outer banks

pcray1231

pcray1231

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Lebanon, PA
Just a shot in the dark. Anyone gonna be in the outer banks the week of Aug. 10?

We just scheduled a trip. Will be staying in Hatteras Village. Also would be interested in joining forces for a charter. I'll likely go regardless but we only got 2, maybe 3 guys, so we'd be doing the make-up charter thing through a marina unless we can find a few more people.
 
Sorry this isn't exactly relevant to your question...but I had a good time that same week in august 2 years ago down there.

Caught a mess of little blues from the surf all week long. They loved small white clousers, although I'm sure it wouldn't matter much...just bring plenty of em.

Enjoy the charter/trip
 
Yeah, I killed blues that week too.

I will have to double check, but we just booked a place for the 4th or the 10th. I wanna say its the 10th. Last time we did a charter, I was so damn sick. Caught a ton of chicken dolphin fish(such an awesome tasting fish), but I was constantly puking over the side and reeling a fish in. If I went this time, I need the patch behind the ear or something. I think our charter was pretty reasonable. Full day, boat to ourselves(30'+ boat with an awesome flat platform in the front, great for fly casting) and I think it was $450 or something. 5 people comfortably fit and fished.
 
Being right at Hatteras and so close to the Gulf Stream, I'd probably opt for the offshore charter. Cheaper there. Mostly trolling for billfish plus tuna, dolphin, and wahoo. Sea sickness is a danger, and luck of the draw on how rough the water is that day. Prices out of Hatteras for a make-up trip are $260/person for 6 guys or $290/person for 5. To all out rent a boat, prices vary by boat, but I've been seeing $1500 ish, split among however many guys you have (up to 6).

My party has 1-3 really. I'm in. One buddy is definitely going on the vacation, but isn't much of a fisherman and is a maybe for the charter. Another buddy is a big fishermen but may or may not go on the vacation. So 1 and 2 maybe's.

I'd just rent the boat ourselves if we had 5. I'd think real hard about it with 4. Less than that and we'd be doing the make-up thing through the marina, where you get pitted with total strangers to make up enough for a charter.

So even if we don't get enough to go ourselves, I'd prefer friends or partial strangers from the board over total strangers. :)

There will be some surf fishing for sure on the other days. I figured it'd be too early for blues, specially with the warmer waters south of the cape. Expected croakers and spot to make up the bulk of the action. But I'll take whatever's there.
 
Don't forget reds and trout and rays in the back bays..maybe a smaller shark too.
 
I have never fished the bay side, can it be productive? This year, I would like to make fishing a little more of a priortiy. Typically its hang out with the family etc. and take a week break from fishing a ton up here, but I had a blast last time with the blues in the surf. 30+ fish was no problem in a couple hours, and a few were in the 18" range and fought great. Hopefully I have a similar experience this year, but I am still up for suggestions. Do you fish out of a kayak in the bay, or wade/shore fish?
 
Pat - Can't help ya on the charter, but sounds like a good time, hope you round up enough guys to get your own boat. A little info on the surf though...I vacationed in Nags Head a couple times as a kid (late middle school/early high school age), I think it was in July though. Croaker/Spot were 95% of the catch, although they were present in excellent numbers...pretty much every cast. I remember a few Kingfish, small Redfish, and even a rogue Striper too. I remember the action being somewhat consistent throughout the day, as opposed to the Delaware beaches where it's more of an early morning/late evening deal. This was all in the surf with conventional spinning tackle and bait.
 
pwk, on the sound, there are places you can fish from shore. There are more where you can wade around large areas in waste deep water and toss stuff at the holes and drop-offs. A boat is best, just gives you a lot more mobility.

Can it be productive? Sure! Never as consistent as the ocean in my experiences though, from boat or from shore. Like Swattie, I've had many times on the beach where you can pull croakers in 2 at a time all day long on a rig if you'd like.

Wife and baby. Not a fishing trip. Unless I forego the offshore idea and charter an inshore boat, I'm not gonna get much fishing in on the sound side. I got my one day pass to get serious about it. The other days, though, we'll be doing family stuff. When on the beach with family, throwing a rod out and sticking it in a sand spike is one thing, and there will be some of that. Taking off for the sound side or inlets is a different ball game.

May not even take a fly rod.
 
Some of the best action you can have is with a flyrod right in the surf at hatteras Village. I have been fishing both on shore and offshore there from over 35 years. That time of year you should be able to catch nice pompano in the surf. I like to use small shrimp patterns in the first surf break. Sometime less than 10 feet from the beach. Best time is the first hour of when the tide is going out or coming in. You will catch flounder, pompano, and even some small redfish. Look for areas that have alot of sandfleas or a small rip going back into the surf. Water clarity is key as well. Some of the areas, the water is less than 2 feet deep. I just cast in let the fly sink and jig/bring in really slowly. I have caught up to 30-40 fish in an hour sometimes. If the bite is slow with the rod, a simply bottom rigs made out of 10# test and small gold hooks with a 1 ounce weight and small pieces of shrimp is second to none.
 
