Around Wrightsville Beach and Figure Eight Island, they always said you couldn't catch fish off the docks on artificial bait. Those fish just see so much thrown at them, they said. It was live or cut bait only, preferably live. I've found that not to be the case. Especially for big flounder and the occasional drum or trout. And if you enjoy the active experience of trying to manipulate a bait with a rod and reel to try and trick a fish, fishing artificial bait is the way to go. If there's a flounder season this year in North Carolina, give it a shot. At least for the fish by the docks around the Wrightsville/Figure Eight areas, here's my playbook. White soft-plastic baits , preferably scented, on a jig head that's going to sink quickly enough and stay at the bottom, depending on where you're fishing. Cast close to the dock, bump the bait off the bottom, retrieve slowly. The flat fish seem to like white baits,...
Fly Fishing, Waterfowling, and Wandering the Old North State and Elsewhere