# winter surf fishing



## caseykckckc

hey guys, im thinking about trying some winter surf fishing around avon obx for the first time mid december. is this a good idea? my question is if there is any chance that i'll actually catch something like drum, bluefish, flounder, skates ect... it says the water temp is around 55F on average that time of year. i plan to use bottom fishing rigs and fish finders with live or cut bait. any past experience stories? thanks


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## fishwhenican

I caught several black drum at Fort Macon last time I fished there in December. OBX is farther north, though.


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## originalhooker

mid Dec on the OBX can be very tough..all depends on the weather, bait, and fish migrations, have got into great big blue blitzes & even drum & stripers, these are more the rarity not the norm..
Avon is a possibility for pups /trout, usually a artificial bite. Better bet would be the south beach to to inlet for pups/trout/stripers(small schoolies the past few years), my bet would be shrimp in close for black drum, can be productive...we fish the end of Dec-thru the 1st & with persistence get 6 - 10 a day. not the hand sized ones either, the 4-8lb ones. You'll be by yourself also.


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## Drumdum

originalhooker said:


> mid Dec on the OBX can be very tough..all depends on the weather, bait, and fish migrations, have got into great big blue blitzes & even drum & stripers, these are more the rarity not the norm..
> Avon is a possibility for pups /trout, usually a artificial bite. Better bet would be the south beach to to inlet for pups/trout/stripers(small schoolies the past few years), my bet would be shrimp in close for black drum, can be productive...we fish the end of Dec-thru the 1st & with persistence get 6 - 10 a day. not the hand sized ones either, the 4-8lb ones. You'll be by yourself also.


 Good answer... Add flounder are around that time of year as well.. The hook at Buxton Point as well as Hatteras Inlet can be good spots to drag a stripbait or gulp bait across the bottom for em.. As he said,pups and trout can be there in numbers as well.. Where you are located on n beach at Avon,about 2 or 3 years ago the pups were insaine there,you'd catch over 20 a day with about any color grubtail or gulp.. Also s beach was so alive with them you could see the schools in the water and actually sightcast to them from the surf.. If you like pullage as much as tablefare,you might try n beach and Buxton Point for a big shark.. In past years there has been good action on those as well..

Also as he said,I have been into some good blitzes of drum and striper as well as big bluefish that time of year.. 

Disclaimer: Weather can throw a monkey wrench into all the above..


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## speckhunter80

caseykckckc said:


> hey guys, im thinking about *trying some winter surf fishing *around avon obx for the first time mid december. is this a good idea? my question is if there is any chance that i'll actually catch something like drum, bluefish, flounder, skates ect... it says the water temp is around 55F on average that time of year. i plan to use bottom fishing rigs and fish finders with live or cut bait. any past experience stories? thanks


Trying to fish is seldom a bad idea. The one guarantee I can make in fishing is if you are sitting at home on the couch you ain't gonna catch a fish unless you got your nets set. Fishing in the winter on the OBX especially is even more weather dependent than any other time of the year. Water temps are very important. A two degree increase in temp do it current and air temp can really create some hot action. As at anytime bottom structure is gonna be even more important. Hit the deep sloughs that are exposed on a low tide during the day when the sand heats up. Hit rocks/hard bottom/mud bottoms that are heated up in the sun and hold the heat on the incoming or high tide. Fishing the surf, sound or marshes find those dark bottoms, these will heat up better and if they are close to a drop off to deeper water...hit'em and hit'em hard.


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## caseykckckc

sounds good thanks a lot. i also plan to kayak some bait out if that makes a difference. maybe there will be some fish about 300 yards off the shore.


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## cobia_slayer

caseykckckc said:


> sounds good thanks a lot. i also plan to kayak some bait out if that makes a difference. maybe there will be some fish about 300 yards off the shore.


lots of big sharks around around hatteras in the winter


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## caseykckckc

really? i thought most sharks head to warmer water in the winter time.


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## sleepyhead

I might be wrong.. But there have been some good bites of big sharks from casting from the beach around New Years.


