# Drum fishing - conditions dictate location?



## fishhead (Oct 18, 2004)

When drum fishing, how much do conditions dictate where you fish? By conditions I'm talking about winds, tides, and water clarity.

Where to fish includes surf, pier, bridges, and sound-side.

I am a novice drum fisher, and I stick to the surf until the winds make it too difficult, then I retreat to the CG station area. I haven't really targeted an area based on the tides. When the surf water is really dirty I sometimes switch to the sound, and visa versa.

Anyone have any rules of thumb that they can share? I'll be staying in Frisco Sunday PM through Wednesday AM, so I don't have many opportunities to experiment, so I'm looking to get a game-plan together rather than just winging it ... last year I got the skunk battling the winds. I'm certainly willing to travel north (and west, as in Manteo area) to find fish in the event the surf is angry like it's been lately. Hopefully the coastal flood advisory that's in effect will not be affecting route 12 much 

Thanks in advance!


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## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

90% of the time conditions dictate where I fish. Weather conditions dictate the outcome per season also. Starting in the winter/early spring, SE. S, or SW winds will trigger me to look at Rutgers. Whent he water temps are about right I am headed to OI to catch that first bite of the year. That could happen from mid Feb through mid march. As the waters warm the fish move up the coast to CHP with each southward wind. Any other wind I will fish the yak in the sound in deep holes or behind the beaches around Wilmington. In the summer I generally target puppy drum and sharks. So weather doesn't bother me as much. Beginning after the full moon in Sept I am looking for a NE, or N wind to start fishing the northern Beaches for big drum. The fish will move out of the sound from spawning time and be around the inlets from Bald head to VA beach. By Mid Oct winds don't matter as much for some areas as they do for others. CHP will hold fish on any wind and barometric pressure will dictate the bite more then winds more than anything else. Two to three days of steady pressure will rigger a bite until it changes. The day the pressure drops is going to be the best 12 hours to fish (AKA just before a cold front). The next 12-24 hours will be the worst until the pressure stabilizes again. If the current/Wind makes me toss 12's I'm not going to fish too hard. Getting too damn old for that. 8's and 10's are good drum conditions. I have been in situations where the perfect conditions produce no fish and the worst conditions produce fish. so some of it is a guessing game. My experience shows the fish are much more predictable in the spring then the fall. The Key is to be willing to put in your time, sacrifice sleep, food, and comfort and have confidence in your decision. Finding a good core of guys to fish with and learn with makes the slow days/nights better and keeps the drive for success going. In my years of chasing drum I have way more stories of good times with friends then I do of great nights of catching. Thats what you need to focus on and the fish will come. Every time you do catch a fish step back and think of what was going on and log that in your memmory bank so you can reference what you learned. Learn every time you step on the sand and remember the details. That is what makes good fishermen great fishermen and consistent catchers. Everyone who has ever caught a drum can give you advice and pointers but until you do it and learn it on your own you will never achieve the knowledge needed to be consistent.


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## sunburntspike (Oct 4, 2010)

drum fishing in a word-ROUGH!!-if the ocean is slick calm to 3 footers it probably aint goona happen,you want to look for 10-20mph ne steady enough to churnup that surf,a little spitting rain,maybe a good down pour to lighten your spirits,and a good hole with a nice out suck or rip,thats drummin' !!


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

If you want a game plan pay Norman Miller on Ocracoke...............you will score..........and win game..........be sure and take a lot of photos....

Other wise fish with the wind in your face

If you are retreating from the wind and hiding in a lee somewhere..........that is where your bait will be in the lee...........hidden from the fish....


As stated in a previous post best time to fish is right before the front moves in, but if not then there a few good alternatives. When it goes hard NW after the low has gone further North the very first morning is often productive. A good amount of the Chesapeake fish probably just left the Bay on this last front and are headed south. They caught one yesterday on Avalon Pier in 61 degree water. That fish was not lost he was with a big school of his buddies headed south...

