Fishing obx late August

I was wondering if anybody here has every fishing the outer banks in late august. I never have I always fish in early june. Any information will help. I will be going down 2 saturdays from now for a week.

ORIGINAL: Dan0348

I was wondering if anybody here has every fishing the outer banks in late august. I never have I always fish in early june. Any information will help. I will be going down 2 saturdays from now for a week.

 
 Perhaps you have them already , but I can offer you some phone numbers  and websites . Hopefully that will be of benefit to you . Both of these first two places are extremely helpful , willing to help and have sound advice . Bobs' Bait and Tackle in Duck : 252-261-8589 . That is their only location . Like many places , they offer different charters if that is what you're interested in . If you have a fax , pm me with it and I can fax you their brochure . Either that or pm me your address and I'll mail it Monday or Tuesday . The other source is TW's in Corolla : 252-453-3339 , Nags Head 252-441-4807 or Kitty Hawk 252-261-7848 . I don't have a brochure for them . Blue Marlin , Sailfish , Wahoo , Dolphin , Taylor Bluefish and Spanish Mackeral are at their peaks . White Marlin is nearly at their peak .Yellowfin and  Big Bluefish are at their lowest . King Mackeral are starting to come out of a slump . Naturally , variances exist . Location in the OBX and weather patterns in general will have an effect . I have heard very strong mixed opinions of Corolla Bait and Tackle in Corolla Light Village Shops  , so be forewarned . Their number : 252-453-9500 . If you want a Headboat working out of Wanchese [very close to Nags Head] , call 252-473-5344 or a charter from the same , 252-473-9991 . Headboat trips , 8a and 1 p . Call for details .  Some hate headboats for different reasons , one of them potential crowds , but I've been on them and they only had 20 peeps as that was all that showed up ! And at $40  , you can't beat the price . One could go out 5 times and it's still affordable . Well , I suppose I can't write that as for some , $200 isn't affordable , but certainly a couple of trips would be affordable .  Some sites for you 1) broadcreekmarinaobx.com 2) broadcreekfishingcenter.com 3) bobsbaitandtackle.com 4)crystaldawnheadboat.com 5) For a GREAT SEafood Buffet  JimmysOBXbuffet.com 6) bobstackleandcharters.com [ Bobs Bait and Tackle in Duck ] 7) Broad Creek Fishing Center 252-473-9991 8) Oregon Inlet Fishing Center 1-800-272-5199 9) Miss Oregon Inlet Headboat 1--800-272-5199 . This will get you started . Let me know how you do !

1" chunks of FRESH finger mullet on double drop circle hook rigs in the first and second guts should get you puppy drum, trout, small blues and small stripers. Last time I went, we were there the second week of Sept. and that is what we were catching. Lots of action all day long but a little better in the AM and PM.

Tried squid, shrimp and fish bites but the fresh cut mullet chunks seemed to do the best. Take a cast net with you and try to catch your own bait in the surf or on the sound side.

Fishbites on a hi/lo rig in the early AM surf for the great tasting kingfish. When the the sun gets up and starts heating things up, switch to beer drinking.

ORIGINAL: Porktown


I'll second the beer drinking tactic.

I don't want to broadcast all my techniques, but it works well in freshwater too!

Thanks for all the reply's. Ive caught lots of blues and spanish off the pier casting gotcha's. I wasnt sure if the blues and spanish would be around with the water being in the 80's. When I was there in early june I beleive it was about 72. Ive never bottom fished off the pier always casting for blues and spanish.

You need a coastal fishing license in NC except on piers, headboats and possibly
charters

http://www.ncfisheries.net/recreational/NCCRFL.htm

FAQ
http://www.ncfisheries.net/recreational/NCCRFLfaq.htm

Did that gigging thing when I was a kid, what a blast. Wading around the sound stabbing away in the dark with a spear in one hand and a coleman lantern in the other... Didn't know if you were still allowed to do that...

ORIGINAL: pghmarty

You need a coastal fishing license in NC except on piers, headboats and possibly
charters

http://www.ncfisheries.net/recreational/NCCRFL.htm

FAQ
http://www.ncfisheries.net/recreational/NCCRFLfaq.htm

I'm pretty sure the charters are covered too. Although, I've always had the 10 day license when taking a charter, or prior to needing a license.

