Outer Banks at Christmas ????

[googinator]

I'm planning on heading out there a few days before Christmas !!!!

What is the fishing forcast??? Will this be a good time???

I assume mostly bass this time of year???

I assume I should stock up on Hopkins and Kastmasters??? What size???

Any beach permits required???

Thanks!

[Wormy]

As far as permits here is what you can expect. I believe you need a permit to run the beaches around Kitty Hawk and Nags Head.
You really wont need to drive those beaches though. You can begin driving on the beach @ Coquina beach and you wanna plan on starting there. You can run all the way down to Oregon Inlet with no permits. Once you cross over Oregon Inlet Bridge you cannot drive on the beach. This is called Pea Is. You can pull off the road and walk over the dunes and fish in the daylight without a permit but once it gets dark you need a permit to fish after dark. I got my permit from The Division of Marine Fisheries in Manteo normal Mon-Fri business hrs only. I understand that you may be able to get permits at the Hatteras Is. Welcome Station but since I have had my permit for a couple of years now they mail one to me every year, so I am not to sure on the new rules as far as picking one up.
I am not sure which area you can start driving on the beach again but it is around Salvo/Rodanthe area. All good beach that time of year. Lots of area to cover but if you spend all of yer time up around Oregon Inlet you will see some fish there.

As far as lures Hopkins and Kastmasters will be the most likely lure this time of year. Bring sizes from 2-6oz. Sometime the fish hang FAR off the beach and a heaver and a 6 oz hopkins is what it takes to reach em. Big poppers will work as well as some heavy bucktails.

There will also be some Speckled Trout around as well as some puppy drum. Use yer light tackle with green twister tails and mirrolures for these guys.

As far as the weather goes this year has been about right on and they should be thick around Christmas unless the bottom falls out and the weather turns horribley cold. We are still looking at water temps around 60 and the bass and trout are just starting to make an appearance in the surf.

If I left anything out I am sure someone else will pick up my slack.
Wormy

[John M]

Wormy you aint got not slack you knwo that

I like to throw the same teaser set up we use up north. I put a job or tin on so I can get some distance. Then I crawl is along the bottom. I get puppy drum and stripers on eithe rthe tin or teaser and the specks will hit the teaser.I dotn catch allot of specks doign this, but the ones i catch are usually abtou citation size (4 pounds)

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John M
johnm@stripersonline.com

[googinator]

Thanks Wormy..that should help me out alot...I'm psyched!!