Silversides (Spearing)
Identification
Silversides, locally called “spearing” or “ minnows,“ are small, slender baitfish belonging to the genus Menidia. They are typically 2-5 inches long, with a translucent silver body, a distinct silvery stripe running the full length of each side, and a slightly upturned mouth. Two species are common in OBX waters: the Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia) and the inland silverside (Menidia beryllina). They are nearly identical in appearance — small, bright, and quick — and are one of the most visually conspicuous forage species in shallow sound waters.
Habitat and Behavior
Silversides are ubiquitous in OBX estuaries, inhabiting shallow sound flats, tidal creeks, seagrass beds, and the surf zone. They are schooling fish, often gathering in dense clouds that shimmer and flash just below the surface. They are euryhaline, tolerating a wide range of salinities from nearly fresh to full saltwater, which is why they thrive throughout the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. Silversides feed on plankton, small crustaceans, and organic detritus. They are a critical forage species for speckled trout, flounder, puppy drum, bluefish, and striped bass — especially in the shallow grass flats where gamefish ambush them.
Fishing Techniques
Silversides are caught primarily with fine-mesh cast nets (1/4-inch mesh or smaller) in shallow creeks and along grass flats where they school. Dip nets work well when fish are concentrated against banks or in tidal pools. Sabiki rigs tipped with tiny bits of shrimp or fish belly can catch silversides around docks and piers. In the surf, silversides can sometimes be scooped with a dip net when wash pools concentrate them at high tide. For fly anglers, tiny white flies (#10-14) on a slow retrieve can catch silversides, though most anglers simply net them.
Baits and Lures
Silversides are not caught with conventional bait — they are too small and are plankton-feeders. But as bait, they are exceptional. Live silversides fished on a small hook (size 4-8) with a float rig are deadly for speckled trout in the shallows, particularly around grass beds in the Pamlico Sound. They are also excellent live bait for flounder when fished on a bottom rig or Carolina rig near creek mouths. Dead silversides are used as cut bait for smaller species and can be added to chum mixtures to attract speckled trout and puppy drum to a fishing area. Many OBX anglers match-the-hatch with small silver lures (like 2-inch paddletail jigs or silver spoons) when silversides are the dominant forage.
Best Times and Locations on the OBX
Silversides are present year-round but are most active and abundant from spring through fall. In the Pamlico Sound, the grass flats behind Hatteras Island — particularly around Avon, Frisco, and Hatteras Village — hold thick schools of silversides from April through October. The shallow creeks around Manteo and Nags Head are also prime spearing territory. In the surf zone, silversides move through the wash on rising tides, drawing speckled trout and bluefish behind them. For catching your own, the small creeks off the Pamlico Sound at low tide often concentrate silversides in deeper holes, making them easy targets for a cast net.
Regulations
There are no specific recreational bag limits or size restrictions for silversides in NC waters. Standard cast net regulations (mesh size, radius limits) apply depending on the water body. Some designated nursery areas and certain sound waters have restrictions on net use — always check NCDMF regulations for the specific area you plan to fish. Using purchased frozen spearing from bait shops is always an option when live silversides cannot be caught.