Wanting my son to catch his first fish this week

[Stopsign32v]

Will be fishing the inshore banks between Holden and Oak Island, maybe even the inlet mouth this Friday-Sunday. My son is absolutely dying to catch his first fish but so far not so much luck. We will be throwing lures, what would be his best bet throwing and just retrieving? I was thinking a crank bait of some type. He is new and isn't very good with the jerking so I'd like to keep it to retrieving and setting the hook.

Maybe a Diezel Minnowz with a Trout Eye jig head?

[trigger22]

Doesn’t get much easier than a popping cork and artificial shrimp. Cast it out, pop it, wait a few seconds and pop it again.

[Samuel999]

Poppin cork is a great idea. Otherwise a paddeltail would be a straight steady retrieve. You cant beat live bait either.

[ice cream man]

Add a Gulp Shrimp to a popping cork & you should catch something.
Young kids need to reel a lure or bait in to think they're fishing. Popping cork does that for them.....ICM

[Stopsign32v]

I've never fished with a popping cork. One thing I'm curious about, how do you know how deep to make your leader to where it isn't floating 2 feet off the bottom but it also isn't dragging the bottom to where you never know if you have a bite?

[trigger22]

I've never fished with a popping cork. One thing I'm curious about, how do you know how deep to make your leader to where it isn't floating 2 feet off the bottom but it also isn't dragging the bottom to where you never know if you have a bite?

I keep my leader from 18-24 inches most of the time. If I’m up on a shallow flat after redfish I’ll shorten the leader to around 12 inches or so but 18-24 inches almost always works for me.

[Stopsign32v]

I keep my leader from 18-24 inches most of the time. If I’m up on a shallow flat after redfish I’ll shorten the leader to around 12 inches or so but 18-24 inches almost always works for me.

Thanks I will try that

Does real (dead) raw shrimp bait out of a container work good with a popping cork?

[ice cream man]

To many bait stealers around........ICM

[todobien]

fresh shrimp from a fish market will often catch better than those frozen in the plastic packages.

[Scott Hobbs]

Cannot have to short of a leader, but the norm is 18 to 24 inches. The cork popping is what attracts the fish and they look up and see the bait falling back down and hit it. I was fishing it one day and hooked up, short fight and lost the fish. We were in a nice school of reds and left it in place and popped it, fish kept grabbing the cork running off. They came right up to the side of the boat grabbing and running off with the cork. When i pulled the rig out of the water i noticed there was not any jig.. the first one broke it off. Retied and continued to catch over slot reds and 3 to 4 pound trout mixed on a point.

[Stopsign32v]

Well he got one!!

We were at the inlet between Holden and Oak Island and he was throwing a Mag Darter bronze. The current was ripping out and there was a huge drop off. Caught a blue about 10 feet from the bank. I caught 2 more the same way and then all of the sudden they were gone.

[mindcrime]

Well he got one!!

We were at the inlet between Holden and Oak Island and he was throwing a Mag Darter bronze. The current was ripping out and there was a huge drop off. Caught a blue about 10 feet from the bank. I caught 2 more the same way and then all of the sudden they were gone.

Good ole Lockwood's Folly (or Lockwood Folly, depending on who you ask). Way to go! So, is your son hooked (no pun intended) on fishing now?

[KarlieBoe]

Nothing more exciting than your first fish, grouse, or deer! It's been awhile since I have had a world of firsts before me.