# Outer Banks: Seeking Advice and Opinions on Surf and Pier Fishing in OBX



## RedDrumDream (Sep 28, 2011)

Hi Everyone...first time checking this forum out...looks awesome!

Anyway here is my quandry.

A few buddies and I are trying to plan a fall/winter surf and pier fishing trip for about 4 or 5 days to the Outer Banks. I am from the D.C. area and 99% of my surf and pier fishing has been in the DelMarVa (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) area beaches. I have heard great things about fall and winter surf and pier fishing in the Outer banks and so thats where we wanna go this year. It has always been my dream to catch a trophy *Red Drum*, well any size red or puppy drum really! And catching nice Blues and Stripers from the surf is one of my absolute favorite things to do! From what I understand the Outer Banks is the Meca of Red Drum surf fishing especially in the fall, and there may be good opportunities for Blues and Stripers at this time as well.

In addition I am sick and tiered of all the expenses and hoops I have to jump through to just drive on the beaches and fish in my area! You need a seperate vehicle and walking permit to access the drive on beaches in DE, MD, and VA and they cost over $100 each! And then its a hassle of you wanna make a fire to stay warm! so it is a real pain in the ass to chase the fish from beach to beach! From what I understand it is much more laid back in the Outer Banks. No permits are required to drive on designated beaches and safe fires are permitted. *Question #1. Is this all true?*

My problem is that I am unfamiliar with the vast Outer Banks area. I have been to Nags Head a few times as a kid (20+ yrs ago) and fishing the pier there provided for some of my fondest memories. Since then I recently (early Sept.) stayed in Corolla for a few days, but is was a "couples" type of deal with some friends so my fishing opportunities were very slim! I still loved it and have been dying to go back with the guys for some serious fishing ever since. Well now it's time!

*So anyway if any of you have read through my ramblings I am asking for your opinions and advice regarding where and when in the Outer Banks (we are open to go anywhere from Corolla to Ocracoke) to do our surf and pier trip to have the best chance of success at landing some nice #1 Reds, #2 Blues, #3 Stripers.* Now don't get me wrong I understand that all the variables associated with fishing, surf fishing in particular, are higly unpredictible and it is difficult to plan accoridingly. I just wanna give myself the best opportunity possible. So any advice other then "the best time to go fishing is when you can" is much appreciated! I certainly understand that it is impossible to plan the perfect fishing trip. All I want is to do my homework/research, take some of your views and opinions, and give myself the best chance possible. And after all that I know it may still be raining with 30mph winds the whole time. 

So there is is...
*- We want to catch (well target) Reds, Blues and Stripers with an emphasis on Reds.
- We want to be able to stay as close as possible to the beach (ideally walking distance)
- We want to be able to drive on the beach and have a fire for warmth.
- We are open to stay and generally unfamiliar with any OBX area...anywhere from Corolla to Ocracoke.
- We can go anytime between the end of Oct. all the way through Feb/Mar.
- When is typically/historically the best time of fall/winter to catch nice Reds, Blues, and Stripers?
- As far as specifics about techniques, bait etc...well one thing at a time.*

So where and when should we go so we can each catch multiple 25lb+ Drum, 5lb+ Blues and 25lb+ stripers! Haha. 

No but seriously. When typically are the best Red runs, Blue runs, and Striper runs?
Are any areas of the Outer Banks generally more or less productive then others, or is it just a personal preference type of thing? Waht time of day are Reds usually most active...morning, night? Any advice and or opinions on these or other relevant matters would be greatly appreciated! Again sorry I tend to ramble on.

Good fishing and good luck!


----------



## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

welcome to PS. Post on one forum and you'll get more responses.


----------



## RedDrumDream (Sep 28, 2011)

You mean specifically on the NC forum?


----------



## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

yes its already been posted there so there's no need for it to be posted here


----------



## RedDrumDream (Sep 28, 2011)

Thanks.


----------



## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Go in Mid October for Big Drum, Island is cut off at the moment Rt 12 should be up and running by late October. The Stripers have not been showing up on Hatteras much the last few years. Drum will be around the beach until Thanksgiving and then they head offshore typically.

Fish with freshest bait, try and fish late tides either at the Point or at a break in the bar along the beaches of Hatteras. If you fish a late tide at the Point the crowds will be in their beds. On the beach incoming is usually best, but often Low tide lets you out on sandbars where you can reach deep water with a cast. Either way you want a moving tide, fish do not eat all the time.

90-95% of the Big Drum are caught by the 2% of the fishermen who are the better casters.

If you can cast you will catch Drum if you put your time in. Each year is different but the most consistent place would be the Point. (Which is also the most crowded and aggravating place to fish unless it is very late or very early in the morning before the crowd shows up. A close friend of mine who has caught over five hundred Drum Citations fished only late tides at the Point, he would show up at 1:00 AM when the rest of us were leaving the beach for our beds. This fella quit Drum Fishing after the moratorium went into effect. This fella had many nights with ten or more fish put on the beach.
He is like most of the truly great casters tall and athletic.

Drum Fishing rewards those that excel and in my mind is perhaps the one fishery that is less based on luck but rather preparation and skill. I would practice casting, most of the Drum fellas use conventional reels cause you can get better distance but they take a fair amount of time to master. It is the pursuit of Distance. For what ever reason the fella with a bait out further either past a drop off or in a chum line is going to get bit first.....

