Fishing should be excellent at the Outer Banks now — except for a consistent north-northeast-northwest wind that has been blowing for days.
“It just won’t go away,” said Frank Folb, owner of Avon’s Frank&Fran’s Tackle Shop. “But when we catch a break (in the wind), guys are landing some big red drum in the surf, nice sea mullet and a few small-to-medium bluefish.”
Folb said anglers targeting spotted seatrout go to Green Island Slough, on the back side of the Oregon Inlet Bridge.
Frank&Fran’s (252-995-4171) was, as usual, headquarters for the N.C. Beach Buggy Association’s third red drum tournament during late October.
“We had an outstanding tournament,” Folb said. “They caught 41 red drum, mixed between day and night catches, and 31 were citation fish (at least 40 inches in length).”
That occurred without a full field because many anglers — some from as far away as Texas — postponed trips to the Outer Banks because Hurricane Irene had damaged the region’s only thoroughfare (N.C. 12), overwashing and erasing the highway at several places. Two-hundred forty-five anglers fished the tournament.
“(N.C. Department of Transportation) got the highway open a few days before we started (Oct. 20, 12:01 a.m.),” Folb said.” But I had no complaints as far as what people caught; it was a really good tournament.”
Anglers currently may fish just about the entire beach strand, including famed Cape Point.
“(The beaches) are all open right now,” Folb said, “but we don’t know what’ll happen in the spring.”
The National Park Service is crafting a user plan for the Hatteras National Seashore that may be more restrictive than the current rules, which put many favorite beaches and fishing spots off limits to vehicles, visitors and anglers all spring and summer and part of the fall.
“I think (the new rules) are gonna be really bad,” Folb said, “but we just have to wait and see.”
Folb said this fall might be the last time surf anglers get to drive on most OBX beaches.
As for the NCBBA tourney, Matt Burleigh and junior angler Logan Sheriff tied for the top drum (50 inches), but Burleigh won because of time of catch (earliest).
Ian Gilmour caught the most redfish (five) while 11-year-old Abbey Sterling won the Junior Division with an 18-inch puppy drum. Bonnie Connelly won the female division with a 44 ½-inch red.
John Ross won the Senior Division with a 46 ¾-inch drum, while Mike Crew took the largest bluefish class with a 21-incher.
John Ross’s 1-pound, 11-ounce sea mullet won that classification.
All proceeds from the tournament benefit Hatteras Island Methodist Men projects.
NCBBA also held a toy drive for children and filled a pick-up truck with gifts.
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