It's a possiblity. I could take the camper and stay at a camp ground.
 
Just bumping this up. Chaz and I are looking for more people to make this a reality.

Here's the skinny: Offshore charter. Based on time of year, the primary "numbers" fish is dolphin (mahi mahi), and it's also prime season for billfish (blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish). For the billfish, it's about as good a place and time as any, but they are never sure things. Other species of possibility include various types of tuna, wahoo, king mackeral, etc.

It's mostly trolling, and taking turns in the chair. If you get into a good school of fish, though, often you can break out the smaller tackle. Dolphin are often such school fish. Not completely out of the question to throw a fly rod at a school. Depending on conditions, we could also ask to do a drop to the bottom where tilefish, grouper, snapper, sea bass, etc. hang out, or spend a little time inshore for spanish mackeral, cobia, and the like.

We'd most likely go out of the village of Hatteras, as it is cheaper and closer to the gulf stream (driving south is quicker and cheaper than boating south!). We could also go out of Oregon Inlet or Pirate's Cove (Nagshead area) if needed to accomodate others.

Boats leave early morning and come back around dinner time. Rain or shine, but cancellations due to rough water are always a possibility.

Prices range from $1200-$2000 for a full day, most are in the $1500 range. Before tip (mate works for tips). That price would be split by all of those attending. Boats take a maximum of 6 fishermen. We have 2 confirmed, and a couple of maybe/doubtfuls. I'd like to get at least 4 before booking a boat to make the money more reasonable.

PM me if interested.
 
pcray1231 wrote:
Just bumping this up. Chaz and I are looking for more people to make this a reality.

Here's the skinny: Offshore charter. Based on time of year, the primary "numbers" fish is dolphin (mahi mahi), and it's also prime season for billfish (blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish). For the billfish, it's about as good a place and time as any, but they are never sure things. Other species of possibility include various types of tuna, wahoo, king mackeral, etc.

It's mostly trolling, and taking turns in the chair. If you get into a good school of fish, though, often you can break out the smaller tackle. Dolphin are often such school fish. Not completely out of the question to throw a fly rod at a school. Depending on conditions, we could also ask to do a drop to the bottom where tilefish, grouper, snapper, sea bass, etc. hang out, or spend a little time inshore for spanish mackeral, cobia, and the like.

We'd most likely go out of the village of Hatteras, as it is cheaper and closer to the gulf stream (driving south is quicker and cheaper than boating south!). We could also go out of Oregon Inlet or Pirate's Cove (Nagshead area) if needed to accomodate others.

Boats leave early morning and come back around dinner time. Rain or shine, but cancellations due to rough water are always a possibility.

Prices range from $1200-$2000 for a full day, most are in the $1500 range. Before tip (mate works for tips). That price would be split by all of those attending. Boats take a maximum of 6 fishermen. We have 2 confirmed, and a couple of maybe/doubtfuls. I'd like to get at least 4 before booking a boat to make the money more reasonable.

PM me if interested.

Talk about extremes!!!! Chaz and Pcray....two small stream brookie guys fightin' for the fightin' chair.... :lol:
 
I highly recommend Capt. Jeff Ross on the Obsession out of Pirate's Cove in Manteo for a non-fly charter.

 
Thanks,

Unless necessary to accomodate any takers, we'd likely set out at Hatteras, though. Closer, cheaper, with more time fishing and less time in transit. It'd be an hours drive for me to go that far north, only to turn around and boat an hour south (and pay for gas the whole way).

Teach's Lair, Hatteras Harbor Marina, or Oden's Dock most likely.
 
Don't forget that a blue marlin is essentially a several hundred pound "native"!!!
 
Dang! I'd love to join you guys.

Seeing Chaz and Pcray leaning back on a king or billfish would be worth the price of admission. I'll go net my local creek for some wild brookies for bait. Yuh have to rig 'em just right so they bounce on the surface when trolled and don't twist in the water. Works better than ballyhoo. :-D
 
From 6" fish in a 6' wide stream to 600lb fish 60 miles out over 6,000 feet of water. :lol:
 
I'd be all over this but I'm going to be in Nags Head a full month earlier and Oregon Inlet is where I go out of. Two years ago we caught a limit of mahi and a 400 lb Blue Marlin. Of course I wasn't in the chair for the marlin. I'm planning on trying to get a charter for the week of July 6-13th if anyone else will be down that week.

On the other hand I will be staying directly on the beach so I can walk out my door and fish whenever I please. I'm planning on fly fishing a lot. Anyone give me a idea of good patterns for the surf or the sound for specs?
 
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