fall fishing

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 “bull” 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 don’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 helps  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 Tony 

Lessons of Change

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September typically means two things to me – the start of a new school year and fall fishing. Classrooms and school buses get crowded and popular fishing spots become deserted. But just like school, there are many lessons to be learned when fishing between the summer and the fall on the Outer Banks.

Summer fishing is a lot like swinging in a hammock. You find a seat in the shade on the pier or maybe under an umbrella on the surf.  You cast your bottom rig out and wait for something to come by and take it. Summer fishing is usually very slow and kind of easy going. There are always plenty of small bottom fish to keep you busy. So as you can see those lazy summer fishing days are a lot like swinging on that hammock. Not real exciting nor a lot interruptions but still a lot of fun.

Fall fishing on the other hand are where the summer lessons you learned are put to the test. The fall species that move into our waters can be very large and both aggressive and fast.  These fish are aware that their main food source will be scarce in the coming months so they must feed aggressively.

The Florida pompano, sheepshead and Spanish mackerel will be leaving for warmer waters soon and two of our most popular fall visitors will be taking their place. The Norfolk Spot and Atlantic croaker are a huge draw on the local piers in the fall. The Norfolk “Spot Run” occurs in mid to late September. During these runs, it is easy to fill a cooler in a matter of hours.

A short time later we begin to see the native speckled sea trout, black drum, puppy drum and big bluefish as well as the huge red drum and many other non-traditional species such as sharks and rays and many others.

When fishing in the summer we typically use light gear. In the fall and with the onslaught of huge and aggressive species moving in, we need to consider the use of stiffer and heavier gear. Larger rods, heavier reels, more stout lines and of course stronger rigs. We need to think about how we present our baits. Fresh baits, such as finger mullet or cut baits and even shrimp or fish bites are your best bets this time of year. Some anglers will stay with artificial plastics, gotcha plugs and metal spoons but their types of natural jig types, the action, vibrations and their retrieves must match the prey.

Weather in the fall is so unpredictable – seasonal and beautiful one day and chaotic and dangerous the next. Outer Banks environment can be friendly or brutal on anglers and gear. So you need to plan accordingly.

Now is the time to prepare. Our local tackle shops, many media outlets and of course my website can help make this year’s fishing experience one to remember.

Fishing in the fall on one of the local piers or the surf can be one of most enjoyable times. Many anglers travel hundreds of miles just to fish this time of year in our waters. Will you be joining us this year?

Captains Tip – always keep a light tackle rod set with you at all times in the fall. Hot action with a light rod and big fish are what memories are made of.

More on fall fishing, moon and best fishing days, proper gear types and techniques in near future – so check back often.

Until next time – Tightlines – Capt. Tony

Falling for Speckled Sea Trout

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Fall is the perfect season to catch Speckled Sea Trout. These fish are one of the most sought after gamefish on the Outer Banks.  And October is the perfect month to begin targeting this species. Their aggressive strike, beautiful appearance and great table fare make them a desirable target. Speckled Sea Trout are members of the drum family which are noted for their drumming or croaking sounds.

They are also aggressive hunters and will feed constantly except while spawning. These fish can grow quickly to over sixteen inches in just two years. It is not unusual for anglers to catch dozens of these fish well into the mid to upper twenty inch range considered “gator trout”.

The prime season for these Speckled Sea Trout is Spring and Fall but they can be found locally almost twelve months a year. They are temperature sensitive and their residency is dependent on their comfort zone. They are known as a migratory species but can remain in one area for months or even the entire season only moving to feed or spawn.

Speckled Sea Trout are creatures of habit and in season can be caught in the deep ocean sloughs just inside the bar along the entire surf zone and adjacent to our ocean fishing piers. Fishing from the surf or one of our many piers or even one of the soundside bridges can give the angler an advantage in recognizing perfect spots to target Speckled Sea Trout.

Other popular shore locations where anglers can find these fish on the Outer Banks are the inshore grass flats, potholes and creek mouths that feed the various sound waters. These areas provide a safe zone where there is good water quality, moderate water temperatures, solid water movement, some structure for safety, and provide many ambush spots.

Their main diet is small bait fish but have been known to attack shrimp and similar natural baits. So the most popular lures are lead head jigs with a plastic swim tail, top water hard baits and popping corks. This species has also been known to take spoons, a bucktail or even Mirro Lures.

The jigging involves the use of a lead head jig with a three or four inch plastic swim tail. The jig is then cast and retrieved using several quick jerks of the rod followed by a pause, allowing the bait to pause or fall. This casting and retrieval is repeated until there is a strike. The strike or hookup usually occurs during the pause or fall phase.

The next technique is using a top water floating or sinking hard bait. The lure is cast out and retrieved. The design of the lure produces a unique darting or swimming action. The quick and erratic nature of the top water lure during the retrieve causes splashing and noise which attracts a trout’s attention. When the strike occurs, it can be violent and fierce as the fish crushes the lure on the surface.

The final method is using a popping cork and is probably the most successful technique for both novice and experienced anglers. The rig is a cork float with a jig or hook with a plastic tail suspended below it. The angler casts it out and will give several quick jerks on the rod causing the cork to jump and make a splashing noise. This splashing mimics another feeding fish.  Other nearby fish will then come to investigate the noise and find an easy meal sinking just below the surface.

Anglers have found that the best gear is a six to a seven foot light medium rod and reel setup. Ten pound braid or fifteen pound monofilament line followed by a twenty pound two foot fluorocarbon leader will give the best results. This setup gives the strength for the hook set, quick retrieval and helps make baits appear natural.

The Fall season is one of the best times for catching Speckled Sea Trout. So whether you prefer to fish on your favorite pier, along the surf zone or on a local bridge, you should be able to find and catch this popular gamefish.

Until next time – Tightlines – Capt. Tony