fishing for red drum week 4/12 need help

[barnone8968]

My family is planning another trip to cape hatteras the week oof 4/12/09. This will be our fourth trip CAN'T WAIT. Done some surf fishing while there and caught plenty of kingfish and some puppy drums in front of the house. I'll like try for the big guys off the point just wondering if that time of the year is good for bigger reds?

[jellybear]

NO. But could depend on water temps But No,There wont be much of nothing unless you drive down to Ocrakoke

[giacommin]

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In the past few years there have been blitzes of many big reds at the point usually begining in early march, but the big key here is water temperature. The typical setup is several days of southwesterlies to push warm water in.
Also go to "you tube" and search for fishing videos at obx. It can be insane at times. Good luck.

[Drumdum]

Consent degree begins when first plover flaps his wings and wants to do the nasty....

[longcaster]

I have said for years, 63 is the magic number. 63 degree water and a cast of 63 yards will reliably give you a chance at catching a citation sized drum, as long as you have a fresh baited hook connected to your line.

At that time of year, going to Ocracoke inlet is a better bet than the "point".

At 63 degrees (water temp) drum in large schools will be swimming close to the beach and bait will be in close also.

Yes, in colder water there are still drum, but they are singles or small schools of fish. 63 degrees water temperature is as close to a guarantee as can be had, for a beach caught large drum.

[reel gambler]

Good Luck

[John M]

I hope we have a spring drum season this year.

[reel gambler]

I hope we get a good drum run, but reality sucks. Pre-nesting closures go up 3/15. Goodbye to Cape Point, Hatteras Inlet, Oregon Inlet, South Beach, and Ocracoke Inlet. Write those letters folks and as Joe would say, "Let's keep the faith." There will be fish caught, but access is a problem.

[longcaster]

Pre-nesting doesn't close the beaches, it just makes narrow beach. Until mating behavior is observed and depending on where it is, determines first beach closure. The first point closure was for Least Terns. Where they settled, was not high enough up the beach to give a route at the water. Plover closures came later.