Re: NC
Sad to say I'm not a fisherman so anything I say is subject to being wrong. As far as where you can boat safely, I 'm partial to putting in at Surf City even though we have a municipal ramp here in Topsail Beach. Aside from the fact that TB charges either $10/launch or $50/year, they have inadequate parking. You can avoid all of that by launching free at Soundside Park in Surf City. They have a huge parking area set up for both single vehicles and vehicles with trailers... and the launch is free. Very nice double ramp and the park is worth writing home about as well. Once you're out of there the Inland Waterway is just off the park. It's suitable for your bass boat. The bridge onto Topsail Island is there as well and I always see people tied up in the general area fishing.
You can head south and enter Topsail Sound via either Bank's Channel or Old Topsail Creek. Topsail Sound is a little tricky with all of the sand bars but if you stay within the buoys you shouldn't run aground. Frankly, I just starting to learn the area myself because my boat has been going through a major rebuild until recently.
