what is out there in cedar island

redfishtom said:

seeing you guys talk about fishing cedar island made me want to ask you salty guys a question. My kid had a project on a lighthouse in nc so he picks ocracoke (SP.) we rolled a vacation into a project and took him down there, anyway, on the way to the ferry we saw all this great looking marshy water just screaming FISH, but not a soul was fishing there. this was in september, right after labor day, what lurks in all that marsh? my wife swears I looked like an addict coming out of the dt's, and she swears we almost ran off the road several times looking at all the great looking spots. is it wadeable? if We make it back down there I would like to know what I would be fishing for.

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If you passed the marshes in Sept. I was probably fishing close by. You were most likely looking at a part of my yak fishing paradise. If you have boat there is a great public ramp at Cedar Island by the ferry landing-- good fishing just offshore from the landing. It is wadeable by the rock jetty at the boat ramp not much else accessable. Catches in the marshes consist of speckled trout, gray trout, blues, red drum and any species that happens by. For the most part these back waters are very shallow. I usually fish known sloughs and tidal ditches. As for no one fishing when you passed through, most fishermen that make the long drive down east usually fish the inlets on Core Sound or surf fish.

Later,Forrest

You don't need to wait until September. The fishing is great all summer there!

Regarding wadeablility (oh come on, if you can make up wadeable, I can use wadeablility)... Most areas 'round marsh grass (anyone call in cord grass anymore?) are very mucky. You might be able wade in areas where the bottom has been stabilized (around the jetty), but just jumping off the road anywhere down east could find you chest deep in some of the nastiest smelling stuff you've ever encountered.

I've seen guys (and related to at least one) that can walk across that stuff like Jesus on the water, but most folks (myself included) will discover how much muck they can dispalce. Good luck!

PH---Thanks for the help on CLARIFYING What to expect when you jump off the road down here. I also forgot to mention the water moccasins and caneback rattlers in the marshes. Oh, and those big Russian rats that lurk in the marshes around Cedar Island and on the banks( they make wharf rats look like midgets). If one crosses the road in front of your car -- avoid hitting it as his teeth will probably puncture your tires.

Later, Forrest

And if that don't get you, don't forget about those angry seagulls when they see ya moving in on their territory......... They do make a mess.... do they do.....

Mosquitoes big as bats, cut wing flies, green head flies, no see'ums so big you see'um and some of the finest folks on earth.

Later, Forrest

Yep! that's "down east"...

The big rats! They could be confused with nutria down in the bayous of "Loosiana" Those things grow to 10 to 12 lbs. At least rats ain't eating the marsh grass away.

Those are mosquitos?!?!?! I thought they were UAVs! I thought the boys in Bogue Field and Cherry Point were scoping out the fishing grounds, looking for redfish schools .

so what are you saying, it's a rough place to fish thanks

redfishtom---My remarks about the elements down here may have been somewhat exaggerated. I have had a home here in Atlantic since 1981 just down the road from Cedar Island. There does not seem to be a middle ground on opinions about the area, visitors tend to love it or hate it. You may have noticed that I avoided answering your main question. The area is like the mountain streams --you have to learn where the fishing is good and not good. There is only water surrounding us down here and to give you a direct answer--the fishing is usually fantastic.

Later, Forrest

Ya'll forgot the red wolves, bears, stingrays, Portugese man'owars and lesser jellyfish. Oh yeah, they got guys that throw gummy worms in the water if you happen to get too near their secret spots. They say that will get your attention if you make it out of the water alive. Being the true fisherman that you are RFT, the bears and the wolves will run away fearing that you just see them as a source of fly tying material. The bugs will fear being caught and rudely examined and voodoo dolls being made in their likeness. Fojoloy done and skinned all them rats tails for secret weapons so you know they are scared of fishermen. Jellyfish and stingrays are everywhere but not so many there. Now as for gummy worm tossing fishermen.... set a 1/2 pound of shrimp in a glass jar with 11/2 pints of water in a cooler for three days and take that with you fishing. Just crack the top open a half turn every thiry minutes. You can fish downwind for the rest of the day without seeing a soul.