The hot days of August are considered to be the dog days of pier fishing in North Carolina. Water temps will be in the 80s at the beginning of the month and stay that way the entire time. Few fish will be on the move but the angler that is willing to work for his catch can have some success. It is rare that the wind is out of the north or northeast this time of the year, but if that occurs, that will be the best time to soak your bait.
Tarpon will be swimming in the waters of the North Carolina coast and there will be quite a few hook-ups, but only a few of these powerful fish will be landed, usually by king fishermen at the end of the pier. Live baits like mullet, shad and bluefish will be used for bait. King mackerel catches will be fewer than in previous months as the fish will tend to stay further offshore and anglers will be looking forward to the productive fall season, but few are likely to be decked this month.
Most of the plugging action will be in the early morning and late in the evening. Anglers will be looking for Spanish and bluefish. Got-Cha plugs and Diamond jigs will be the most used lures. Some anglers will light-line finger mullet to attract a big Spanish to strike.
Bottom fishermen will also find the action slower than previous months. Most of the catches will be small croaker, whiting and spot. The wide body Atlantic spadefish will provide the best fight for these anglers and they can be caught all along the pier within 10 yards of the planks. The less popular pinfish, hogfish and small jacks will also be caught.
The one fish that will in better abundance than in previous months will be pompano. These fish prefer sand to rock- or shell-covered beaches, and days when the water is clear will be the best. Shrimp, sand fleas or fiddler crabs will work the best. Fishbites Bloodworm Alternative also will work well on them. Larger pompano will also strike a Got-Cha plug when they are aggravated by one. Pompano seem to be at their highest activity during a full moon and for August that falls on the 15th.
Flounder fishermen again will be patrolling the planks Carolina rigging with a live minnow or shrimp. Some will also work a Gulp bait on a jig head. The best flounder action can be found in the range from the surf to right behind the breakers but other areas along the pier will be productive at times as well.
The speckled trout season opened up in June and there are likely to be a few caught on live minnows. The bag limit is six fish over 14” and no more than two over 24”.
Al Baird
Founder, North Carolina Fishing Pier Society
Co-Founder, North Carolina Public Access Foundation
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