Summer Surf
By Joe Malat

At right: Malat prefers to use female mole crabs that are carrying eggs and hooks them from the top of their shell so the hook point is near the orange-colored eggs.

Mention surf fishing on the Outer Banks, and the “prime times” of spring and fall immediately come to mind. That’s the time when schools of large fish are migrating up or down the coast; big bluefish and red drum are the targets. However, there is another season in the surf, and that time is now.

Good numbers of fish are available for the summer angler. Most of the fish are small but fairly easy to catch, and the tackle and techniques may be somewhat different than those used another times of the year. Spot, croakers, little bluefish, speckled trout, flounder, sea mullet, pompano, and Spanish mackerel are roaming the ocean’s edge.

During the warm summer months, fish are usually more active very early in the morning d late in the afternoon, and at night. To be successful, you may have to fish at those preferred times. I love to be on the beach when the sun starts to light up the horizon. Frequently, this can be the best fishing time of the day, as small bluefish or Spanish mackerel attack schools of bait fish in the breaking surf.

Tides will also affect how the fish are going to feed. As a general rule, the last two hours of rising tide and the first two hours of the falling may push the greatest numbers of fish close to the beach. A perfect combination would be a high tide early in the morning, and that will bring another high tide in approximately 12 hours later on the same day. Since the fish may become active again in the evenings, you might see a repeat of the morning’s events just before or immediately after dark.

Heavy tackle is not necessary during the summer. A nine foot spinning rod is probably the heaviest tackle that you will need, and a light to medium 6 or 7 foot spinning rod with 8 or 10 pound test line is fun to fish with when ocean conditions are calm. A long cast is sometimes needed, but most of the fish can be caught with an easy lob cast of only a few feet.

A small selection of tackle will take care of everything. For bait, a standard two-drop bottom rig with a couple of small snelled hooks is fine. My favorite is a Bear Paw FNLS-4 spinner blade hook. With a light rod, a one ounce weight may hold bottom just fine.

Use a small piece, just enough to cover the end of the hook, and keep the remainder of the worms cold, either in the refrigerator or in a cooler. Fresh water will kill bloodworms and make them useless as bait. Other popular baits are strips of squid, fresh shrimp, and pieces of cut mullet or spot.

Pompano usually weigh less than a pound, but they can range up to three pounds. Hard hitting and determined, they are a thrill to catch on light tackle. Most of the pompano are found in the Outer Banks surf along the southern end of Hatteras Island and Ocracoke, but they range as far north as Virginia. Pompano rarely feed in dirty water, so if a hard southwester has muddied the surf, stay with the bottom fish.

Mole crabs, also called “sand fleas” and fresh shrimp are top pompano baits. A little bit of digging in the sand at your feet can usually produce enough mole crabs for a day of fishing. Keep them alive in cool, damp sand. I seek out the female mole crabs that are carrying eggs, because I think fish like to eat them. Use light wire hooks and insert the hook through the top shell of the mole crab with the point reappearing near the cluster of bright orange colored eggs.

Small Hopkins or similar lures will catch small bluefish. Bucktails, touts, and lead heads tipped with a soft plastic tail will draw strikes from flounder and maybe a speckled trout. You might try adding a small squid strip to the bucktail to coax a hesitant flounder.

Spanish mackerel will also hit lures. While boaters catch these speedsters as far north as Oregon Inlet with regularity, most of the Spanish that surfcasters catch come from Hatteras Island. Like the pompano, they prefer clear water. Look for signs of feeding fish, with gulls or terns hitting the water and picking up pieces of mangled bait. Frequently the mackerel will become airborne as they attack the frantic baitfish from underneath.

Spanish hit lures almost exclusively, preferring small Stingsilvers, Hopkins, or Kastmaster lures, retrieved as fast as humanly possibly. A long cast is frequently needed and veterans prefer light, but powerful nine foot graphite rods and medium size spinning reels packed with 10 or 12 pound test line. The light line and large spool diameter of the reel can give you just enough extra distance on the cast to reach the fish. Tie the lure directly to the line, because the mackerel have excellent eyesight and shy away from any leader. However, they also have plenty of sharp teeth, and you will lose an occasional lure. Take a few spare lures with you to the beach. There are plenty of places for the summer time angler to fish the surf along the Outer Banks.

If you are staying on the oceanfront, try the beach in front of your cottage or motel. By the time the swimmers and sunbathers show up on the beach, you will be cleaning your morning’s catch.

The most productive times for fishing may vary with local conditions, including winds, tides and currents. Stop in at any one of several tackle shops along the Banks for some fresh bait, and they can tell you what is happening in the summertime surf.