Island Free Press ...Fishing

Anglers are hoping this winter will be a big one for stripers in the surf

By JOE MALAT

During the early ‘70s, while earning a living as a surf fishing guide, I had the good fortune of experiencing some of the best surf fishing for bluefish the Outer Banks has ever known. Wild blitzes, with jumbo fish chasing bait at my feet, happened with surprising regularity during the spring and fall, and those hard-fighting bluefish made some terrific memories for many of my clients.

Gradually, their numbers decreased, and in recent years, a 10-pound bluefish caught from the beach has been big news. But, as one species disappeared, another rebounded in unprecedented numbers. Instead of jumbo bluefish, striped bass began to provide the late fall and early winter thrills.

As striper populations rebounded we began to see more and more of these wonderful game fish every year. Boaters and surfcasters enjoyed some fantastic fishing for them. For several years running, as fall winds and cold weather dropped the water temperatures, large schools of stripers would move out of the Chesapeake Bay and another body of fish would move southward from the Mid-Atlantic and New England shore. Stripers would congregate along the Carolina coast. Many lingered for several weeks in the ocean between Oregon Inlet and Ocracoke. But that fishery changed again. Outer Banks anglers enjoyed some banner fishing until last year, which was a complete bust. There were plenty of fish, but they never made it south of Virginia.

As I am writing this article in early December, several stripers have been caught from the shoals at the mouth of Oregon Inlet and by surfcasters from Kitty Hawk to Salvo. The season is upon us, and we hope it will gain momentum and the stripers will once again cooperate. If they do, Hatteras and Ocracoke anglers should share in the good fortune during December and January.

Depending on the conditions of the surf and numbers of fish, stripers may be caught on both artificial lures and natural baits. Tackle and lures are simple and straightforward. Sliding sinker, “fishfinder” rigs with 50- to 80-pound test, 8-inch long monofilament leaders, are popular for natural baits such as mullet and menhaden. These are the same rigs that are favored by Outer Banks drum fishermen. Both of these baits may be tough to find as we get further into fall, and weather hampers the efforts of commercial fishermen trying to catch the bait, but Hatteras and Ocracoke tackle shops make every effort to have fresh bait.

Depending on their size, mullets may be filleted, and then cut into strips or chunks, or smaller mullets can be cut into chunks or steaks. The scales and skin of menhaden are not as tough as those of a mullet and menhaden do not fillet well. Cut them in chunks. The chunk baits will also cast farther, and a long cast to an offshore bar can sometimes mean the difference between success and failure.

Live eels are fast becoming the preferred bait for stripers, and they can be fished in a few different ways. The most often seen method is to present the eels with a triple swivel or fishfinder rig. The triple swivel rig is about 12 inches of 50- to 80-pound monofilament tied to one eye of the swivel, and a circle hook or a turned down eye hook, sized anywhere from 5/0 to 7/0. When using the triple swivel or fishfinder rigs, eels should be hooked through the tail.

The other method is hooking eels through the eyes, rigged at the end of 18 inches of 60-pound test monofilament, and cast with no weight on the line. A 3/0 black barrel swivel connects the leader and line, and the eels are slowly retrieved or allowed to swim with the current. This “free lining” technique will often work in the deep water and strong currents that are found around Hatteras and Ocracoke inlets.

Live eels cost at least a dollar or more each, so it's prudent to keep them alive as long as possible. A two-part, plastic minnow bucket is a perfect, inexpensive eel keeper. The eels are stashed in the inner bucket, and then covered with a few pieces of ice. As the ice melts, the water runs off and drips through the holes of the inner bucket. The ice keeps the eels cool and moist, helps to rinse off some of their slime, and slows them down. That’s especially important when it’s time to impale a lively, slithering eel on a hook. Eels may be kept alive for several days with this system. Heavy-duty, disposable shop towels are great for handling the eels between bucket and hook.

Bait fishers should lean to the heavier side for their tackle, since stripers like to feed best when ocean conditions are sloppy. Stiff rods in the 9- to 11-foot range that can cast from 4 to 8 ounces of lead are great tools for tossing bait.

Jumbo bucktails, from 2 to 4 ounces, in chartreuse, white, and red/white are productive lure colors and can be dressed with a long, 8-inch soft plastic curl tail. Large Hopkins, Gator spoons, Storm lures, and Rat-L-Traps were all good lures for stripers last year. They present a big target to these big fish and are heavy enough to cast a long distance, even into the teeth of an onshore wind.

Don’t always assume that stripers in the 15- to 20-pound range will be interested in a jumbo-sized lure. If the stripers are chasing small baitfish, offer them a small lure. Shorty or Smoothie Hopkins, Stingsilvers, or Kastmasters in the 3/4- to 1-ounce range may also be deadly. Seven to 10 foot rods are great for casting lures, and the rod should be matched to the conditions of the day, the size of the lure, and how far these lures must go to reach their target. Blind casting may catch sporadic fish, but I’ll usually opt for a lure when fish are showing or indicated by the presence of feeding birds working the water’s surface.

Striped bass may be caught anywhere in the Hatteras or Ocracoke surf from December through February, but previous hotspots have included Cape Point, both the Hatteras and Ocracoke side of Hatteras Inlet, and the South Point of Ocracoke. This is a relatively new and evolving fishery on the Outer Banks, and 2006 proved every year can be different, so a check at any one of the local tackle shops should be your last stop for bait and info before you hit the beach. As with many big fish, early mornings and sunset can be magic times, and many striper addicts fish through the night with great success.

(Joe Malat lives in Nags Head and is a professional outdoor writer, book author, and director of the Outer Banks Surf Fishing Schools. He writes about saltwater fishing along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and is published regularly in national and regional magazines. To order his books, or request information about the Outer Banks Surf Fishing Schools, visit Joe’s Web site at: www.joemalat.com.)