Most of the Drum I have caught over 50" were all taken late at night. When a big school is around and you can get a bait to them, it can be epic...


----------



## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

I moved this thread over to the NC forum. You'll get a better response over here. I'll merge the threads eventually.

There is no single place you can be guaranteed a drum. I've known some really good drum fishermen who fished for two weeks straight in the right place with the right bait at the right time...and they got skunked. I've also seen noobs catch them by accident while spot fishing.

That said, the fall run centers around Assateague Island in Maryland, Sandbridge/Back Bay in southern Virginia, the northern Outer Banks from the state line down to Kitty Hawk and, later in the season, further down the Outer Banks. Each spot has its pros and cons. Assateague is a little slower, but the fish tend to be bigger. Sandbridge lets you fish from a pier, while Back Bay requires you to walk in on foot (but it's worth it--lots of nice fish). The northern banks can be spotty and *no one* will give you specific intel on where to go on a public forum.

Garboman gives solid advice. Fresh bait, look for a nice slough, and try to get it out there. Stay in touch with local tackle shops for info, and remember that you may or may not get into them. This will be the first of many trips you'll take. It's a lot of fun; drum fishing is a whole other experience from chasing stripers or anything else.

Do some searching on here with "drum" or locations. And be sure to let us know how you do.


----------



## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

sand flea said:


> ...northern banks can be spotty and *no one* will give you specific intel on where to go on a public forum...




Yea, spotty at best. You'd be better off fishing further south out in front of Buxton...


----------



## RedDrumDream (Sep 28, 2011)

Thanks everyone for your replies! And I apologize for double posting!

Is there any chance of suucess in pier fishing for Drums...relative to surf fishing? And what about fishing the Nags Head area? Are drums typically caught there?


----------



## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Until you get some experience the Piers will be perhaps the worst choice for learning, you either have to be the type of person who others love to help or have an extremely thick skin, or be 6'9". I would would stick to the open beach.

A person out on the end of an OBX Drum pier blowing up, tangling up with others, generally screwing up due to lack of knowledge and experience will be in for a miserable time. The regulars/locals will eat you up....the confines are too close....The best casters on the East Coast fish the piers and they travel with the Drum...they are real serious and a few of them are down right ugly if someone is slowing them down. 



First time I set foot on Rodanthe Pier in October I was told never to come back, that I had better fish off to the side, that my Tourist ass would never make it and if I backlashed one more time and held up the line up waiting to cast they were going to throw both me and my rods over. I had fished a lot for Kings, but was a Drum rookie and the Rodanthe Crew made sure I was real uncomfortable....All night long Giant Sharks bit me off....and the all laughed at all my mistakes....If I had not wanted it so bad I would have left in shame.....


The year was 1986..................I decided I loved the game/(abuse?) a couple of the fellas on the pier that day I now count as my closest friends....


----------



## spydermn (Apr 26, 2009)

I am going to piggy back this thread. North of the bridge around OI...is it worth fishing? I cannot get down to Paridise (HI) until the bridge opens (couldnt get a ferry or tunnel pass). I am still looking for my first big drum from the beach. I have gotten a couple small/slots but no pigs. Any thoughts? 


PS t-6 days...


----------



## mots reel deal (Aug 11, 2011)

First time I set foot on Rodanthe Pier in October I was told never to come back, that I had better fish off to the side, that my Tourist ass would never make it and if I backlashed one more time and held up the line up waiting to cast they were going to throw both me and my rods over. I had fished a lot for Kings, but was a Drum rookie and the Rodanthe Crew made sure I was real uncomfortable....All night long Giant Sharks bit me off....and the all laughed at all my mistakes....If I had not wanted it so bad I would have left in shame.....


The year was 1986..................I decided I loved the game/(abuse?) a couple of the fellas on the pier that day I now count as my closest friends.... wish they would do this to the bird lovers


----------



## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Garboman said:


> Go in Mid October for Big Drum, Island is cut off at the moment Rt 12 should be up and running by late October. The Stripers have not been showing up on Hatteras much the last few years. Drum will be around the beach until Thanksgiving and then they head offshore typically.
> 
> Fish with freshest bait, try and fish late tides either at the Point or at a break in the bar along the beaches of Hatteras. If you fish a late tide at the Point the crowds will be in their beds. On the beach incoming is usually best, but often Low tide lets you out on sandbars where you can reach deep water with a cast. Either way you want a moving tide, fish do not eat all the time.
> 
> ...


 What he said,BUT...... You don't always have to be the distance guy to catch a nice drum,ESPECIALLY in a blitz... Go out there (Jennettes Avolon Nags Head OBX Avon piers) with fresh bait,throw it in the ne corner. Most,if not all piers here catch fish on a lob,or shortcast off ne corner,it works,trust me on this... All that being said,I throw as hard as I can on about every cast and fish right of center,but ne corner does work... 

Beaches: take your pick from Ocracoke in mid Oct,Corrolla end of sept and maybe beyond mid Oct,Buxton Point mid October,N beaches of Hatteras mid Oct through late Nov.. You can catch a big drum using these beaches without the "longcast".. Just to make my post shorter,you could do a search on the forums and find a thread about reading water,can be very helpfull and you will find a long cast isn't ALWAYS necessary.. Although,like was said I am generally gonna throw as hard as I can chuck it...


----------

