# Avon Pier



## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Big Dave knocked DrumDum out of the running for the coveted last Drum off of Avon Pier with a 46" fish taken at High Tide yesterday afternoon. DD's fish was bigger at 48" but only the last one counts.

Avon had one or two Drum a day for the last week of 2017, which was not what the regulars were hoping for.

My close cousins made a spectacular showing in the final week of Avon however, and these critters were big, hungry for lead. In the last three decades Drum rigs have evolved from a fairly standard 5" snell to a 1" snell or the cannonball rig.

In the last weeks of Avon there was a bit of regression back to 6"-8" snells in an effort to save the oceans from lead poisoning.

Did not matter these critters wanted lead and they were getting it.

Sharks ran off everyone except for me last night...................me and the Sharks closed down Avon, with my final Shark an 8 foot plus Garbo right before the lights started flashing for the final time in 2017.

I am pretty sure I am up to close to 300 large Sharks for the 2017 season, which is just about to end, it is personal record, Sharks are thick, they are big and they like lead.

In a related matter, the Drum Pro leaderboard has not changed at all from the Spring season. Same fellas, same results. 

Total catches may be revealed January 2018, or they may not, but the #1 Drum Pro certainly deserves all the recognition he has earned this year, he is had these attributes in case any readers want to emulate him in 2018.....

1. long cast, very consistent.

2. Wades out real deep, further enabled by short drop very compact cast.

3. Excellent bait.

4. Does not use a flash light when de-hooking Drum, he must have some internal night vision enhancement.

5. Has a lot of stamina and is not afraid to fish where drowning is amongst the possibilities for the nights outcome.

I am currently in 5th position and have an opportunity to potentially make it to 3rd if there is decent weather for the secret spot known as Shelly Island.

For 2018 I am going back into the Gym, may need Tuna to push me beyond my comfort zone....................I will switch to the INFERNO (Chris let me borrow one of his for a session and it fits my style of casting and bests my 19 year old ALL STARS................transitioning to a Fathom or perhaps the Devil Herself for a longer casting reel.....my SL30SH's are 19 years old also and while a fine reel, perhaps can be improved on...

My new 1307 is the rod for throwing 10 ounces and bait, does not load well with 8 ounces but it shined with 10 ounce three sided pyramids on Avon.

For today, though I am taking the remaining break out of a SHV20 and will remind myself that if you don't keep getting up after you have been knocked down...you can never be #1 ....


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## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

The Man turned me on to the Fathoms. Didn't get a drum to stretch them out, but the dang sharks sure tested the drag on them. You'll like them. They throw great, but then again, my experience is far more limited than yours. If they were good enough for The Man, they were plenty good for me.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

TreednNC said:


> The Man turned me on to the Fathoms. Didn't get a drum to stretch them out, but the dang sharks sure tested the drag on them. You'll like them. They throw great, but then again, my experience is far more limited than yours. If they were good enough for The Man, they were plenty good for me.


Took the brakes out of a pair of SHV20's this morning

With a beach pendulum cast I made 20 casts in a row with a 7 Ounce Pyramid and by cast 20 with a XXX Heavy 1509 and comp butt I threw the longest cast of my life (16 pound ProSpec Chrome) using a normal pyramid sinker/drum fish able line/60 pound shock

Hatteras cast is a not recommended with no brakes, not enough room on Avon Pier, but will work on most of the other piers and is great on the sand

May be hope for me yet with technique vs Youth and raw power

Add in bait and big wind and we will have adjust power stroke to prevent the backlash from hell.....


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## 9 rock (Nov 30, 2008)

Garboman said:


> Took the brakes out of a pair of SHV20's this morning
> 
> With a beach pendulum cast I made 20 casts in a row with a 7 Ounce Pyramid and by cast 20 with a XXX Heavy 1509 and comp butt I threw the longest cast of my life (16 pound ProSpec Chrome) using a normal pyramid sinker/drum fish able line/60 pound shock
> 
> ...


Well I'm a little confused here I thought the hatteras cast is a short drop pull punch compact cast made for pier and surf casting in tight quarters., 
9


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

9 rock said:


> Well I'm a little confused here I thought the hatteras cast is a short drop pull punch compact cast made for pier and surf casting in tight quarters.,
> 9


You are correct about Hatteras cast

I was referring to a long drop beach pendulum 
With no brakes which takes up more room than is available on Avon Pier

My wording was unclear

A couple fellas use no brakes in SL20SH's but they use a longer drop than I am currently using on a Hatteras cast on Avon 

I hit the rail a couple of times on Avon and am a little gun shy about lengthening my drop....