If the surf is too rough tote your heavers out on a pier...........go to Avon and ask for the "Potato Man" he will hook you up....they may make you fish in the "Dork Hole" for a bit but it will let you get your bearings...


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## ChrisCapePoint (May 1, 2009)

Garboman said:


> If you want a game plan pay Norman Miller on Ocracoke...............you will score..........and win game..........be sure and take a lot of photos....


x10


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## fishhead (Oct 18, 2004)

I'm liking what I'm seeing so far ... except for the "Dork Hole" ... lol


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

Damn Steve you made me blush.

Ditto what everyone said. Easy pointers...
Fish the sides of inlets with the wind in your face.


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

...I like to figure out when the fish might hit the beach in the spring. After that it's a matter of knowing when they be moving elsewhere.

I fish South to North in the spring. Then North to South in the fall. However in the past few years I've found that when the fish hit the beach in Maryland, they are getting caught down here in my backyard. 
Ill be in the area from Sunday on too. Give me a shout and we'll chat it up a bit.


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## originalhooker (Nov 26, 2009)

for your dates up there, for big drum, fish the point if you don't mind the crowds( not continuos, but in the bite times, be mobile),,,I've always said, if you want a drum out of the crowd, North beach 1st 2 weeks of Nov., scout 23 - 38, fish for small fish in the day, find a decent bite or signs of baitfish & resume for drum in the evening -wee hours), i've caught em' every hr of the day, but most in low light conditions. PI has some good areas if you will leave the comfort of the truck. puppies can be anywhere, they start edging down near buxton -frisco-HI normally, this year up there is a little off compared to yrs past for numbers on the N. beach. 
If its real windy run into the backwaters above OI-nagshead, pups, trout,stripers
conditions, dirty water they are still there, tides- they can get on patterns, you got to figure that one out...time on the sand/wood


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

fishhead said:


> I'm liking what I'm seeing so far ... except for the "Dork Hole" ... lol


 Actually the "dorkhole" has caught some fish this year,as well as in years past.. There are times when they bite better there than on the end... So,even as bad as "dorkhole" may sound you can actually learn what's going on and stand a good chance of catching.. Have seen many catch thier first there lots of times,including this past weekend.....


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## fishhead (Oct 18, 2004)

Drumdum said:


> Actually the "dorkhole" has caught some fish this year,as well as in years past.. There are times when they bite better there than on the end... So,even as bad as "dorkhole" may sound you can actually learn what's going on and stand a good chance of catching.. Have seen many catch thier first there lots of times,including this past weekend.....


Hmmm ... that does make sense ... what few pups I have caught were right up near the beach.

I'm getting the good info, and I am looking forward to putting in the time


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## rivercat (Nov 24, 2010)

No disrespect to the OP im a nuub so I cant offer any solid drum advice. However I notice by way of Magicseaweed that there is a SEROIUS noreaster coming to carolina beach with predicted swell height of 11.5 ft saturday at noon with winds 31mph and gusts of 43. It has winds of 41 and gusts of 44 at cape hatteras with swell height of 9.5ft. Would this not be good drum conditions or can it get too rough? I was just at the fort when it was like 7ft swells and I couldn't get 8oz frog tounges to hold(all I had with) so I guess I will get some pyramids or storm sinkers in 9 or 10 oz. Not sure 31+mph NE wind would be bearable even if they do bite...


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## fishhead (Oct 18, 2004)

It does look like a good blow is coming .. hopefully not as bad as advertised! Looks like the winds will also be from N/E Sunday and Monday too, but not as strong ... at least it's from the right direction


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

OK I'm drum iterate and don’t’ get to fish the outer banks like I used to but what is a “dork hole”?


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

I suspect the "dork hole" is where the locals send the dit dots and dingbatters to fish.


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

speckhunter80 said:


> I suspect the "dork hole" is where the locals send the dit dots and dingbatters to fish.


