UTERScamp fishing in Wilmington & Crystal Coast
In Wilmington & Crystal Coast, scamp peak May–October and are around year-round, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. June: Scamp on the ledges off Frying Pan.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Scamp in Wilmington & Crystal Coast, month by month
- JanuaryAround
- FebruaryAround
- MarchAround
- AprilArriving
- MayPeak
- JunePeakScamp on the ledges off Frying Pan.
- JulyPeak
- AugustPeak
- SeptemberPeak
- OctoberPeak
- NovemberAround
- DecemberAround
Where to fish scamp near Calabash, Southport, Wilmington
South-facing beaches between Cape Fear and Cape Lookout, the Cape Fear River, marsh creeks and ICW behind Masonboro, Topsail and Bogue banks, Core Sound and Harkers Island — with the Cape Lookout and Frying Pan shoals, hundreds of nearshore wrecks and ARs, and the Big Rock and the Gulf Stream 30–50 miles out.
Fish Scouter charts 272 artificial reef, 208 wreck spots in the The Southern Outer Banks & Cape Fear map area — the kinds scamp hold on.
What to use for scamp
- Cigar minnowsNose-hooked on a stinger rig for kings, or a 4/0 circle hook dropped to the bottom for grouper.
- PinfishHooked through the back ahead of the dorsal on a 2/0 to 4/0 circle hook; the small ones free-lined, the big ones on a fish-finder rig.
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- Leader30–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook2/0–7/0
- Braid30–65 lb
Feeds in 60–82°F water, best at 66–78°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch scamp in Wilmington & Crystal Coast?
Peak season is May–October. Scamp are here year-round. June: Scamp on the ledges off Frying Pan.
Where do scamp hold in Wilmington & Crystal Coast?
Look on ledge / hard bottom, artificial reef, wreck — around Calabash, Southport, Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Topsail, Swansboro.
What is the best bait for scamp in Wilmington & Crystal Coast?
Live bait: cigar minnows, pinfish, squid. Cigar minnows: Nose-hooked on a stinger rig for kings, or a 4/0 circle hook dropped to the bottom for grouper. Tackle: leader 30–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 2/0–7/0, braid 30–65 lb.
What are the rules for scamp in Wilmington & Crystal Coast?
Size and bag limits and closed seasons are set by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and change — read the current rule at https://www.deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/marine-fisheries/rules-proclamations-and-size-and-bag-limits before you keep a fish. A licence is sold at https://www.ncwildlife.org/licensing.
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All about scamp · The Southern Outer Banks & Cape Fear, the whole year