# ?? for the "combat fishermen"



## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

It's blowing 25mph out of the ENE here (NE FL) and has been for two days straight.It's pretty rough to say the least. The big drum are in the surf right now and I'm going wednesday...My question is,how rough is "too rough"? or is there such a thing. Not a lot of guys fish conditions like this here but I think It will prove productive. How bad does it have to get up there before you guys say "unfishable"?


----------



## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

*Rough Conditions*

I fish mainly at Carolina/Kure Beach so my answer may be different than those that fish at other locations. 

I will pack it up and head home when I throw 8 oz and it will not even think about holding. Last trip I made the wind was 30 and 8 oz washed up on the bank in less than 5 seconds. That was unfishable. We moved to the inlet where we had a wind break and less current. 

If you can get your bait to hold I would say fish no matter how hard the wind is blowing. Fish have to eat even if the wind is blowing 50 mph. You just have to be at the right place when they decide to feed. 

My biggest drum, 45", was caught when 8 would drift fairly quickly. Crappy weather did not seam to bother her any. 

I would say fish!!!!

Darin


----------



## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

fished with 16 oz and it was down the beach in the wash in 5-10min (was a tourny though)....

If I have time to kill, 12-14oz if it takes more than that, it's a good time to go see what kinda new tackle you can buy that you dont need at the local shop


----------



## mongosurf (Oct 3, 2005)

*Bullet Weights*

Guys;

I just fished Ft Fisher this past Saturday with heavy surf and high winds up to 20-30 mph gusts and I was able to hold the bottom with a 4 ounce "bullet weight" that I had just bought from a recently opened "Sportsman Warehouse" here in Columbia SC.

What these things look like is a 4 ounce piece of lead with a nose cone in the front and then four pieces of heavy bronze wire protruding out the back that can be bent outwards as far as you want to grab the bottom. They then have a one inch piece of twisted bronze wire with an eye at the end to attach your line or rig too.

I was trying to use the Breakaway weights with the wires protruding out but they are made to release and fold backwards when pulled in, which made them break lose from the bottom and roll toward the beach.

Bottom line, we stayed all day at Fort Fisher with high tides and high winds, the "bullet"weights stayed on the bottom where we put them and caught blues and a big red in high surf


----------



## notso (Jul 18, 2005)

10-12oz is usually my limit (unless I see someone catch a fish). I don't think that anything is truely "unfishable", 25 mph certainly is not 40-50 is when it gets really miserable & I start looking for shelter. It's mostly a case of how much sand blasting I can take. Of course, if I lived close to the beach, I would probably be a lot pickier about the weather that I fished in. I get about 10 weekends a year & if I'm there, I gonna fish. At least for a little while.


----------



## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

This weekend I was throwing 10's and then moved to 12's and they were still rolling. It became unfishable for me when my shoulders got tired of throwing the heavy lead...


----------



## The Crew (Jul 8, 2007)

Another factor is the test pound you are using for line. I found the lighter the line the less sinker it takes to hold bottom.


----------



## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

BidEdD talk to DD about that. Maybe in mono where there is stretch and give with said current. Im all ears to that man.


----------



## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

BigEdD said:


> Another factor is the test pound you are using for line. I found the lighter the line the less sinker it takes to hold bottom.


yep..its like holding a ziploc bag in the wind, or a garbage bag in the wind 


Jesse


----------



## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

Well, I'm not fishin the point so, I can use braid  Seriously, I have a theory I am going to test out wednesday...I am going to topshot my 525 with about 150 yards of 50lb braid/80lb braid shockleader. Not for the strength issue but for the small diameter issue. just something I want to try out.


----------



## Fishbreath (Nov 11, 2004)

Hey Barty, are you sure you want to do that? If you topshot with braid, I'm hoping you're going to put on a mono or fluoro bite leader. What happens if you go to hand line in a big red one in the surf. You sure don't want to do it with braid....


----------



## Sea2aeS (Jan 7, 2005)

If I cant hold with 12 im throwing in the towel...


----------



## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

barty b said:


> It's blowing 25mph out of the ENE here (NE FL) and has been for two days straight.It's pretty rough to say the least. The big drum are in the surf right now and I'm going wednesday...My question is,how rough is "too rough"? or is there such a thing. Not a lot of guys fish conditions like this here but I think It will prove productive. How bad does it have to get up there before you guys say "unfishable"?


 Generally three days of a 25mph wind will get out of control,and unfishable.. Many times I have seen it blow and there be perfect conditions,and fish bite at the head of the blow,but stop or dieback if it blows too long in same directions.. If there is low pressure involved it can be as little as one day because swell will be huge.. A good stiff breeze is what we really like here to drum.. As you said,there can be tooooo much of a good thing,depends on whether there is a low associated with it and how long it goes on.. 
To me wind that is blowing in one direction for a long period isn't as good as wind that blows for a few days then changes for a while and comes back.. jmho


----------



## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

Sea2aeS said:


> If I cant hold with 12 im throwing in the towel...


yep, ditto for me. if 12 aint doin it, ima go take a nap in the casa de la z71. 



Jesse


----------



## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

This afternoons pics from St Augustine pier...Too rough??





































25-30 knots sustained NE...water temp 80...who would go?? Its supposed to roll around to SE 10-15Kts tonight...we shall see...The spot is in the last pic,about 300 yards to the left,out of frame.


