Ocracoke 5/14-5/20

594 Views 9 Replies 6 Participants Last post by slosh, 7 d ago

slosh

Discussion Starter · 11 d ago

I'm at Ocracoke with the family this week. Slow fishing so far, but here's what I've managed:
Sunday night: Came over from Cedar Island on the 430pm ferry, so had to settle for frozen finger mullet for cut bait. Had fresh shrimp too. Hope was to get on some pan fish that night. Hit the beach up past the Pony Pens at 930,fished til 1. 1 big sharpnose shark, nothing on shrimp.

Monday: Started at ramp 72 around 8am. Grass everywhere. Some folks had caught blues up to 4lbs early that morning before the grass got bad. I moved to ramp 67 later, caught a half a croaker on shrimp or a flea cast over the bar. Bluefish got him before I could reel him in. Grass was bad all day, the croaker was the only fish I saw caught while I was out there.

Tuesday: Hit ramp 72 early. Grass still there. Caught 3 blues around 2 lbs each on a pink Spanish candy. Truck beyond me got a bigger blue on cut mullet. Nothing on shrimp or fleas anywhere I tried. Moved to ramp 70 after awhile and managed a decent Spanish and a couple more blues on spoons. Grass got better between. 9am and 2pm or so, then it came back with the stiff wind. Still nothing on shrimp/fb/fleas. Struck out on cut (fresh jumping) mullet too.

In lighter news, my new-to-me gen 2 cast pro outcasts anything I've ever used by a wide margin. Glad I went with that over something cheaper!

Dragged my old 4runner out for the trip. Rear window quit working yesterday afternoon, but I can work around that.

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slosh

Discussion Starter · #5 · 11 d ago

Tried this morning. No grass, but no fish. Stiff current was dragging 8 Oz at first, so I tried walking with it up the beach awhile, nothing doing.
Current slacked off after a bit so I put out lighter rods with shrimp and fishbites, again no hits close in, nor over the bar. Few birds were working glass minnows in close but nothing big underneath that I could see. No hits on a spanish candy there.
Going to tradewinds to ask for help this morning. Need to catch a croaker or little whiting to boost my confidence lol

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slosh

Discussion Starter · #7 · 10 d ago

Moved north yesterday. Better beach structure there, and found some keeper sized mullet at low tide. Pulled in a small blue on a bit of shrimp that looked like someone had stomped it'd head on concrete - - guessing a skate or drum got to it. I chopped it's head off and threw it out on the heaver, but nothing took it.

Walked north from 59 last night to try for drum in the stiff north wind, but struck out there. Probably should have gone to where I caught the whiting. Might try that this evening.

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slosh

Discussion Starter · #8 · 8 d ago

Tried last night at the public walk access near the pony pen, no hits on fresh mullet or shrimp.

Went this morning to 59 in the rain/wind, no luck there from 8am to 11am.

Hit up 59 again this evening. Couldn't get to where I wanted due to high water, and didn't get out early as I hoped to. No less we got a nice blue, a decent blue, and a pinfish. Something smoked my pomp rod (shrimp and fleas), but as soon as I picked up the rod the 14lb sufix tri broke above the shock knot. Drag was super light. Had that happen 2x now this trip on different rods, other instance was while hauling in a big pile of grass. Hope I didn't get a bad batch of line.

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slosh

Discussion Starter · #10 · 7 d ago

Did a little better Sat. Morning.
Went north again, hit a hole on the incoming tide. Got a couple nice blues on cut pinfish and mullet, and a 17" black drum on salted shrimp.

Came back at low tide, managed a few pinfish and pigfish, all on long casts with shrimp or fleas.

Returned to the same spot for high tide Sat evening and struck out, save for one pinfish. Front had just moved through, I blame that for shutting down the blues.

Disappointed I didn't get into any red drum or pomps this trip, but I think they're hit or miss this time of year.

Overall had fun, and I'm planning to return in October for a couple of days.

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