Headed to the Banks

[Perch Jerker35]

I am heading to the Outer Banks, NC sometime next week and staying till Jan 3 or 4. Going for Stripers, but they arent there Still catching plenty of trout, puppies, and sharks... wish me luck!

[sneakypete]

Sharks in the North Carolina surf in the winter? Man, they must be some bad dudes!
We get some little blacktips and bulls in the Chandeleur surf (Louisiana) during winter, but our "winter" is a bit different from y'alls!:D
Whatever, watch your toes, and good luck!
Pete

[SkinMan]

Don't forget your camera. Good Luck!!

[shadow]

Good luck, hope you tear them up. You guys should see the bull reds that are swimming around the rig I am at right now! There must be dozens of them. Sure are pretty to watch swim under the lights. We are about 23 miles out. Again hope you get on them stripers and take pictures to share with the rest of us.

[Huck Finn]

Good luck on your trip. I have fished the Outer Banks on several occassions since about 1987. I was in the Navy back then and the bluefishing was incredible! It wasn't until around 1993 or so that I started catching rockfish from the surf. We used cutbait and live eels for bait when surf fishing, but our favorite place to catch a big striper was off the Oregon Inlet (Bonner) bridge. We stopped going because the fish have not come as far down the coast as they use to. Global warming? Hope we can here some results from your trip and take some pictures of that 40#er.

[AmileGrace]

wonder if they still catch the giant bluefins off of there during winter. i remeber when i was younger they would catch giant blufin tuna 400-1000 lbs just a couple miles from sure in dead winter

[big "E"]

When the wind allows theres been a good many blue fins in the 400-600 lb category. I haven't read any reports of any real giants 1000 or better but they are out there for the guys who have the right equipment and the "right stuff". Most lose a lot of expensive tackle and lose the fish in the end. Cant get up the gumption to chase one yet but a lot of guys are getting rich catching them.

[TreednNC]

Yeah the big sharks are there.............2 out of the past three winters there have been type large hammers (up to 12-13' by some old, experience accounts), garbos (sandtigers), duskies, and threshers.

One of the locals put a 10' est 300lb hammer on the beach over the weekend. He's been dumped (spooled) many times by much large beasts as well over the past few weeks...and hes loaded for bear, 8/0+ reels. Was also a 150lb hammer put on the beach by another fella......like near whooped his arse with a tail slap during the release tho

[Trout]

I grew up in Edenton NC and we used to go to the OB on a regular basis. Surf fishing is still my favorite though a day off shore in the Gulf Stream is right up there. I just like the all the activity in the surf and constantly changing conditions- lots going on.

Once back in the mid 90's I spent the night on the Rodanthe pier and a guy hooked a 10' tiger shark and got it up to the pilings before he broke it off. Big fish.

[TreednNC]

Rodanthe pier....home of the salvo hole monster........well close lol