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## poorboy1

ive always wanted to give that a try. anyone want to give me some info on what gear i would need and techniques. do i need a special license? what are the size limits? if any at all? thanks in advance.


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## Smally

poorboy1 said:


> ive always wanted to give that a try. anyone want to give me some info on what gear i would need and techniques. do i need a special license? what are the size limits? if any at all? thanks in advance.


Give what a try? If you mean kayaking baits out for sharks, then you don't need a special liscense for sharks specifically but you do need an NC saltwater license. check out http://www.tx-sharkfishing.com/ That site can offer you info on gear, rigs etc.


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## poorboy1

thanks for the info. i got nc saltwater license i do lots of surf fishing or i should say surf casting. lol. just always wondered about catching sharks


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## poorboy1

any way to get the bait out far enough without a kayak?


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## Drumdum

Drumdum said:


> Good answer... Add flounder are around that time of year as well.. The hook at Buxton Point as well as Hatteras Inlet can be good spots to drag a stripbait or gulp bait across the bottom for em.. As he said,pups and trout can be there in numbers as well.. Where you are located on n beach at Avon,about 2 or 3 years ago the pups were insaine there,you'd catch over 20 a day with about any color grubtail or gulp.. Also s beach was so alive with them you could see the schools in the water and actually sightcast to them from the surf.. If you like pullage as much as tablefare,you might try n beach and Buxton Point for a big shark.. In past years there has been good action on those as well..
> 
> Also as he said,I have been into some good blitzes of drum and striper as well as big bluefish that time of year..
> 
> Disclaimer: Weather can throw a monkey wrench into all the above..






poorboy1 said:


> any way to get the bait out far enough without a kayak?


 Not only is Buxton Point,and the hook area good for them in the winter,(as in above post)but n beach can shine also.. Many sandbars,sandtigers,a few duskys,and some BIG hammers as well.. Many are caught on casted baits as well as yaked ones.. Know the size limits,know that duskys and sandtigers are illegal to kill.. Duskys and sandbars can be difficult to tell the difference if you are just starting out.. Pulling a biggun on the beach can be a bad thing at times,some are hard to revive.. JMHO,release them as soon as possible,dead sharks on the beach is just another bullet in the enviros guns.....


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## originalhooker

yeah, i had forgot about the winter flounder, remembering when Leroy, Bob, Howard, Cerel? would cast 4 -6oz hopkins/stingslivers & we would drag/snag winter flounder around the point. had some steller days down on Ocrokoe as well along the airport & inlet, missed many a ferry ride & froze my butt in the truck, tip- when sleeping in the truck in the cold crack the windows & prevent condensation! cold & wet sucks.....


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## Oldmulletbreath

Diddo on that Kenny.... I witnessed a couple of boneheads and a shark that didn't make it in October, Really hate seeing fish/sharks killed for no reason other than stupidity, and fluffing of ego's.


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## cobia_slayer

Drumdum said:


> Not only is Buxton Point,and the hook area good for them in the winter,(as in above post)but n beach can shine also.. Many sandbars,sandtigers,a few duskys,and some BIG hammers as well.. Many are caught on casted baits as well as yaked ones.. Know the size limits,know that duskys and sandbars are illegal to kill.. Duskys and sandbars can be difficult to tell the difference if you are just starting out.. Pulling a biggun on the beach can be a bad thing at times,some are hard to revive.. JMHO,*release them as soon as possible,dead sharks on the beach is just another bullet in the enviros guns*.....





Oldmulletbreath said:


> Diddo on that Kenny.... *I witnessed a couple of boneheads and a shark that didn't make it in October, Really hate seeing fish/sharks killed for no reason other than stupidity, and fluffing of ego's*.


saw two decent hammers about 9' and what i assume was a thresher with no fins near the south beach last winter, it made me sick to see that. and the sharks you are allowed to keep (dont know them off the top of my head) have to be 54" to the fork with the exception of the atlantic sharp nose.


