Here’s Why I Got Excited About Fishing and Relaxing on Ocracoke Island in October:

“There is an old saying that tells us the best day to go fishing is today. This is especially true if today happens to fall in October!” – Ocracoke Fishing: October on the Beach

“Prime Time: April through June and mid-September through late November
Why: The drum bite is outstanding. Big bulls, averaging between 40 and 50 inches, arrive in early April, leave for the summer and then return again in the fall.
How: Although these drum can be chased by boat, Ocracoke is the best place to catch a monster red from the surf. “Drumheads” use heavy-action, 12-foot surf rods called heavers to launch eight-ounce leads and menhaden chunks into the stratosphere and onto the outer bar.” – Saltwater Sportsman – 20 Greatest Fishing Spots on Earth

“Ocracoke Island is still part of the Outer Banks, and big surf and coarse-grained beaches are the rule here. This island can be reached by a free state ferry from Hatteras. I enjoy tossing crackers up into the air off the back of the ferry boat and watching the trailing sea gulls put on their acrobatic show. Ocracoke is a special place; it is my favorite getaway beach. Here you will find some of the finest, wild beaches in the country, and the water quality is at the top of the charts as there is literally nothing way out there to pollute it. Don’t come here expecting to play golf or planning to stay at a resort destination hotel; there is no Ritz on the beach or fast food joints for that matter. The main pursuits are swimming (best at Airport Beach area), shelling (especially on the north end), and general beachcombing along the 16-mile long shore. It’s also fun to ride bicycles through the historic village of Ocracoke, located on the south end of the island.” – Dr. Beach on Ocracoke Island

After visiting the outer banks of North Carolina last spring taking the 2 1/2 hour ferry ride over, we decided that we would come back in the fall.  When we visited, there were quite a few people on the tiny island and lots of 4-wheel drive trucks with specialized racks loaded with large rods and reels.  there seem to be more bait shops than grocery markets on the island.  You can tell without a doubt that fishing on Ocracoke Island is BIG.

Zack’s Take on Ocracoke

“Not a “tourist trap” Ocracoke is a real fishing village with about 1500 permanent residents. Don’t expect to find chain stores or restaurants or supermarkets. Ocracoke is a step back in time and is very quiet and spiritual. You can only get there by water. A ferry runs from Cape Hatteras to the north end of the island. The town is on the very southern end and the rest of the island is entirely open beach with huge dunes and big surf. Being near Cape Hatteras NC they get good waves with a sandy bottom. Once in awhile you see a shark and the incident this past summer at Avon, NC was highly unusual. You see a lot of bottle-nosed dolphin and porpoise. You can still build camp fires on the beach at night and sing and play music under the pitch dark starry sky. We like to organize flashlight-tag through the dunes which stretch for miles. There are 2 good camp grounds on the island and we weren’t bothered when we slept out on the beach. Ocracoke is NOT for wild parties and commercial noise. If you want a great place to surf and get close to nature and God this is it. ”

I Started Gearing Up

I’ve been fishing fresh water all of my life since I was about 7 years old. So, I have always had several rods and reels ready to go to the lake or river.  When camping in the Florida Keys with my Dad in my late teens, he and I caught Mangrove Snappers and Sand Sharks on shrimp.  All of the fish caught in a quiet lagoon.  After learning about the excitement of surf casting and fishing, I realized that I needed larger and more suitable gear for surf fishing.  Since I did not want to spend a fortune on gear, I decided on an 12′ Okuma rod coupled with a Penn Fierce reel, the FRC8000:

This combo if far from the top-of-the-line salt water rods and reels, but it will last a while if rinsed off with fresh water and lubricated from time to time. I won’t be a frequent surf fisherman, but I intend to do it from time to time into my retirement.

While I was at it, I purchased a rig that would work for both fresh and salt water.  The rod not a little more than half the length of the Okuma rod, a Shakespeare Ugly Stix GX2v (at 6 1/2 feet long), and a Penn Battle II (BLTII5000) reel.  I figured it would allow for more flexible fishing spots and is not nearly as unwieldy as the Okuma/Penn Fierce combo.

 

I decided to spool 30lb braided line on both reels.  Their are pro and cons for and against braid and mono-filament lines.  I chose to go the road less traveled. There is a lot more line on the reel after spooling up with braid. I also purchased a clearance spool of 65lb test braided line for my shock leader.

Since I will be using braided line which will slice a finger off in a heartbeat if you are not careful, I got  single finger fishing glove:

Just in case I happen to get a nice fish on the 12′ rig, I found out that I may need a fish fighting belt so that I’d have 2 hands free to reel the fish up onto the beach:

Should I happen to land a big fish, I knew I would need an accurate set of fish scales too:

The scales got decent reviews by a fairly large number of people, so I went with the Rapala 50LB digital scale. The first one I received was DOA, but Amazon made good and I got a replacement within 2 weeks.

Not being familiar with the numerous species of fish along the Outer Banks, the Outer Banks Fish ID Guide was also necessary. This one is heavily laminated and will hold up fairly well along the outer banks shorline:

Terminal Tackle

It looks like a fish-finder rig will be the one I use the most.  I’m planning on using 80lb mono-filament line and 6/0 circle hooks.  I have a good selection of pyramid sinkers from 3 to 6 ounces. Since I am a novice at serious surf casting with a fairly big rig, there will be some trial and error.  My smaller rig of the 6-1/2′ Ugly Stick / Penn Battle spinning reel (can’t wait to use this combo), I want to attempt to fish for flounder. I may use a 2 hook setup. The smaller rig I will work, the large one will be casting out and waiting.  At least, that is the plan.

Bait

What little saltwater fishing I have done in the past off piers, jetties, and offshore charters, I have almost always used squid.  It seems to be the near “universal” bait.  I’ve had a lot of luck using squid.  On the other hand, I’d like to put some live fish on the hook and attempt to catch a larger fish.  I think the people at Tradewinds Tackle will be able to help.  It seems that the fresher the bait, the better the chances.

I’ve got a small cast net and may attempt to put it to use if I spot any schools of smaller fish in the shallows. Also, I understand that “sand fleas” (those hard shelled crabs that burrow into the sand as the water washes away from the shore). So, lots of choices and things to try when  it come to bait.  On top of it all, Cathy and I will be enjoying the wonderful seashore on the Atlantic coast.