North Carolina is home to some world-class fishing. TheOuter Banks in particular is every fishermans paradise. We have diverse water habitats;hundreds of species; and gorgeous seasonal weather, making a must stop foranglers.
OuterBanks Surf Fishing
Surf fishingis one of the most popular activities on the OBX. The seemingly endless coastlinemakes surf fishing accessible forall.
The summer months, between May-September, offer warm enough waters for one to catch a wide variety of fish from our sandy beaches. The ocean floors topography in our area creates an especially ideal environment for surf casters. The most common catches include: bluefish, spot, croaker, sea mullet, flounder, skate, dogfish, pompano, and drum.
Simple tackle is all thats needed for success. A walk along the beach, one may observe most surf fishers are using a rod between 6-10 feet in length (though larger rods may be used for more difficult fish, like Red Drum) and a standard ocean bottom rig (see illustration).
While there are some more advanced techniques to surffishing, its generally easy enough using a bottom rig and casting into"holes.
Holes, or troughs, are easily spotted by simply observing were waves are not crashing. This is due to the physics of wave energy. Waves only crash where the water is too shallow to support them. As such, the fewer the waves = the deeper the water = more area for fish to swim!
Casting into these deeper areas will put your bait right where you want it -where fish are feeding!
Success with surf fishing can be amplified by planning around tides. During high tide, the fish are moving into the deeper holes. The subsequent low tide may trap them in these holes (or at least, until the next high tide) AKA the perfect opportunity to drop a line!
In addition to bottom rigs, there are floating rigs. These are great for catching fish that differ from the aforementioned bottom feeders.
The floating rigs differ from bottom rigs in a pretty self-explanatory way. Floating rigs have small floats attached, which allow bait to sit higher in the water. This area is typically where species like bluefish search for food. Bluefish are an aggressive yet delicious catch!
Baits to use include bloodworms, squid, shrimp, sand fleas, and artificial alternatives.
Squid is relatively inexpensive and, once cut into 2-3" triangles, are easy to get a snug fit on the hook. Mullet is many folks preferred cut bait. Mullet is best when chunked in cubes/strips for hook placement. Bloodworms are perhaps the most effective. This also, of course, means theyre consequently some of the most expensive. Heads up! Bloodworms may bite.
Spoons or Gotcha are shiny and/or brightly colored so as to catch the eyes of predator fish. The predators will see these quick and shiny objects, mistaking them for actual prey, and will act fast on quick-moving look-alikes. It makes perfect sense that the artificial fish are called Gotcha plugs/lures once you realize how great they are at tricking predators. ;)
Remember: Small hooks catch more fish! Dont make the mistake of buying too large of hooks; you may only need a size 4-6 hook for in the surf.
OuterBanks Pier Fishing
Many piers speckle the shores of the Outer Banks.They include (from North to South): Kitty Hawk Pier, Avalon Pier, Nags HeadPier, Jennettes Pier (the longest in length), Outer Banks Pier, Avon Pier, andRodanthe Pier.
They are all excellent ways to get your fishing on!Weve attached an illustration of where one may (roughly) find certain species.Of course, this changes, but this is a great way to get a head start oncatching your desired fish!
Pier fishing has similar principals as surf fishing, except one has the advantage of casting from above, and at greater depths. Pier fishing provides the added opportunity of targeting larger catches, of which are typically found beyond the outer bar. This is where shallow, sandy waters end and open up to deeper waters. In prime season, fishermen on the piers are reeling in sharks, Cobia, and King Mackerel.
Most fishingpiers are outfitted with bait & tackle shops, knowledgeable staff, food, restrooms, supplies, and, well, just about everything needed for a great day of fishing! Jennette's Pier in Nags Head offers great educational classes, as well as rod and reel rentals!
