Bald Head Island Fishing Charters & Guides

Bald Head Island, NC

Sometimes less is more. If you look at the list of things to do on Bald Head Island in North Carolina, it may not look exciting. But that’s just the point. It is a place to get away from the blood-pressure raising excitement of today’s world and step back into a relaxing world of calm. It should be a pretty good indicator of things to come when you note that the only way to get to the island is by boat, including a ferry that takes cars back and forth. And speaking of cars, there aren’t that many on the island. It’s mostly traveled by foot or electric golf carts. If you feel like you are on a movie set, there’s a reason. Several high profile movies have been filmed here, including “The Butcher’s Wife”, “Weekend at Bernie’s” and “Sleeping With the Enemy”. Bald Head Island is located on the east side of Cape Fear and the village is small and definitely remote. It’s in Brunswick Country, North Carolina and the ferry runs from the nearby town of Southport. When conditions are right, you can drive in by four-wheel drive from the north from Fort Fisher. The community prides itself on being environmentally active and living in harmony with nature is a big deal here. The island’s beach and sand dunes, saltwater marsh and estuary, maritime forest and freshwater lagoons are a nature lover’s paradise, but they are also strictly protected. If you visit the area, make sure you know about the rules and regulations. The area is a turtle nesting haven. When you come here during nesting season, consider yourself on “turtle time” because activities here are often marked by turtle activity instead of humans. And then, there is the fishing. The fishing is fabulous no matter which direction you head. Obviously the big waters of the Atlantic Ocean offer abundant fishing. And the 202-mile long Cape Fear River and its runouts offer fantastic fishing. The mouth of the river here at Bald Island is prime fishing for both saltwater and freshwater species.

Bald Head Island Inshore Fishing

The further north you go in the Cape Fear River, the better the freshwater fishing for species like largemouth bass, striped bass, bream and catfish. As you get closer to the mouth of the river, you mix in that catch with some redfish, sheepshead and flounder. And then, near the mouth of the river as the water turns brackish, you can add more redfish, speckled trout, flounder and black drum to your catch. There are also croaker and other smaller saltwater gamefish in the area. King mackerel and Spanish mackerel also frequent the larger areas of the waters of the river mouth. Best catches are made by using popping corks and live bait, such as shrimp and cut mullet. But artificial baits work, too. One popular bait here is the Berkley Gulp bait, which gives you the convenience of artificial, but it’s a soft, scented fishy livebait feeling lure that fish can’t resist. This is kayak country, too. The numerous shallow sounds, estuaries and marsh waterways offer great chances for small boaters to succeed. The waters of the Bald Head Island State Natural Area are teeming with fish. Surf fishing is great here, too, and the irregular shape of the island almost always gives anglers a place that is protected from the wind.

Bald Head Island Offshore Fishing

What can’t you catch off the shore of the Atlantic here? That might be a shorter list than what you CAN catch! Close to shore and off the piers, croaker, speckled trout, red and black drum and sheepshead offer almost constant action. For those willing to take a longer trip, you can go offshore as far as the Gulf Stream and fish open ocean shipwrecks, shoals and reefs for species like sailfish, mahi mahi, red snapper, tuna and almost anything that swims in the ocean. The best approach here is to find out when you are visiting and talk to a charter boat captain about your best bets during that time frame. They’ll put you on the right trip and then on the fish. You can’t beat that.

Book a Bald Head Island Fishing Trip

The choices can almost make any angler dizzy at Bald Head Island. There’s no better example of a place where “Eat…Sleep…Fish” is applicable than in this quiet vacation spot literally surrounded by fishing opportunities. You can fish off the beach, ride up the river, kayak the backwater cuts and bays or head out to the big waters of the Atlantic. Whichever you choose, check out FishAnywhere.com and get yourself set up for a memory-making day. They know what is biting and how to catch them. You can go light tackle close in or heavy tackle way out. The choices take some time, so think about it and book your trip today.