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## poorboy1

dont worry i plan on becoming fully educated before i go for it. this is just where im starting my learning curve


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## sleepyhead

Here is some great info..... Once he hits the beach and the hook is removed, and 1 or 2 QUICK pics put the fish back in the water ASAP. You do not need to drag the fish halfway to your truck either. Don't be like the guy with the rebel flag shirt sharing the fish for pictures.. His overly plump arse needed to be slapped with an inferno tip. That is my soap box.


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## Oldmulletbreath

Yeah he was another bad one, forgot about him.


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## sunburntspike

nov-early jan,water temps in the 50s is what you'll want,any lower and it'll be a dog and skate fest,the hammers have started to show already,dave -aka "ncsharkman"-was hooked up on a 500 off the pier on monday


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## originalhooker

winter / spring the big females do hug the coast, usually in loose pods.remember they are live birthers in spring [I had too many ( about 6) either pup out on me or they were in such stress that you could see them dilating] in Feb/mar/april & I quit chasing em till Juneish
if you do get a biggun, as they said, try to keep her in the water, cut the leader close, or if you gotta get the hook, use a 2x4 in her mouth for protection, slide a sharp knife down the hook shank ( little 1/4" cut)for easier retrieval, easier said than done depending on surf conditions. safest /easiest way I found to get em' back in is to hold the left pectoral fin in your left hand & your right hand holding the 1st dorsal(your standing on the left side of the fish looking out to sea & towards her head), this gives you steering control and in the water you can use your legs to help brace you against the fish & waves, just keep the fish ocean side to your right or straight ahead, once you have the fishes weight supported by the water its easy to hold her getting the oxygen back up in her system by slow pushes forward & back, she'll let you know when shees ready & you can walk back ON the water to get back on the beach! You'll love it at night,,,all the demons are out!! 
extra stuff you'll need on you or someone to carry as you go down the beach; bag/belt/small backsack carrier with your camera, bottle of water, small sharp knife, I used a 2x2 about 2-3' clipped to your belt, good set of linemen pliers I like 9", pre measure your rod mark w/ sharpie or fabric tape, extra head light, headlight on your head, good c/d size light (Pelican) around you neck


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## Drumdum

originalhooker said:


> yeah, i had forgot about the winter flounder, remembering when Leroy, Bob, Howard, Cerel? would cast 4 -6oz hopkins/stingslivers & we would drag/snag winter flounder around the point. had some steller days down on Ocrokoe as well along the airport & inlet, missed many a ferry ride & froze my butt in the truck, tip- when sleeping in the truck in the cold crack the windows & prevent condensation! cold & wet sucks.....


 Yeap,was on Frisco when those folks were snaggin those bigguns,we were catch'n on live pinfish... Those were some good times catch'n those big flounder when there was nothing there other than the flounder (big blues put the hurts to the ocean specks) Shame both Howard and Cerel have since passed.. Cerel could tell a story,I remember when he used to throw that albie reel and rod for drum to... Howard,well what can ya say,a h*ll of a fisherman.... 



Oldmulletbreath said:


> Diddo on that Kenny.... I witnessed a couple of boneheads and a shark that didn't make it in October, Really hate seeing fish/sharks killed for no reason other than stupidity, and fluffing of ego's.


 I'm with ya,but if one wants to harvest a legal one I also have no problem with that.. Those that are out there for a chest pumping picture and have no concern for killing are the ones that get under my skin.. 



cobia_slayer said:


> saw two decent hammers about 9' and what i assume was a thresher with no fins near the south beach last winter, it made me sick to see that. and the sharks you are allowed to keep (dont know them off the top of my head) have to be 54" to the fork with the exception of the atlantic sharp nose.


 Add doggies are legal to keep... I hope someone figures a way to hook and line so many spinies,they put them back on "truely endangered list"



sleepyhead said:


> Here is some great info..... Once he hits the beach and the hook is removed, and 1 or 2 QUICK pics put the fish back in the water ASAP. You do not need to drag the fish halfway to your truck either. Don't be like the guy with the rebel flag shirt sharing the fish for pictures.. His overly plump arse needed to be slapped with an inferno tip. That is my soap box.