So THIS IS where you fish. Can you answer the question with a serious answer or do you even know how to answer it?


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## fishhead (Oct 18, 2004)

I believe speckhunter was correctly answering the question ... though to be a tad more specific I'd add that it's an area where the fish are (allegedly) not, and probably also somewhere away from where the locals are fishing on the pier, most likely in the shallow area closer to shore, and on the "wrong side" of the pier. This is a new term I believe, though it could be an old term that's been under raps for many years and only used in certain circles


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

My apologies I did not understand the secret lingo from my southern friends


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

I suspect the "dork hole" is where the locals send the dit dots and dingbatters to fish. 

They will send you there if you tangle them up or backlash and make them wait when the bite is on.....

Actually most of the times the Dorks (everyone was a Dork first time they ever ventured out on a Hatteras Drum pier for the first time with a heaver over their shoulder) relegate themselves to the Dork hole where they can watch a bit to learn the game. The best casters on the OBX (perhaps the World) all end up on Avon in late October and there is very confined space on the end of the Avon T especially if a lot of rods are out, and a few of them are less than inviting to new fellas. Before the Internet came along and I was Drum fishing a lot I would have zero patience for anyone new and inexperienced.

They did not show me any mercy when I was but a young Dork, just keeping up the tradition

Ten fellas staring intently at you waiting/wanting for you to blow up your reel and get out of their way, makes the Dork hole look way more comfortable and inviting. It is a serious game when the bite is on and nerves get frayed. It is not like on the beach if you tangle or screw something up you can generally move on down the beach a bit and stay out of the way....On the end of the T everyone is right there on top of each other...

Dork hole is actually a hot spot at times, if you are a world class caster the fish have to go by your bait first on a NE day.. Dork hole starts hooking up more than the end, I will move and fish it.


If you are all ready a great fisherman just walk on out and tell them to fish to Dork hole, move their rods enough to step up to the rail and heads up.......going out....


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

Garboman said:


> I suspect the "dork hole" is where the locals send the dit dots and dingbatters to fish.
> 
> They will send you there if you tangle them up or backlash and make them wait when the bite is on.....
> 
> ...


 Could not have answered it any better myself.... One thing I will add though,is "dorkhole" has ALWAYS CAUGHT FISH!! Trust me,I've caught a few there myself.. You see,I'm not a creature of habit,if fish are biting with a 15 ft cast,no problem,15 ft is what I throw....


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

Fishman said:


> So THIS IS where you fish. Can you answer the question with a serious answer or do you even know how to answer it?


Well for those of you not so fortunate to have been born and raised on the coast of NC, I will provide a clean definition of each.

Dit Dot= a person of questionable intelligence, a tourist Used in a sentence= Why do these dit dots have to drive down the beach doing 35 when the speed limit is 45?
Dingbatter= a person usually a Yankee that operates a boat in a less then a nautical manner Used in a sentence= Did ya see that dingbatter just run his boat over the hole I was fishing and then just throw his anchor off the bow?
If you ask someone from Harker's Island or Stacy, Sea Level or Bettie they will tell you a dingbatter is someone from "off" ie. someone who's family lineage does not go back 100 years or more in that community

Both terms are sometimes used interchangably along with the term "touron"


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

speckhunter80 said:


> Well for those of you not so fortunate to have been born and raised on the coast of NC, I will provide a clean definition of each.
> 
> Dit Dot= a person of questionable intelligence, a tourist Used in a sentence= Why do these dit dots have to drive down the beach doing 35 when the speed limit is 45?
> Dingbatter= a person usually a Yankee that operates a boat in a less then a nautical manner Used in a sentence= Did ya see that dingbatter just run his boat over the hole I was fishing and then just throw his anchor off the bow?
> ...


 Griswalds
Pointyheads
Habadashers
Barneys
All could be added to the list,with a few more I can't recall right now as well... 

