeatable. Just be aware of your surroundings and sneaker waves. I just stay far away from the breakers when I do it.

[Jim McFalls]

Boilers can be ok. It really depends on how much of the wreck is uncovered. The sand moves a lot in and sometimes the only structure is the smoke stack. Not even sure if that is still sticking out of the water anymore. When it is ok you can find triggers, spades, sheep etc... A few sharks blues as well. Current is usually ripping due to the proximity of the inlet though and water clarity can be an issue around there as well for same reason. It can be a really tough launch on top of that due to the swell and deep trough at shore break. Bottom line... on the right day it is worth it. But if it aint blue sky, windless, and slick I'd go elsewhere. Other spots like the old lighthouse jetties, the wreck up in nags head, or islands behind the inlet or down behind hatteras are way more productive. If you had a buddy and a slick day though I'd go offshore at Cape Point. On the right day that area is unbeatable. Just be aware of your surroundings and sneaker waves. I just stay far away from the breakers when I do it.

This is great! Thanks for the intel.

Jim