 Good punishment.. Tres doesn't know about an inferno,but he can tellya bout a 1509....


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## cobia_slayer

Drumdum said:


> Add doggies are legal to keep... I hope someone figures a way to hook and line so many spinies,they put them back on "truely endangered list"


i don't consider them a shark as much as i do a nuisance


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## ncsharkman

sunburntspike said:


> nov-early jan,water temps in the 50s is what you'll want,any lower and it'll be a dog and skate fest,the hammers have started to show already,dave -aka "ncsharkman"-was hooked up on a 500 off the pier on monday


 Yeh Spike, We reviewed the tape Charlette was filming and we caught about 5-10 seconds of the "hammer" with his head and dorsal coming out of the water during the fight. Those 18 inch baloons beside his head looked like pingpong balls in the film!
Score is "Big Hammer" 1, "old Kermugen"- 0! I'll keep on trying though! maybe a new Sprocket built rod would help change my luck? Dave


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## sunburntspike

ncsharkman said:


> Yeh Spike, We reviewed the tape Charlette was filming and we caught about 5-10 seconds of the "hammer" with his head and dorsal coming out of the water during the fight. Those 18 inch baloons beside his head looked like pingpong balls in the film!
> Score is "Big Hammer" 1, "old Kermugen"- 0! I'll keep on trying though! maybe a new Sprocket built rod would help change my luck? Dave


you tell me when and i'll start building buddy,i got some real nice 50-80# all glass blanks in the shop ready to become sharkin machines


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## Drumdum

Alst I can say to both of you is that a hammer is *the MEANEST SHARK* I have ever caught as far as pulling.. Not all about sharking,but was at one time,caught tigers,a mako or two offshore,sandbars,duskys,had a thresher on once,but the hammer runs like a king... I have great respect for thier pulling power as a gamefish.... jmho...


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## ncsharkman

Drumdum said:


> Alst I can say to both of you is that a hammer is *the MEANEST SHARK* I have ever caught as far as pulling.. Not all about sharking,but was at one time,caught tigers,a mako or two offshore,sandbars,duskys,had a thresher on once,but the hammer runs like a king... I have great respect for thier pulling power as a gamefish.... jmho...[/QUOTE
> Yeh, He hit like a king! He hit my balloon rig from about 50 yards away and I seen him coming with his 2 foot tall dorsal throwing up a rooster tail of water. i just got the rod out of the holder and set the hook. had him on for 45 minutes to an hour an almost got him to the pier before he completly destroyed my 10 ft leader. We got him on video and he was well over 500 pounds. hammerheads are one bad ass fish for sure! I'm gettin a little old for this I think but GOD, I love it!!!!!!!!


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## mahimarauder

You got the video online Dave? I wanna come down ASAP and join you in the guppy fest!


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## ncsharkman

mahimarauder said:


> You got the video online Dave? I wanna come down ASAP and join you in the guppy fest!


 Yeh but the video is really shaky as it was a new Zoom camera and Charlette wasn't used to it. Shes in the process of running it thru a program on her computer and making some stills of it. It didn't jump over Jennette's pier 15 times like your tarpon did but it was still kool!


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## Woodduck

If I had a had a rod with a topless mermaid, like spike's, I'd be out there with you Dave; instead of fooling with the throwback trout!
Good luck and have a happy thanksgiving, Spike, Dave n Charlette, Jimmy n Heidi, Chickenman, NC State fan, and all.


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## mahimarauder

Yea, well, when you get a shad up that far north in the ocean, you know he's bound to jump 150 feet in the air! haha. I've got a new reel for the guppies, stuck on that unlimited Calstar broomstick, lets see if they can burn it up. I'm itchin to get back down


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## sunburntspike

thanx to wood duck for a happy t'givin',tho i won't make the trip til dec to fish with the true hardy souls i consider family,i wish all a happy turkey day also,just a thought ....i think we officially hi-jacked this thread,sorry guys


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