----------



## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

beer in the lazy boy type day lol




Jesse


----------



## notso (Jul 18, 2005)

I'd give it a shot. Just wouldn't wade out too far


----------



## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

looks drummy


----------



## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

*Rough?*

Looks drummy to me!!!!


----------



## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

Thats what I wanted to hear guys...I'm goin on a SSC solo Salt Commando drum mission...Talk to ya thursday...Thanks for the input guys.


----------



## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

Jesse Lockowitz said:


> beer in the lazy boy type day lol
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You know you'd hit it fatboy! you aint that puzz are ya


----------



## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

since youre in florida....and sputniks are normal...find the biggest sputnick you got, short FF rig or cannonball rig and whack a whiting head off and go for it.


----------



## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

*Holding bottom*

Please post and let us know how you did and also how much it took to hold bottom or get a good slow drift. 

Good luck!!!

Darin


----------



## fishinmama (Oct 14, 2006)

got my first drum in those heavy winds, stinging sand & salt water conditions -- may the force be with you.
thats not a rolling surf -- thats a drum roll -- listen to the beat! good luck.


----------



## Fireline20 (Oct 2, 2007)

TreednNC said:


> since youre in florida....and sputniks are normal...find the biggest sputnick you got, short FF rig or cannonball rig and whack a whiting head off and go for it.


Bingo on the sputnik weight,,,just spread the prongs out wide for extra hold....one tip,with sputnik ,,when checking bait or pulling in, leave the butt of the rod in the sand spike and reel in from there..it will save your back,,,they can be a real pain to pull in.


----------



## Freddrum (May 19, 2000)

*There's something to be said about letting yer bait roll*

Never used sputniks and never will. Your bait will be covered up with sand in minutes with that surf. Better to cast as far as you can and walk downcurrent with your bait and the current and keep it in FRONT of you keeping your line fairly tight. I.E. No bowed out line so you can feel the pickup. 10-12 oz should do it. JMHO and good luck


----------



## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

barty b said:


> You know you'd hit it fatboy! you aint that puzz are ya


fatboy! like callin the kettle black you short pudgy sumbatch!


lucky i dont drive down to FL and slap you around a little bit...


figure since u never fish anymore. lemme know when ur selling the rest of your gear 


shoulda came up and fished this past weekend u loser...saw over 30 fish over 40"....i released a 45.5....

some people never learn...




to stop being alcoholics 



Jesse


----------



## striperswiper (Nov 30, 2004)

looks like drum weather to me :fishing:


----------



## FishinAddiction (May 9, 2006)

wouldnt catch me out there


----------



## baitslingin (Jul 31, 2005)

FishnAddiction said:


> wouldnt catch me out there


yeah.... cuz he cant find pinecones big enough


----------



## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

*Too Rough*

1) sand lifts so as to take paint off truck.

2) 8oz comes back to beach so quickly you can't even walk down beach with it.


----------



## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

Well, It started of even worse than pictured...(add driving rain and lightning)...Rain quit after about 2 hours. 6oz sputniks were slowly headed south...managed to get a 8oz shark rig anchor to hold. fished a 8oz almond sinker while holding the rod,kinda drifting. Nothing. Zip. Nada. Talked to one other guy as hardcore (or dumb) as me...He said he had a couple of slots the first day of the blow but nothing since...figured it wasn't happening,packed up and drove 30 miles of coastline scouting new spots.


----------



## FishinAddiction (May 9, 2006)

baitslingin said:


> yeah.... cuz he cant find pinecones big enough


very nice


----------



## FishinAddiction (May 9, 2006)

hey barty.......shoulda had yer crocs on....you definitley wouldve caught em then


----------



## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

FishnAddiction said:


> hey barty.......shoulda had yer crocs on....you definitley wouldve caught em then


only thing more queer then crocs would be...uhmm...possibly a rainbow flag...or..san francisco...


how lazy have we become that we think this.."uhm...flip flops are just to formal, i want a rubber clog..ya know...a shoe i can just hose off.."

rofl crocs HAH!



Jesse


----------



## Finger_Mullet (Aug 19, 2005)

*Weather*

You just never know until you try. It could have been the best trip of your life. Maybe next time.

Crocs?? I have a pair. Best dang fishing shoes I ever wore. 

Darin


----------



## Jesse Lockowitz (Feb 13, 2006)

Finger_Mullet said:


> You just never know until you try. It could have been the best trip of your life. Maybe next time.
> 
> Crocs?? I have a pair. Best dang fishing shoes I ever wore.
> 
> Darin


their comfort is < then their looks.


Jesse


----------



## chris storrs (Aug 25, 2005)

crocs are bad to wear in oyster beds aint they jesse?


wont catch me dead in a pair..stick to the sperrys


----------



## barty b (Dec 31, 2004)

ALWAYS fish in my "rubber clogs" Ugly as hail but major comfy.


----------



## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

barty b said:


> ALWAYS fish in my "rubber clogs" Ugly as hail but major comfy.


 I'm up into the 50's in age,but on this one gotta go with the "youngbucks".. "A flipflop is a dern flipflop,holes or not"....  

OBTW,like I said in the post,never had as much luck after a big blow had blown for a few days as at the first of it...


----------

