Outer Banks surf fishing report Thanksgiving week

[PhishingPhanatic]

Went up to Hatteras Island in North Carolina for Thanksgiving week to do some surf fishing. The trip was extremely relaxing, but the fishing could've been a little better. Caught a variety of bluefish, flounder, sea mullet (whiting), and tons of annoying dog sharks (they are like the nurse sharks of the north, except they only get to about 3 feet and don't fight at all.) Its great to be able to drive on the beach up there, and I was struck by the fact there was absolutely no garbage on the beach...quite the change from South Florida!

Sunrise over the Atlantic


The camp




Free ferry


Wild ponies, the legend is they came from shipwrecked boats in the 1600s. Now the National Park Service takes care of them in large pens.


Small flounder


Sea mullet...a monster!


A typical surf rig for red drum, striped bass, etc. A sinker slide on your mainline with 6-8 oz pyramid or frog tongue weight, bead, swivel, 100 lb leader, 4/0-6/0 hook with a nice fresh chunk of menhaden or mullet.


I will never complain again about our piers looking like they are going to fall apart.


The Cape Hatteras light house


Our rental house...gotta love the off season, $400 for a week!

[fishnfool73]

Great report and pictures.

[IM CHUMMING]

NICE

[WhoDey]

Cool report. Is that pier actually open for fishing? I can see daylight between some of the support post

[PhishingPhanatic]

Cool report. Is that pier actually open for fishing? I can see daylight between some of the support post

Yep, it's open, if you look closely you can see people out near the end. You can feel that pier shake when your on it from the waves.

[BRunner346]

Looks like you had some fun despite the slow fishing

[PhishingPhanatic]

Thats Avon pier. Rodanthe has been closed for a while now, a hurricane wiped it out and it hasn't been rebuilt.

[PhishingPhanatic]

Haha, I bet. I grew up down there as well, but we usually surf fished as opposed to pier fishing. I have some pictures I should scan some time, me at the age of 5 or so next to a bluefish that was as tall as I was. Thanksgiving Day about 12 years ago we ran into a blitz on the beach, big chopper 15-20 lb blues and 20-30 lb stripers chasing menhaden and speckled trout onto the sand. You would cast a hopkins spoon and if you ripped it fast, hooked up to a blue, let it sink and hooked up with a striper, every cast. We caught fish until our arms were too sore to catch any more, and then walked up the beach and collected our limit of 15-20" trout that were chased up the beach. Great memories.