Reel in New Tradition

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Spending the Thanksgiving weekend at Jennettes pier in Nags Head is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to catch your very first saltwater fish.Ā  While the pier is closed on holidays, it is open both Friday through Sunday. And the advantage is your daily pass covers your fishing license while fishing on the pier.

First time anglers do not need heavy, expensive surf gear to catch late fall favorites like puppy drum, sea mullet, speckled trout, and puffers. A simple 7-to-8-foot medium spinning rod paired with a medium 2500 size reel spooled with 15-to-20-pound line will handle everything you will catch from the pier. Throw in a pair of needle-nose pliers, a small paring knife and a small hand rag and use a 5-gallon plastic bucket to carry everything.

If you do not own a rod, you can easily rent a ready-to-fish combo at the pier house counter.

You then want to tie on a pre-made double-drop bottom rig with size 2 or size 4 circle hooks, and clip a 2-to-3-ounce pyramid sinker to hold the bottom. Although you are set if it comes with the rental.

Make sure you pick up some fresh or frozen shrimp or bloodworm type Fishbites at the pier tackle counter too, and cut your shrimp into thumbnail-sized pieces just big enough to cover the hook point.

To find your spot, walk about halfway out onto the pier deck, just past the breaking waves. And instead of casting far out, you want to just drop your baited rig straight down beside the pilings. This is where you will find most fish.

When you are ready to fish, open your bail, let your line and sinker fall out until the sinker hits the sandy bottom, close the bail, and turn the handle twice until the line feels snug between your rod tip and the water.

When you feel a sharp tap-tap on your line, lift the rod tip smoothly upward rather than yanking hard. Circle hooks do the work for you as the fish swims away self hooked.

If you donā€™t get a bite within several minutes, move either further out or flip to the other side. Pier staff will be glad to help point you where the fish are biting that day. Or another option, just watch the other anglers.

You may be lucky to hook up with a big drum, small shark or a cownose ray. There is always someone who can help de-hook them and release them safely. Most anglers monitor each other’s activities, so it wonā€™t be long before you have help.

Donā€™t forget to dress in layers and a windproof outer jacket. There is nothing worse than planning your day on the pier, only to discover you werenā€™t dressed for the conditions. Remember, Itā€™s best to fish during the warmest midday hours for the best action.

So to have an enjoyable day, call ahead, prepare for conditions, pick the right time and listen to the pier staff. Their goal is to help you catch fish. Know the bag & creel limits. Release all unwanted fish carefully.

With simple tackle, a little patience, and these straightforward steps, you have everything you need to turn a great holiday afternoon on Jennetteā€™s Pier into a memorable catch.

Until next time – Tightlines – Capt Tony

Fall Surf Tournament Time

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Fishing in one of the various surf tournaments is no time for trial and error. Especially when you are limited to time and space. My experience tells me that there are several important components to being successful during this type of a surf fishing event. And being competitive in these events, there are several skill sets needed.

Homework is the key to any fishing trip but imperative in this type of competition.Ā  First, the fish or target species need to be in the area or zone. Canā€™t catch them, if they are not there.

Past reports should give you a good idea of what’s been caught recently and how. Success isn’t about luck; it’s about targeting. You must understand the precise habits, feeding behaviors, and structural preferences of your target fish. Gear types and sizes along with appropriate rigging and baits should match the species you target. Previous reports should indicate whether you need to target passive such as sea mullets, spot or croaker or aggressive bluefish, puppy drum or trout. Each species requires a different set of gear and technique. Study and remember it.

Once the participants determine what gear and bait works best, a smart team begins to use a range from either light medium rods for small species to the heavy gear rod sets for the seasonal huge migrating drum and blues.

Next is the local conditions such as air and water temperatures, tide phases, wind speed and direction. Remember the ocean can change by the hour. So fishing two sessions per day within two continuous days gives the angler the best opportunity to fish the best conditions. A skilled angler continuously monitors how external factors impact their immediate area and adjust accordingly.

