[Phinzfan82]

Taking a long weekend trip to obx sept15-19. Was wondering what to expect as far as water temps, species caught etc. hoping to get into some blues, Spanish, maybe a big red drum. Usually fish in June so sept is new to me. Any advice on drum rig setups? I've heard bottom rug with single hook and cut mullet works. Also if anyone has tips on bottom fishing for Cobia. I seen some posts about it. Thanks for all the help. Tight lines and God bless.

 

[Surfjunkie]

Fish for cobia the same way as you would for huge red drum but focus more on bunker and bluefish for bait. A quick Google search of drum fish finder rig will give you a link back to this site from an old post that explains everything.

 

[Phinzfan82]

I'm a red drum newbie so again any advice would help. Can you purchase these drum rigs say at tws? What about water temps? Thanks again for help guys keep em coming or pm me.

 

[JamesRiverVa]

It's dependent on weather more than on the calendar but it seems like while there are always a few big drum caught from the beach or pier in September, they don't really start showing up in numbers until sometime in October most years.

Puppy drum may well be around in good numbers though. If the weather is mild, it will likely be much more like late summer fishing than fall fishing. Best bet for a big drum in mid September might be to take an inshore Charter into the sound, IMO.

You can definitely purchase drum rigs at all the local tackle shops. If you're willing to admit being a newbie and ask for help, they are more than glad to show you what you need. If you are fishing more than one rod, you might consider having a second rod out with a blue fish rig on it, or a more traditional two hook bottom rig or River rig baited with shrimp or sand fleas.

Other people more experienced than me can add to or correct the above and speak to the water temperature question.

 

[Drumdum]

I'm a red drum newbie so again any advice would help. Can you purchase these drum rigs say at tws? What about water temps? Thanks again for help guys keep em coming or pm me.

Yes,I'm sure TW's has them,although your can make your own with no problem... If you look in Fishing Bible of this web page,there is no doubt there is a thread there somewhere that can tell you exactly how to build one....

 

[Drumdum]

Oh,and to address your original question.. There will be lots of finger mullet in the surf.. Plenty of bluefish and some Spanish as well.. Hoping for a cobia is beating a dead horse,but you can sure try.. Drum is a possibility,although you'd be better off looking for pups that time of year,especially in the sound..

 

[Phinzfan82]

K awesome. Thanks again guys for taking time with help and answers. What about kings or jack crevalle? Was gonna try throwing a big plug from pier as well especially if water is clear and warm. Guess I kinda answered my own question...

 

[1BadF350]

Generally its pretty late in the year to be catching Kings or Cobia. But fish the conditions. Water temp will depend on wind direction. If the wind is NE or E and the water is warm and clear, try for a King. On September 19th last year I hung two Kings from a pier and saw a Cobia mouth a bait. We had a light NE wind and warm clear water. The next day the NE popped up to 30mph and the water got rough and muddy. That was the end of King/Cobia for the year, but several big Drum were caught. I remember meeting Drumdum for the first time one of those nights.

Anyway, chances are, you're gonna want to be Drum fishing.

 

[Drumdum]

Generally its pretty late in the year to be catching Kings or Cobia. But fish the conditions. Water temp will depend on wind direction. If the wind is NE or E and the water is warm and clear, try for a King. On September 19th last year I hung two Kings from a pier and saw a Cobia mouth a bait. We had a light NE wind and warm clear water. The next day the NE popped up to 30mph and the water got rough and muddy. That was the end of King/Cobia for the year, but several big Drum were caught. I remember meeting Drumdum for the first time one of those nights.

Anyway, chances are, you're gonna want to be Drum fishing.

My how things have changed.. I can remember "back in the day" stories of kings blitzing on n obx piers in sept,and into oct.. Matter of fact I would put sept down as the BEST MONTH I ever had kinging "back in the day".... haha Can remember one year kings were caught on the old Frisco pier on Thanksgiving.. Sorry 1BadF350,couldn't help myself....

You did not mention kings before,but yes in sept you can catch them if those "unicorns" appear....

 

[Garboman]

My how things have changed.. I can remember "back in the day" stories of kings blitzing on n obx piers in sept,and into oct.. Matter of fact I would put sept down as the BEST MONTH I ever had kinging "back in the day".... haha Can remember one year kings were caught on the old Frisco pier on Thanksgiving.. Sorry 1BadF350,couldn't help myself....

You did not mention kings before,but yes in sept you can catch them if those "unicorns" appear....

As the wise Sage has responded to Ford Truck guy.

October was the best month for King Mackerel in the old days. They would still be caught into November.

20-30 Kings in one day off Rodanthe Pier when conditions were right.

The Kings would be much more concentrated than in the Spring and Summer, following giant schools of Fatback heading South.

You would put your King rig out on the North side of the Piers and at Dusk you would chuck out Drum baits, which were more likely to be eaten by Smoker Sharks following the bait, due to the clear water conditions.

The Kings would be migrating South from the Virginia Capes, all the Oregon Inlet Charter boats would troll down the outer bar break 1/2 mile off the beach.

Every boat would typically limit out, I think the limit was 6 per day per angler so the boat counting the Mate and Captain at 5:00 o'clock would slap 48 Kings on the dock at Oregon Inlet and Teaches Lair.

Fall Kings kind of disappeared by 2000 and most fellas in September all switched to Drum fishing off of Kitty Hawk. On Avon Pier in October in 2004 or 2005 all the regulars had Drum baits out and the water was pretty clear, Drum were being caught perhaps 1 and hour or so, there was a lot of Fatback coming by in pods, not schools like the old days. Every so often there would be a huge boil in the "Dork hole", I had a 6/0 on a Surf Stick in my Suburban, I regret not sliding a bait out and finding out what was making those giant boils. If it had been Rodanthe I would have slid the bait out, but at Avon every Kinnakeeter would have been crying..... if I had a Drum bait out and a King Bait out at the same time....Thinking back on it, there was a day in November in 2005 I think when we were smoking the Drum on Rodanthe Pier, like 40+...........it was blowing SW.....That same exact day.. Frisco Dave caught 4 or 5 thirty pound plus Kings by himself.......off of Frisco Pier....never more...RIP.