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So, when the wild card is played and they are lucky enough to have a
big fish eat one of their baits, their plan comes together and that
trophy ends up on the beach or in the boat. That’s why some anglers
consistently catch the trophies.
Trophy fish come
in all sizes, but it’s all relative. A five-pound speckled trout
will raise eyebrows, but it takes a cobia or drum of forty or more pounds
to reach trophy status. Whatever the species, I would like to offer
a few tips that might help you put your trophy on the beach.
Along Hatteras and
Ocracoke, most anglers who target the big three of the surf (drum, cobia
and stripers) use what is locally known as a generic “drum rig,”
a sliding sinker or fishfinder rig with short (6 to 8-inch) leader of
100-pound test monofilament and large hook.
Some use spinning
tackle but most prefer revolving spool reels filled with at least 250
yards of 20 to 25-pound test fluorescent line, topped with a piece of
clear monofilament “shock line” in the 40 to 50-pound class.
The heavy shock line helps to absorb the shock that is endured by the
rod when the fishermen rears back and powers an eight-ounce sinker over
the horizon.
Keep in mind that
fishing is far from an exact science, but certain patterns will develop
over time and here are some very general bullet points on the “when
and where” for taking the big three from the beach:
RED DRUM (20
TO 50+ pounds)
SPRING (Mid-April through May)
• Water temperature
should warm to at least 55 degrees
• Drum are often concentrated at Cape Point, the South Beach
of Hatteras Island, Hatteras Inlet and South Point of Ocracoke Island
• Ideal conditions are a south, southwest or southeast wind with
a rising tide in the evening. Falling tides can be productive around
the inlets. Prime time is sunset through sunrise.
• Top baits are mullet, menhaden, squid, peeler or hard crabs
FALL (October through November)
• Fish the same locations as above, but during the fall, drum
are scattered and may be caught anywhere along the beach, from Corolla
to Ocracoke.
• Along the ocean beach, look for deep holes or sloughs, well-defined
breaks in the bar and good moving water through those breaks on a
rising or falling tide.
• Fish a weather change, especially a cold front with falling
barometer and a shift of the wind to the northeast.
• If the wind blows hard out of the northeast for a few days,
a strong north to south current, the first day the wind shifts to
the south or west and the current slows enough for the surf to be
fishable, the drum fishing can be good. Drum will feed in a moderate
to rough surf, with discolored water.
• The top bait is menhaden and mullet is a second choice, but
it must be absolutely fresh.
COBIA (20 to
75+ pounds)
Catching
a big cobia from the surf is difficult at best, and the challenge is
increased because there is a very small window of opportunity.
• The peak
time is usually mid-May through June, with Cape Point and just south
of the Point, down the South Beach of Cape Hatteras being the surf
hotspots.
• Cobia prefer moderate conditions; not too much wind, with moderately
clear water. High winds and very rough surf will turn them off.
• Any time of the day can be good, but a rising tide will often
bring big fish to the beach.
• When fishing one rod with bait, keep a 9 to 11-foot spinning
rod rigged with a large bucktail/twister tail to throw to cobia you
might see cruising by, just below the surface. Cobia are curious and
sometimes follow another hooked cobia to the beach.
STRIPED BASS
(15 to 40 pounds)
November through January are the best months for big stripers. Stripers
can be caught from any deep slough between Corolla and the South end
of Ocracoke Island. Southern Outer Banks hot spots are Cape Point, the
South Beach of Hatteras Island, Hatteras Inlet and the South Point of
Ocracoke Island.
• Early and
late in the day are prime times, but big stripers are known for feeding
at night.
• Tops baits are chunks of menhaden and mullet and live eels
on 6/0 to 9/0 hooks and drum rigs
• During the day, look for “working birds” in the surf,
and keep a 9 to 11-foot spinning rod rigged with a large bucktail
jig/twister tail or #4 Hopkins to throw to breaking fish that may
appear at any time.
Tips for tackling
big drum, stripers and cobia in the surf:
• Practice
your casting before you get to the beach…distance may be critical
• Use the freshest bait you can find
• Check and change your bait frequently
• Keep hooks sharp
• Tie good knots
• Use good line and check it often for frays and nicks
• Be prepared and always have spare hooks, leaders and rigs available
• Do not use braided line at Cape Point, or in other crowded
areas. This thin-diameter line is very abrasive and will literally
cut through other lines it comes in contact with, and that will not
make your angling neighbors very happy.
• When fishing with J-style hooks, it’s best hold your rod.
Keep your line tight. On the bite drop your rod tip to the water,
when it comes tight, set the hook.
• If your line suddenly goes slack, quickly reel in the slack.
If necessary step backwards as you reel and if the line comes tight,
set the hook.
SPECKLED TROUT
(3 to 6+ pounds) (October-December)
• To cast
the light lures that specks prefer, use a 7-foot rod and small spinning
reel filled with 8 to 10-pound test clear monofilament, or braid with
similar diameter. An 8 to 9-foot, light tipped rod, rated for casting
lures up to ¾ ounce may be helpful to reach trout that might
be holding on an outside bar. Use tackle that will allow you to cast
small lightweight lead head jigs and MirrOlures.
• Trout often feed best early in the morning, but check with
a local tackle shop to determine the most productive tides and times.
• Keep terminal tackle to a minimum, with 18-inches of 15-to
20-pound test fluorocarbon leader, tied directly to your line and
no snaps or swivels to attach lure to leader. To minimize line twist
some pros opt for a tiny # 10 or #12 barrel swivel between the leader
and line.
Work lures from the edge of the bar to the “drop,” right
at your feet. Trout often feed there.
BAIT TIPS
• Keep bait
cool, out of the sun and don’t let it soak in water. (open the
drain plug on your cooler)
• Scale mullet; cut wider parts of the body into a fillet and
then into chunks. From the dorsal fin to the base of the tail, cut
the mullet into steaks
• Do not scale menhaden; the scales help to hold the soft meat
together. Cut them into steaks.
• Crabs are not made for distance casting, but are very resistant
to bluefish. Remove the top shell, break or cut the crab in half,
remove the claws, run hook through the body, out through a leg socket
and secure to hook shank with rubber band.
HOW TO FIGHT
A BIG FISH ON THE BEACH
• Always
keep the fish in front of you and your line at a 90-degree angle to
your body; walk with the fish as it moves up or down the beach.
• Keep your line tight
• Do not back up to the sand dunes! Stay at the edge of the breaking
surf. When the fish is in the shore break, let the waves push the
fish to you. If the fish is being pulled back by a wave as it recedes,
let the wave take the fish back into the water.
• When the shock line is on the reel, apply more pressure to
the fish.
• As you pull a big fish up on the beach, be ready to cover your
face, turn your head or duck, in case the line breaks, or the hook
pulls free. A MirrOlure, with three treble hooks, or an eight-ounce
weight flying at your face is not a good thing.
I’ll pass on
another nugget of info that was told to me by a weathered old surfman
who had taken dozens of giant drum from the surf. He said, “Son,
you gotta go fishing to catch ‘em!” Many, many times, just
showing up does count for something, because you never know when the
big ones are going to chew.
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