Reading the surf and water is not an overnight lesson. It takes time to focus on the various parts of the sand and waves. The beach is not a flat desert; it is full of underwater topography. Finding the fish means actively scanning the water to evaluate sand formations and wave actions. You have to locate the deeper sloughs, look for the breaks in the sandbars, and identify the specific troughs where fish are using.

Before the angler casts the first time, they need to step back and take in the entire scene. Start at the surf. Is it flat or tapered, has cusps or is it sloped. This indicates a deeper slough. Next, monitor the waves. When and where do they break? This view can indicate the bars. Some surf zones have two. Placing the baits either stationary or shifting will give the angler the best chance to cover the correct zone.

Once all the boxes are checked, now the clock starts, don’t just throw straight out. Fan cast your lines at different angles and distancesā€”one short in the trough, one medium on the edge of the bar, and one deep in the cutā€”to quickly locate where the schools are moving. Each member of your team should use a proven technique. And with a process of elimination, anglers should move to that technique. With one always remaining a little different.

While Iā€™m past my days participating in these events, I find it fascinating that even though years pass, the old tried and true, back to basics, seems to be the trigger of the day. Enjoy this tournament season and the camaraderie that this friendly competition brings. Safety is always first as is conservation.

Until next time – Tightlines – Capt Tony

Ready Set Drum Roll

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September marks the start of the legendary run of big drum on the Outer Banks. The autumn air brings a crisp northeast breeze, cooling water temperatures and the highly anticipation of fall big drum migration.

Anglers wait all year for a chance to catch one of these trophy giants. North Carolina big drum are well known for their huge size and ferocious fight. Anglers travel many miles to experience this phenomenon.

These remarkable creatures originately known as puppy drum, can grow 40 to 50 inches or more in a matter of couple years. Once they reach full size, they are referred to as ā€œbullā€ or just big drum.

Big drum are originally targeted early on in the surf. But as the conditions change, anglers have their best chance to land one on the ocean piers. The best bites occur with rough churning seas and constant winds up to 20 to 30 miles per hour.

Most pier anglers focus on the deep end but many different sizes of fish, along with the big drum, are caught along the entire length of the pier. So proper location is imperative.

To catch these giants, specialized gear and rigging is required. Heavy conventional or spinning surf rods of eight to ten feet or longer rated and reels designed to hold 17-20 lbs of monofilaments or 30-50 lbs braided line are the standard set up. Caution using braid lines on piers or near other anglers. And donā€™t forget that 50 lbs mono shock leader.

Rigging and baits are personalized. My favorite rig is the “Fish Finder” with short leaders and circle hooks. This rig helpsĀ  prevent deep hooking and is the one most frequently used. The second one is a standard drum or cannon ball rig. This rig uses a heavy sinker slide attached to a weight on the main line swivel then a short leader with your preferred circle hook. Either way, these rigs work well.

Cut pieces of menhaden, mullet or spot are the baits of choice. Large chunks including bait heads with lots of scent attract these big drum. Anglers are known to use chunks of finger mullet or other oily smelly baits too.

The key to catching them is placing your baits where the drum are. While you may have the tendency to long cast, big drum will stay near structures. So while under the pier is perilous and can result in snag or being cut off, this area holds drum.

Every angler has their own strategy. Some anglers position themselves directly at the end of the pier, others will start at the shallow part and move to cover each side, just moving and looking for another opportunity. Another strategy, the big drum moves around to find a food source, so the anglers should too.

Regardless of your strategies. The passionate drum angler watches the weather and knows the migration signs.

Remember all red drum over 27 inches must be safely released in North Carolina, handling them with care is paramount. Keep the fish in the water as much as possible, minimize their time on the dry sand or pier deck, snap a quick photo, and support the fish in the water until it swims away under its own power.

Joining the elite fraternity of anglers who have landed an OBX autumn giant is an unforgettable experience, and protecting the fishery ensures the tradition continues for generations to come.

Until next time – Tightlines – Capt TonyĀ