*Little different definition...*

One thing I will add is that these are not to be confused with terms such as "Dork,Newbee, and wannabe fishermen".. These (Dorks,Newbees, and wannabe fishermen) are folks that just want to get into the sport and want to learn,and me for one will help them in anyway what little knowledge I've accumulated will help..So will most anyone that has fished a time or two and remembers when they first started.. Not to mention the rush you get from watching someone that may have picked up just a little help from you and then they luck out and catch thier first biggun.. It is an awsome feeling,almost as good as the feeling they get from catching it...
The afore mentioned folks are those that you can't help,and already know.. (don't confuse them with the facts thier mind is made up)


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## sleepyhead (Apr 30, 2004)

Drumdum said:


> Could not have answered it any better myself.... One thing I will add though,is "dorkhole" has ALWAYS CAUGHT FISH!! Trust me,I've caught a few there myself.. You see,I'm not a creature of habit,if fish are biting with a 15 ft cast,no problem,15 ft is what I throw....


 I might not have fished the pier alot... but I have never seen you fish the dorkhole other then casting out your line after you have been broke off or furballed. I have seen tater, but not you.


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

sleepyhead said:


> I might not have fished the pier alot... but I have never seen you fish the dorkhole other then casting out your line after you have been broke off or furballed. I have seen tater, but not you.


 That's cause you ain't been there enough rookie....


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## sleepyhead (Apr 30, 2004)

Funniee one.. I will give you that one.


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

Left out Googans


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

I have seen Kenny with one rod off the front and one rod off the Dork hole.........

At Rodanthe in the old days unless it was crowded we would fish 2 rods, at Avon I usually only fish one rod..........they are serious and greedy "Pilgrims" on Avon....and they would complain if Garbo was over his "limit".

On Rodanthe they can complain all they want I will do what I feel is right at the time... I have fished three rods when I was out there by myself...


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## CrawFish (Sep 23, 2003)

Drumdum said:


> if fish are biting with a 15 ft cast,no problem,15 ft is what I throw....


I thought you're getting old and this is a youngman's sport. hahaha.

And Sleepyhead, I didn't know you pier fish..


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## sleepyhead (Apr 30, 2004)

CrawFish said:


> I thought you're getting old and this is a youngman's sport. hahaha.
> 
> And Sleepyhead, I didn't know you pier fish..


If I am in the mood to bug Kenny then I will go out on the pier. Heck I would fish the Dork hole if they were biting over there. Come to think of it I could get in on the right side of Pats hole..

Kenny saying the other weekend ( I think he was dropping hints ) man that outsuck sure does look good and it did. But where was his rod at? On the end.


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

speckhunter80 said:


> Well for those of you not so fortunate to have been born and raised on the coast of NC, I will provide a clean definition of each.
> 
> Dit Dot= a person of questionable intelligence, a tourist Used in a sentence= Why do these dit dots have to drive down the beach doing 35 when the speed limit is 45?
> Dingbatter= a person usually a Yankee that operates a boat in a less then a nautical manner Used in a sentence= Did ya see that dingbatter just run his boat over the hole I was fishing and then just throw his anchor off the bow?
> ...


I guess that would make me a touron. But I DO know how to fish and trying to learn your area from the net. Don’t worry IO wont be fishing that secret HONEY HOLE. Like I said earlier I have not fished down that way in many years. Just learning your ways


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

sleepyhead said:


> If I am in the mood to bug Kenny then I will go out on the pier. Heck I would fish the Dork hole if they were biting over there. Come to think of it I could get in on the right side of Pats hole..
> 
> Kenny saying the other weekend ( I think he was dropping hints ) man that outsuck sure does look good and it did. But where was his rod at? On the end.


 Just try'n ta get some folks to test the waters.... 

Oh Speck and Garbo,like I said there were some names I negleted Pilgrims and Googans were a couple that I left outta the mix...


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