hatteras island

[american spirit]

Originally Posted by Springer

If it were me I would definitely bring a light tackle rod. I make a few trips down to Hatteras each year one of them usually being in early Sept. I fish every day when I am down there but that time of year I almost exclusively fish the sound. I fish out of the kayak but much of that huge body of water doesn't get deeper than 4' so it can be waded as well. The sound offers some nice speckled trout, weakfish, puppy drum, small bluefish and if you are really really lucky small cobia. A 6-8 ft rod rated 1/4-3/4 oz with 10 lb braid used to throw 4" grub tails and berkley gulp shrimp is all it takes. A popping cork ahead of the grub tail is always good to try.

springer, are you mostly sight fishing by day or heading to spots at night.?

[Springer]

The only sight casting I have done is on an inshore charter boat when we putted around the flats looking for cruising schools of drum. When I am in the kayak I am targeting specks by looking for a mottled bottom of broken up grass beds. The speckled trout seem to hang out along the grass beds chasing grass shrimp hence the effectiveness of the grub tail on a jig head. But I also would never go out there without a MirroLure 52M. The popping cork (the one I use is called "cajun thunder") ahead of the grub adds a splash and rattle that at times can really help draw the specks in. I also would look for chanel edges or oyster beds. There is a ton of life in the sound and I am always catching some sort of fish, lizard fish, pin fish, oyster crackers. I don't want to give the wrong impression, I am no expert about the fishing down there but have had some very good days fishing back there in the last 3 years. Bring your rods and when you get there talk to the guys at Hatteras Jacks (Rodanthe), Frank and Frans (Avon) or Red Drum Tackle (Buxton). They will set you right. Good luck.