Headed South

[Animal]

Hi guys.My parents live in Myrtle Beach,Sc,and I'm in Rhody.They decided to rent a beach house in Kittyhawk for the week after Christmas so we could all get together for the holidays.Of course being that I am an obsessed surf fisherman......I have a ginormous list of questions.I'm thinking of driving the Suburban down.Is beach driving still legal,and if so,will I need a permit/sticker?Cost?
Can I fish succesfully with a 10 ft rod like home,or will I need a heaver?I don't usually fish with bait,but if it's the way to go,I have no problem using it.I'm pretty sure I'll need a Sw fishing license.Is there a 3 day nonresident,or a one week?Cost?
I've got lots of plugs,jigs,tins.What should I be concentrating on bringing?Or just bring it all?
I realize that temps there and North in Jersey will have a lot to do with which fish are available,but what besides bass could I realistically expect to catch?I've never caught a redfish,or a trout,and would love to try beach-sharking.I'm sure I'll have more questions as the time gets closer.Thanks in advance for any insights.I'm looking forward to hooking up with some of you guys,and your fish,Bobby.

[jellybear]

You will need a permit for Kill Devil Hills I'm sure,But there are plenty of places that you don't. Oregon Inlet is close to where you will be and take your Surbuban.You might luck out if the stripers blitz the beach.There still should be some Trout around and you will need a light set up for plugging.8-10 lb. test on a 7-8 ft.rod will do.You can get a weekly fishing license at any Bait and tackle place around there.Good luck.

[newsjeff]

Animal, I wish you luck in your week on the Outer Banks. I remember you gave me some very good advise when I was considering meeting my parents at their timeshare in RI a few years ago. I'll try and give you a little help here in return.

Don't worry about a permit for driving on the beach. Just fish OI or the beaches south of Pea Island. No permit, sticker or mandatory tools are needed like up North. Also, check with TWs or the other B&T shops to see if they are catching fish in the Carova area. That area can produce that time of year, too.

I know you Yankees like them jetties. You might feel the most conformable fishing the rocks at the inlet just south of the Bonner Bridge. Your best bet there will be eels, IMHO. Your plugs will work there, too.

If you want fish out of your Suburban near OI, take the ramp at either Cocina or the last ramp on the north side of the Bonner Bridge. That's a very good stretch of beach for stripers when you want to take your truck with you.

The flat, sandy beaches away from the inlets are best fished with a heaver, IMHO. Most guys throw out a bunker head on a fishfider rig in those areas. Any of the beaches from Cocina to Hatteras Inlet can produce fish. It just depends on what you want to do. If the water is cold, you might have the best bet for a large striper at the Point in Buxton. Check out the fishing reports on Red Drum to see if they're landing them there.

As far as what to bring? It's better to bring everything then be caught on the beach with your waders down. Bucktails, poppers, swimmers, darters ... ya never know, especially around the jetty. Some of the guys who really know how to fish OI with eels use something like a Lami gsb1321L (Savfish?). I'm no expert on this, but I would bet anything in the 10'-11', 2oz-6oz range will work. A 9'-10' rod rated to 3oz will work throwing your plugs. If you want to chunk off the beach, most guys use a 12'-13' heaver that can throw 8oz and a big bunker head. However, a 10' rod rated to at least 8oz can work. It depends on how well you cast or if you can wade out to the bar to fish. It can be difficult to reach fish outside the second bar from the beach without a true heaver. Sometimes the fish are in close ... sometimes not. It's best to have both.

Make sure you have some metal in case you run into a blitz. Stingsilvers, Hopkins, Kastmasters, ect. Your eel and/or plug rod should be sufficient to throw those lures. If you're lucky enough to run into a striper or bluefish blitz, those lures will be your best friend.

The water is already cold off NC, which is a good thing for stripers. Not so good for anything else. There should be some sharks around. Just be careful what you ask for, you might just hook one. Throw out a half a big bunker around sunset if you really want to try it.

There's a slim chance there might be some specks and puppy drum around that time of year. Use a 7' light tackle rod with a Mirrorlure or 1/2oz or so jig. Tip your jig with a Gulp shrimp or curly tail. That's some fun fishin' on light tackle if by chance they are still around.

Yes, you'll need a license:
Annual License Nonresidents, age 16 or older - $30
10-day License Nonresidents, age 16 or older - $10

I didn't cover everything, but I hope I helped. Good luck.

[Animal]

Thanx a lot guys.Jeff,how'd you do up here?

[newsjeff]

Sad to say I never made the trip.

I get an extra week of vacation this year.

So, maybe this Fall ... .

[Animal]

Originally Posted by newsjeff

Sad to say I never made the trip.

I get an extra week of vacation this year.

So, maybe this Fall ... .

If you plan a trip,try to get here during plugbash.It's planned around good fishing,you can ho some nice plugs,and learn a lot from some of the vet builders.Definitely get in touch.

[Animal]

Countdown,tick-tock,tick-tock..........You guys are bumming me out.Start posting kickass reports,please.

[jellybear]

We're having a heat wave this week,Highs in the upper 60s.that dont make good for great fishing or X-Mas shopping like I have to do.There may be some Trout still around.

[Animal]

Leaving tomorrow night.Late,so I can take the CBBT in the daytime,as I've never seen it.I'd like to cross at dawn,so I can see fish breaking that I can't cast at. Anyhow,I'm super excited about the trip,and hope to meet up with some of you guys.I'll be in a blue 94 Suburban with Rhody plates.Say hi if you see me.

[bhorsley]

just got in from a ride up the beach to the VA line. Sadly very quite. Hopefully it will improve--we need some really lousy weather up north of us

[jellybear]

I was on the planks today in short sleeves catching throwback specks,Have had the ac on for three days now because the humidity is causing my wooden floor to buckle

[Animal]

A big thanks to LongCaster,for a-1 chauffer service,and southern hospitality.