OBX surf fishing hits peak now

Surf fishing for big red drum is productive now at the Outer Banks as Jason Shive proves.

If you can pull yourself away from deer hunting this week (the rut’s in full swing across most of eastern and central North Carolina and muzzle-loader season opens Nov. 7 in the piedmont), you might consider heading to the Outer Banks for some surf fishing.

The fall surf at Cape Hatteras National Seashore beaches is full of puppy drum and, at times, large red drum, including citation-size (40-inch minimum) fish and larger ones. Anglers also have been landing reds at Avon and Rodanthe piers, plus they’re catching bluefish up to 10 pounds, sea mullet, flounder and speckled trout the entire length of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

On October 29, Missy Bracher, Arch Bracher and Pat Bracher landed three huge citation-size reds at Avon Pier, part of a catch of 38 “old” drum caught at the pier that day. It was the best fall fishing day at the pier.

The only variable for fall OBX fishing is weather, which may change from mildly pleasant to windy, chilly and rainy — and back again — during the same 24-hour period. The evening of the Bracher’s catch of big reds, waves snapped a piling at the T end of Avon Pier, forcing the end to close. Repairs were expected in a couple of days.

Weather, fortunately, is rarely a problem for surf anglers who prowl the beaches in four-wheel-drive vehicles. In fact, the rougher-the-better is a usual rule of thumb for surf fishing success.

“A southwest wind is really good for Cape Point,” said N.C. Beach Buggy Association Red Drum Tournament angler Mike Frick, a Nashville, Tenn., resident, who won the 2 1/2-day event by landing 15 reds. “But an east or northeast wind can be extremely good at the beaches.”

Danny Fletcher of Elizabeth City won the NCBBA drum tournament with a 50-inch-long red he estimated at 50 pounds. Matt Hooper, 13, of Salvo, took second place with a 46 1/2-inch drum.

The Point at Buxton is a favorite fall surf-fishing area because it’s a spit of land that stretches out into the Atlantic. Winds and cross currents create heavy wave action that sweeps across its tip and stirs up the bottom, activating fish feeding.

To reach The Point, anglers should follow the road off N.C. 12 at Buxton that leads to and extends past the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. However, be sure to deflate vehicle tires to about 18 pounds pressure to prevent getting stuck in the sand.

Most ramp accesses to OBX beaches are open now, but driving on the sand likely will be restricted again next spring by an unpopular two-year-old federal-judge-forced consent decree that closes many ramps because of seabirds that nest at some CAHA beaches.

About Craig Holt 1382 Articles
Craig Holt of Snow Camp has been an outdoor writer for almost 40 years, working for several newspapers, then serving as managing editor for North Carolina Sportsman and South Carolina Sportsman before becoming a full-time free-lancer in 2009.

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