Hatteras/Buxton

pksurfish · 07-26-2002, 06:03 PM

I am headed to Hatteras/Buxton in mid-November for a few days of surf fishing. I am an experienced surf fisherman (Delaware shore) but have never fished the Outer Banks before.
Is this a good time of year? For what type of fish? Am I better off fishing bait or lures? What do you recommend? If bait, what range size of sinkers am I likely to need? Am I likely to need waders or is fishing in bare feet and a swim suit likely to work? Do I need a fshing license OR special tags to drive my jeep on the beach? What would you recommend as a hotel/motel to stay close to Hatteras Village? Where would you eat/get a cold beer at the end of the day? How far is The Point from Hatteras Village? Any special tips for fishing there? Is The Point likely to be crowded during the week that time of year? What other spots on the beach other than The Point does anyone recommend? I like fishing from a beach, but does the bay side offer much? Please feel free to answer any questions I didn't ask or to offer any other tips. Thanks much.

Coolerpup · 07-27-2002, 08:40 AM

Hey Pk....Ill do my best to answer your questions.
Depending on the weather and watertemps, it should be a good time for Drum or Stripers. You will fish with bait most of the time, but if you come up on some birds working on a school of baitfish, start casting Hopkins or Stingsilvers into them. Could be Blues or Stripers and possibly Drum. Fishing the "point" you will need chest waders, a heaver that can handle casting 8 ounces plus bait. Spool your reel with Berkley big game 20lb in fluoresent green with at least a 50 lb shocker tied to your running line. Then add a swivel, a 4 or 5 inch piece of leader, a fishfinder sinker slide, a swivel then a 3 or 4 inch piece of 80 to 100 mono with a 8/0 Gamugatzu hook, or equivalent.
No license or tag needed to drive on the beach, just use good common sense like you do here in De.
I dont know much about hotels, etc past Buxton, but that time of year you can probably rent a house for a week pretty cheap. Do a searh for outerbanks and go to a reality company like surf or sound and check out what they have available. I always stay in Buxton at the outerbanks motel or I rent a house in Avon.
The point is not always the place to be. It can get nerve racking for first timers. But get in there and do it a couple times to get the experience under your belt. Take a flashlight for night time fishing on the point and a seamstree tape to measure your fish quickly if your releasing them. When riding the beach at night, please keep your headlights off the water and off the point especially.Take an assortment of rods that can throw 8 plus and a couple for 5 plus. (ounces). The north beaches can produce very well that time of year, sometimes better than the point. Drive on the ramps and head north or south till you find something that looks interesting and give it a try. Stop in to the tackle shops and they will tell you your best bet. Frank and Frans in Avon will tell you straight up whats going on. Dillons Corner in Buxton will treat you well too. Good luck and if I missed anything Im sure JohnM or one of the other Hatteras regulars will help out as well.

AllenC

pksurfish · 07-27-2002, 11:07 AM

AllenC: You are ubiquitous. (First time that word used on this site?). And you are always always helpful. I am headed to Hatteras for "advanced" surf fishing school run there each November. I am tired of always catching far less fish than you and hope to narrow the difference. Am taking a couple of extra days for fishing on my own while I am there. Thanks for the advice.

I welcome additional comments/advice from others.

derf · 07-27-2002, 05:41 PM

pksurfish
say hi to joe for me ....deb & i took his class years (?)ago , very informative for fishing the obx .
like anywhere else it takes time to 'pay your dues ' down there .being able to 'read a beach ' is probally the best rig you can have ,also being in the right place at the right time (luck) doesn't hurt either !!

derf

derf · 07-27-2002, 05:45 PM

also at that time of year you can usually get some good deals on tackle ...so wait till you get there & go shopping

derf

John M · 07-29-2002, 12:40 PM

I use the be there as much as possible method.....I figure f i fish it enough eventually they will come.....and ya know what? They do

Well once the bass show up they can be anwhere from nagshead to the point. In the fall you dont have to fish the point to scroe fish. North beach gives up pleanty of big drum and bass. Most throw bunker, some mullet is used too. If the dtripers are around casting a hopkins or metal works well.

Fall drum has been more or less a bust the last few years, the striper fishin was great at times last year

------------------
John M
johnm@stripersonline.com

[This message has been edited by John M (edited 07-29-2002).]

Fish Hunter · 07-30-2002, 07:08 PM

Drum a bust??? During F&F's over 80 were caught and the same time DD and that crowd scored almost a hundred off the planks in their tourney.

Unfortunately my 48"er was 4" too short to win the overall

but it got me big fish on Sat.

Now this year.......

Coolerpup · 07-30-2002, 08:07 PM

Fish Hunter.....4 inches?? The biggest was only 49 3/4 inches. My best friend Steve got second biggest in the tourney with a 49 1/4 incher. His wife said when it comes to a game of inches, he always comes up short

AllenC

Fish Hunter · 07-30-2002, 10:42 PM

I believe that one of the ladies won with a 52"+ fish. I have been known to be wrong on occassions, at least according to my wife.

This year is my year.....I hope. Maybe one of my boys for the junior.

B. Myers · 07-31-2002, 11:50 AM

I think that FH is right...I remeber that lady sticking that fish the first night...51 1/4" or 52 1/4"...pretty big fish to put up on the first night...kinda tought to beat one over 50"!!!

If the fish don't show on da Point...Meat don't count'm....lol

you see the smiley faces, right John?

B.

John M · 07-31-2002, 12:00 PM

yup I think fall drummin sucks to put it bluntly. I make lots fo trips and dotn catch any. the spring i do fine, stipers I do fine.......fall drum nada......

B I will fish NB.....not sure why but i will aint no fish there

Gonna try the peirs more this year.

------------------
John M
johnm@stripersonline.com

Coolerpup · 07-31-2002, 08:22 PM

Joan Baber......49.75 inch was the largest for the tourney. Check out F&F website for the last tourney.

FH...Your gonna have to get past me to take top honors

Im claimin it this year

AllenC

Fish Hunter · 07-31-2002, 08:42 PM

Yep, but you got to get by my oldest son. He's already casting, sharpening hooks and got that real mean look on his face.

He says not only the JR Div, but the entire match and big fish each day. Hmmmm, I think maybe he is setting some lofty goals.

DennyH · 08-01-2002, 01:59 PM

I can't sit here and lurk on this one. I'll be there too and this time I'm gonna have second thoughts about telling CP and Steve where the big fish is.

Denny

P.S. My first attempt at the smile things

DennyH · 08-01-2002, 02:00 PM

And I messed them up