# horrible fishing



## redeye33 (Jun 3, 2021)

Just got back from Hatteras and a week of the worst surf/pier fishing I have ever experienced! Water is way too warm and the rip current made me use 11oz. to get it to stick! Then the cold front moved in, needless to say I left 2 days early. Not 1 redfish, many very small pomps, black drum and mullets. Nothing big but a skate. Reports around the place were the same, very few catching anything. A few caught at the Avon pier by the same 6 guys that are there every day. The tourney guys got excited because some bluefish came by, that should tell you something! Oh well, be back in April/May to try again.


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## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

redeye33 said:


> Just got back from Hatteras and a week of the worst surf/pier fishing I have ever experienced! Water is way too warm and the rip current made me use 11oz. to get it to stick! Then the cold front moved in, needless to say I left 2 days early. Not 1 redfish, many very small pomps, black drum and mullets. Nothing big but a skate. Reports around the place were the same, very few catching anything. A few caught at the Avon pier by the same 6 guys that are there every day. The tourney guys got excited because some bluefish came by, that should tell you something! Oh well, be back in April/May to try again.


Well we had The Cape Hatteras Anglers Club tournament going on Thursday and Friday...We always get excited when blues come by our stations.. You can rack up points quickly.

There are more than six of us who are on the pier regularly Drum Fishing the End.... We had a good night Monday Pull up Avon pier on FB and you'll see a pic of my Friend Amy who got her first Citation Drum...

The trick of beach fishing is reading the beach and being where the fish are.. Water too warm?? high 60s isnt too warm..The one puppy I got during the tourney was on the south beach and I had to cast to the bar. After scoring it 27 inches and 31 points I killed it and eating half of it tonight. The South beaches were much more fishable last week.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

After the water temps reach the low sixties in Nags Head the Drum are mostly off of Hatteras.

Fellas that fish Avon pier every day are there for a reason, most every one of them has over 100 citations this year.

When the surf currents are moving too fast to hold with 10 ounces, it is prime time for the piers on Avon and that other place I cannot remember the name of.

It is pretty intimidating to come out with Drum rods out on the end of the Pier for the first time, it is not like the beach where you can just move down a bit and fish by your self, you have to stay out there with them and as long as you are amiable to following instruction after a few years they will accept you or at least accept that you will be fishing out there.

The Pier Drum guys told me to go home when I first started, I did not listen though and I kept coming back.


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## fish bucket (Dec 5, 2002)

even though fishing was slow it was still nice to be in hatteras


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## redeye33 (Jun 3, 2021)

Appreciate all the info.. Nothing beats experience and I will take it all to heart. mid to upper 60's = good, strong current means hit the piers, blues = pts for tourney guys, ask questions. I did not fish the end of the piers because I unsure of myself and didn't want to f things up, yes, a little intimidating. Those guys on the piers obviously know there stuff, talked to one younger dude with real long hair for a minute and he seemed pretty cool. Next time I will get in there. 

As far as reading water, I feel I can read the water pretty well. I was fishing some nice holes and troughs. I had a hard time casting beyond 50 yds, 11 oz is tough to cast. I had 6 oz on my short cast rods. I scouted a little during low tide when I first arrived. 

I had to settle for the second fillet of the redfish I caught at Surf City earlier. Awesome tasting fish. Always great being in the surf in NC.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Practice casting heavy weights before you venture to the end of a Drum Pier.

If you are out there backlashing and tangling up your welcome will not last long.

If you practice enough 11 ounces will no longer be so tough to cast with the right equipment, it does not travel as far as 7 or 8 ounces but sometimes it is needed.

There is a premise that everyone pays the same fee to fish a pier and has the same rights especially at the front desk, for some reason a few fellas feel that does not apply to the last ten feet of the pier.


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## fish bucket (Dec 5, 2002)

Garboman said:


> Practice casting heavy weights before you venture to the end of a Drum Pier.
> 
> If you are out there backlashing and tangling up your welcome will not last long.
> 
> ...


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## fish bucket (Dec 5, 2002)

every pier had its “front of the pier” clicque…..


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## jbmaris (Nov 29, 2018)

I fish in North East Florida and it has been the same for the last 3 weeks. I've been catching small whiting and 4" pompano. I hope it picks up soon.


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## DaBig2na (Aug 7, 2011)

fish bucket said:


> every pier had its “front of the pier” clicque…..


That is partly true and it takes place during the summer months on select pier. Rule One.. Don't ever back down from any of them. Sometimes they do things a certain way. Not saying its wrong or right so trust yet verify....By the time the live baiters are gone from the end. The Drummers show up on the OBX piers. As the Drum move south many of the Drummers do not. They are left at Jennettes and thats where they usually stop. By the time the Drum get to Avon only the really seasoned Drum Fishermen are left because of the wind, cold, sand and the salty men 

The end of Avon Pier in Nov can be quite intimidating in Nov..... Don't let it bother you. Step up to the rail clear folks before you cast and let it rip. Stay in close proximity of your rod incase someone else gets hooked up you will need to let them over or under you. The same favor will be extended to you... Do all that and you will be fine, if you don't. Life will become quite difficult.


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## GlenS (Sep 8, 2012)

DaBig2na said:


> That is partly true and it takes place during the summer months on select pier. Rule One.. Don't ever back down from any of them. Sometimes they do things a certain way. Not saying its wrong or right so trust yet verify....By the time the live baiters are gone from the end. The Drummers show up on the OBX piers. As the Drum move south many of the Drummers do not. They are left at Jennettes and thats where they usually stop. By the time the Drum get to Avon only the really seasoned Drum Fishermen are left because of the wind, cold, sand and the salty men
> 
> The end of Avon Pier in Nov can be quite intimidating in Nov..... Don't let it bother you. Step up to the rail clear folks before you cast and let it rip. Stay in close proximity of your rod incase someone else gets hooked up you will need to let them over or under you. The same favor will be extended to you... Do all that and you will be fine, if you don't. Life will become quite difficult.


I witnessed this first had. Learned a lot. Id this info is spot on. Watch, ask, listen and then get in the mix. The guys that where fishing the nights we went to the pier where great sources of help and info. better to ask if you dont know then jam a bunch of them up because you did rig you rod right. Everyone was more than happy to explain it.


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## Alexy (Nov 1, 2010)

Lots of good advice here. My advice is just go out with a rod and watch and ask. Most guys are more than happy to go over your set up and tell you some good do's and don'ts if the fishing is slow.


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## jbmaris (Nov 29, 2018)

All good advice. I am several hundred miles south of you so I don't know how much this counts. In northeast Florida, the water is in the mid 60's so the trout and redfish are looking for warm water. They are not out in the surf but back in the creeks. If you can access a creek it would be worth a try. See AmeliaFishBites.com for how to... Also under Fishing Websites, you will find Windy. This will help with water temperature, wind direction among other helpful info.


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