You might have to get a seperate national registry license if you are targetting migratory adronomus fish. I'm not sure if the 10 day covers this, or you need a full time license to keep any stipers (not sure if red drum fall under)? I had to get one for NJ. Pretty sure you need for stripers in the Deleware River in PA too. It is good for the entire coast, but most state licenses follow. Kind of strange that NJ which is notable for taxing the heck out of folks, is one of the only states without a saltwater license (not complaining)...

http://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov/index.html

BTW - I was told by a local bait shop that you can buy the 10 day pass there. Not a bad idea with the weather having a habit of cancelling vacations.

I spent last week in Avon. The water was crystal clear 3-4 days and pretty clear the other days. Was hoping to get into some Spanish from the surf. Only managed one small bluefish, chucking metal. There were some pretty intense blitzes, but think the water may have been too clear for them to be fouled by my Stingsilvers, Kastmasters, and Deadly Dicks.

The bottom fishing was ok. Too clear for the spot and kingfish to be in big numbers, but still got a few. The pompano were loving the clear water. Not many in size, but the little and medium sized ones were everywhere. Was able to get enough for a nice fish fry. A pain in the butt to clean, but meat is rediculously good.

We stayed ocean front for the first time, so was pretty hard to leave to check out the sound, pier, point or inlets. I had full intention to, but was just too inviting to see the clear surf from just about anywhere in the house we stayed in or decks and take the minute walk to the breakers... I walked to the pier, and didn't really sound like much going on. I used Tull's method and fished the mornings from about 6-11 daily when the swimmers/boarders started hitting the beach. Then the beers started flowing. Maybe too much, that I only hit the surf again in the evenings twice... I can't wait to go back!

Hopefully there is an Avon in 6 days... It looks like the hurricane should be hitting well south though. The only thing that sucks about that place this time of the year. I couldn't imagine the traffic during an evacuation. It's pretty horrendous without.

Although, if we didn't stop and see Grave Digger on the way there, we would have missed a good bit of it (horrible from Grave Digger until you cross the Kitty Hawk bridge), opened back up after that though. We left here at 3AM and cracked open beers on the beach around 2PM.

Pompano are great eating-taste like mahi-mahi
Fresh shrimp worked for me previous years from piers

Sand fleas. I was using a 9' medium rod w/10 lb test (steelhead trolling rod). I took it to cast metal lures for blues/spanish mackeral, but found it much easier to use than my surf rods for the pompano. I tied a high/low rig with #6 or #8 octopus hooks, which I use for shiners/alewives here. A 1 ounce weight at the bottom (egg or bass style). Pulled sand flies out of the sand, use the medium sized ones or cut the larger ones in half. Cast just beyond the breakers, and reel in slowly. I was getting a hit on just about every cast. A lot of small ones to weed through, but some ok sized ones mixed in.

No need to fish from the pier for them, unless you didn't get a surf permit and have a week pier pass. Or just wasting time between blue/spanish runs. Many of them were hitting past the close breakers, up on the beach, with a good wave. You could watch them swim up into 6" of water chasing the sand fleas.

Sand flies are really easy to catch. You'll get a little wet, but once you find the colonies, you can grab enough for 2 days in about 5 minutes. Stand in the water right at the breakers and look for a bunch of small "V"s when the waves wash back in. When you find this, let a wave come in and start to wash back out. Dig in with one hand, and feel for them. If this does work, dig with both hands in that same area after a wave completely receeds (you need to be fast or another wave will get you). Get a large clump of sand between your two forearms and take it up to the high tide mark (not completely dry sand, but hard and flat). Toss this sand out and spread it around. They can't dig into that sand to get away. They also sell sand flea rakes too, if you have the extra space. A fine mesh crab net in the breakers works too, but will beat the crap out of your net. Where you find the colonies, you'll likely find the fish too. For storing them, put in a zip lock bag with some damp sand (you can drown them with too much water). They save well on ice or in a fridge. They work great in the inlets too. They are killer for stripers at certain times of the year at Indian River inlet in Deleware, used without any sort of weight, drifted in the current seems.

Been a great week in nags head so far. Lots of blufish. Non-stop today, some up to 3#. 5 of us had fish on at the same time a couple times so far. Spot and croaker have been decent. Seems like if the blues come in the spot and croaker shut down. Fishbites for spot and croaker and spoons and tin for the blues.

Double wammie. Cut vacation short, and get stuck in evacuation traffic. Hopefully trip insurance covers that if you bought it.