Outer banks surf

[hookset]

Heading down in a few weeks and I’m wondering what surf lures I should have in the bag? I have some sp minnows, diamond jigs and poppers but should I get anything else . What should I be expecting to catch. Should I bring some smaller stuff like a bucktails? Teaser or no teaser?
Thanks

[Cape Cod]

Was there 2 weeks ago. Didn’t fish ocean side but from everything I observed it was all about small pieces of bait (shrimp, sandfleas, fish bites) on hi-low rigs for sea mullet and pompano.
I kayak fished every morning in the sound and had great action on lures for redfish and trout. All my action was on MirrOlures subsurface gliders and topwater spooks also white Zman shads with Trouteye jig heads.
Tried fishing live bait (croakers) one morning without getting a single hit on the bait. Also took a walk out on a fishing pier and saw a small tarpon cruising northbound. Some guys tried throwing buck tails to it but had zero interest. Good luck.

[flukeyou]

Heading down in a few weeks and I’m wondering what surf lures I should have in the bag? I have some sp minnows, diamond jigs and poppers but should I get anything else . What should I be expecting to catch. Should I bring some smaller stuff like a bucktails? Teaser or no teaser?
Thanks

Hey buddy, we're heading down in a few weeks too! I have done great with diamond jigs and kastmaster spoons. I always set up a bait pole or two as well. Fresh shrimp, and fishbites work great. Expect to catch, Flounder Pompano, Red drum, blues, whiting or virginia mullets, they call them. Which are outstanding eating. Back bay fishing, you have speckled trout, redfish, flounder.

Have an awesome time man. Surf fishing is so much fun and some times every cast you're bringing up a different species of fish!

[Gerry Zagorski]

Only fish I ever caught in the surf there was a Spanish Mack and it was on a Diamond Jig casted out and reeled in fast...

Didn't really do too much fishing there, a few hours here and there and I didn't try bait.

If you have a 4x4 vehicle, north of Corolla they allow trucks on the beach https://www.outerbanks.com/driving-on-the-beach.html and that would be a good way to prospect and cover some ground.

[Brewlugger]

Spent alot of time down there with my Dad back in the day, fishing for Red Drum in April and November. For Drum it was bait and wait, but while waiting we would throw lures. The locals down there at that time used the Stingsilver lure alot and the Gotcha jerk jigger. We also caught well with light rigs baited with Sandfleas. Kingfish, Flouder and Pompano on bait and Seatrout, False Albacore and Bluefish on lures.

[OH HENRY II]

I'm heading down august 10th. flounder/fluke is closed in N.C. You can expect pompano, bluefish, spanish mackerel, sea mullet, red drum, speckled trout, too many to list. Inquire at the local bait shop they'll let you know what's biting. Good luck and have fun.

[bakayd]

Bring really small hooks and try using small pieces of squid or find sand flees/sand crabs in the sand for bait. You’ll catch small fish around 6 inches long. All kinds of species. Cut one of those small fish in half and put it on a shark rig with wire. You’ll be surprised how big the rays and sharks get down there. Just make sure you have enough line or you’ll get smoked. Magic hour for sharks and rays is from 6pm - 8:30pm based on my experience over the last 8 years.

[porgylber]

A few years back, I fished the surf in Nags Head. Caught a bunch of croakers and spot. Awesome fish fry in the evening!

[Capt. Debbie]

I crabbed the Bay side in Cape Hatteras in August 2018.... Don't bother going there. Pamlico Sound/Bay 20 miles wide to the mainland side.

Miles and miles of barren sand in 3 foot overheated water. I was in a boat.

Not even bait fish there. No vegetation. Nothing.

[cfish71]

You will need a license to fish in NC. Going from Nags Head to Manteo you will go over a bridge you can fish from and underneath the big causeway bridge there are platforms that you can fish from. You will make a hard left at the light at the entrance to Pirates Cove Marina.

Pirates Cove has a nice tiki bar and their restaurant, Bluewater Grille, is very good. Also try Tortuga Lie, a local watering hole, Fun place and great fish tacos.

[Papasown]

I always bring several #6 hooks on a short leader on am ultralight, and put on small piece of squid or clam and catch sea mullets in the wash. Kids love it, and they produce all day long. You can eat them if you want, or use for bait.
Clams on the bottom on fluke rigs. will catch many other species in the surf.

Bring a killey trap and bait it with a small piece of fish, or a fish rack, and put it in a creek, or along a bulkhead to catch pinfish. Keep in an aerator bucket and liveline in the ocean or sound for puppy drum, and many other species.

If you have a boat did sand crabs and go to the channel markers in the sound for sheepshead.

Go to any bait shop there, and you will get lots of direction. The people are great Hatteras Island, and Hatteras Village are my favorite places to go....
Catch 'em up...........Papa
PS: If you go to Hatteras Village, watch the local kids catch shrimp with cast nets. I went back early in the morning, and 1/2 filled a 5 galllon pail. Used the heads for bait on offshore wrecks, and we had shrimp cocktail every night....love that place.

[flukeyou]

I always bring several #6 hooks on a short leader on am ultralight, and put on small piece of squid or clam and catch sea mullets in the wash. Kids love it, and they produce all day long. You can eat them if you want, or use for bait.
Clams on the bottom on fluke rigs. will catch many other species in the surf.

Bring a killey trap and bait it with a small piece of fish, or a fish rack, and put it in a creek, or along a bulkhead to catch pinfish. Keep in an aerator bucket and liveline in the ocean or sound for puppy drum, and many other species.

If you have a boat did sand crabs and go to the channel markers in the sound for sheepshead.

Go to any bait shop there, and you will get lots of direction. The people are great Hatteras Island, and Hatteras Village are my favorite places to go....
Catch 'em up...........Papa
PS: If you go to Hatteras Village, watch the local kids catch shrimp with cast nets. I went back early in the morning, and 1/2 filled a 5 galllon pail. Used the heads for bait on offshore wrecks, and we had shrimp cocktail every night....love that place.

We always stay in Hatteras Village. Love it there. Going in a couple weeks