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## Gorge (Jun 13, 2017)

Avon Pier reported a 46" caught this morning. You have until 4:00 pm to get out there for the last day.


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## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

They will remain open through Sunday, two more caught since Gorge's post above. Longcaster and DD putting a couple more on the planks... the hours of the pier will be from 8am to 5pm. Sea Mullet bite is on Hard and fatbacks are moving through... lots of Garbos.

A Suicide run is inevitable


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## LEADDRAFT (Oct 9, 2001)

_A Suicide run is inevitable _


I predict a lot of _Suicides_ by this weekend..


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## Adam (Feb 19, 2001)

Was going to come down this week and decided not to due to the slow fishing. 2na called me today while I was wrapping a rod for a guy and informed me of the news ...once again, zigged when I should have zagged. Story of my fall.


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## don brinson (Apr 8, 2011)

hey Garbo, were you fishing Avon yesterday?


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## js1172 (Jun 5, 2012)

Bert Rivera landed a 46" today
JS


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## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

Suicide Run turned into a two day affair ...

Bert actually caught four fish over the last two days if my memory serves me correctly.
Three for me, plus several huge Garbos, pickers and bite offs. Bite died afte the wind switched and increased..So, I filled a five gallon bucket with sea mullet in about two hrs or so. The Red Headed One, and his daughter Mickey put several on the board as well probably 6-8 between them. Bill (79yrs old) as I recall caught at least three. Longcaster caught four. 

We had three Drum landed at one time in the, Mickey's being one of them, another that was in the net belonged to #1 Drum Pro...Forty plus fish caught yesterday and 19 today; Clyde made Number 20 and in a class by himself. Reason being he was mullet fishing at the surf break and hooked a Drum on his mullet rod on the north side. Fought the Drum all the way up the north side, around the front and finished up on the south side of the front, (45 incher) The Rodanthe crew sure caught fish. (Drum).
View attachment 48178


Shelly Island is Gone! Yippie!!!
Rolled up on The Point just as it was cracking light. Sanjuanworm had it nailed down and in the water. He and Curtis from TWs had already caught eleven between them before I got there during the night. It was Sharkey most of the night he said. I think while we were there I took one of the best pictures I've ever taken on an IPhone. Sanjuanworm bowed up on number two. 
View attachment 48186


Days like these, are the days you live for.


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## sanjuanworm (Dec 20, 2012)

Thanks for those pics tuna


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## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

sanjuanworm said:


> Thanks for those pics tuna


Absolutely ! Glad to do it .. 

Just so you know, half of the five gallon bucket of sea mullet was caught on the shrimp you gave me before you left.


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## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

.


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## don brinson (Apr 8, 2011)

Dam , its hard to watch people catch fish when you are 16 hours away. Glad to see the red headed fella and Mickie were catching if I couldn't . Beautiful pics 2NA.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

don brinson said:


> Dam , its hard to watch people catch fish when you are 16 hours away. Glad to see the red headed fella and Mickie were catching if I couldn't . Beautiful pics 2NA.


Avon is closed for real yesterday at 4:00 PM. No Shadow openings, for real this time.

Sea Mullet bite was off the charts, large sea mullets in the hundred's were caught and exported off the planks, destined for the table.

Right at 80 Citation Drum for the last week which were mostly caught in the morning. Avon closed at 5:00 PM all week so there was no Night Bite opportunity which would have increased the number caught significantly.

If you came after 11:00 AM with a Drum Rod you were greeted with Shark attacks, Those Sharks just would not quit, especially for me.

If you came at opening in the morning and had decent bait and a long cast, you got bowed up.....

Only four Drum on Sunday, Red Head caught the first one, Tom H caught the second, Paul caught the 3rd and some wannabe Drum Pro named Mike who had showed up after 11:00 AM all during the work week caught the final Avon Pier Drum of 2017.


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## Guest (Dec 4, 2017)

Sounds like a good end to the pier season!


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## don brinson (Apr 8, 2011)

Congrats on the last Drum. Looked like a blast. Saw pic's of 3 in the net and 2 more waiting to be netted. Saw pic of Mickie and Zach and the red headed fella all bowed up at the same time. Family time. I retire next Nov. I hope to catch a few with the family next Nov.


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

Good gawd y'all are cleaning up down there. I'm halfway thinking about coming down Friday, though this approaching cold front will probably grind everything to a halt.


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