On the bite at Cape Lookout, NC: Just got home from Cape Lookout and we had a great time. Got there at high tide Monday and went south below the lighthouse, reading the beach as we...

BeachDrummer Loc: Eastern NC

Just got home from Cape Lookout and we had a great time. Got there at high tide Monday and went south below the lighthouse, reading the beach as we traveled to the point and around toward the jetty. High water prevented us from getting to the jetty. As we backtracked, we decided to stop at a couple of promising sloughs but not much was happening. After 2 puffers and a keeper black drum, we moved back further north to the weather station where a great trough was showing. After 20 minutes of inactivity, all of a sudden 1 of the 9 surf rods we had out took a sharp nose dive and didn’t rebound. Five minutes later, a beautiful slot red drum was in the cooler. Then another rod tip began that intermittent twitch that excites a surf fisherman. John dashed to check it and confirmed a fish had taken a bottom rigged shrimp. Just as he got that out of his mouth, another violent strike left no doubt that we had found a hot hole. With our red drum limit on ice and darkness falling fast, we headed for the cabin.

Day two we woke to a NW wind howling down the beach. As we began our only full day of fishing we went north a couple of miles before we found a spot we thought held potential. We set out 3 rods to test the waters and soon all 3 yielded mullet on 2 drop bottom rigs with #1 or 2/0 circle hooks baited with shrimp or squid. Over the next hour we caught a total of 9 mullet but had gone to 6 ounce pyramid weights because of the rough surf and they were not holding very well.

So we headed south to try around the point below the lighthouse to get out of that steady 18 mph north wind. There were several others that had the same idea but the surf was too still and nothing was biting. We did observe a couple of sharks feeding 10-15 yards from the water’s edge but they weren’t what we were after so we moved back up to the weather station where we had caught fish the day before.

We were able to hold a line in the trough created by a sand bar. The wind was roaring at better than 20 mph but we were determined to try it out. And am I glad we did. The incoming tide provided enough churn in the surf to bring us three good runs of fish in a 4 hour stretch that yielded 3 more slot red drum and 7 keeper black drum, along with a 34 inch red and a puppy drum that were returned to the sea. We used squid, shrimp and cut bait either on high/low bottom rigs or on Carolina rigs baited with mullet heads. Darkness slowly descended on us and we decided to call it a day.

Great fishing trip and time spent with good company.

NJ219bands Loc: New Jersey

Great report.

Smokey2 Loc: San Diego

Nicely done. Nice fish and a great story. Gotta get after 'em.

Gordon Loc: Charleston South Carolina

BeachDrummer wrote:

Just got home from Cape Lookout and we had a great time. Got there at high tide Monday and went south below the lighthouse, reading the beach as we traveled to the point and around toward the jetty. High water prevented us from getting to the jetty. As we backtracked, we decided to stop at a couple of promising sloughs but not much was happening. After 2 puffers and a keeper black drum, we moved back further north to the weather station where a great trough was showing. After 20 minutes of inactivity, all of a sudden 1 of the 9 surf rods we had out took a sharp nose dive and didn’t rebound. Five minutes later, a beautiful slot red drum was in the cooler. Then another rod tip began that intermittent twitch that excites a surf fisherman. John dashed to check it and confirmed a fish had taken a bottom rigged shrimp. Just as he got that out of his mouth, another violent strike left no doubt that we had found a hot hole. With our red drum limit on ice and darkness falling fast, we headed for the cabin.

Day two we woke to a NW wind howling down the beach. As we began our only full day of fishing we went north a couple of miles before we found a spot we thought held potential. We set out 3 rods to test the waters and soon all 3 yielded mullet on 2 drop bottom rigs with #1 or 2/0 circle hooks baited with shrimp or squid. Over the next hour we caught a total of 9 mullet but had gone to 6 ounce pyramid weights because of the rough surf and they were not holding very well.

So we headed south to try around the point below the lighthouse to get out of that steady 18 mph north wind. There were several others that had the same idea but the surf was too still and nothing was biting. We did observe a couple of sharks feeding 10-15 yards from the water’s edge but they weren’t what we were after so we moved back up to the weather station where we had caught fish the day before.

We were able to hold a line in the trough created by a sand bar. The wind was roaring at better than 20 mph but we were determined to try it out. And am I glad we did. The incoming tide provided enough churn in the surf to bring us three good runs of fish in a 4 hour stretch that yielded 3 more slot red drum and 7 keeper black drum, along with a 34 inch red and a puppy drum that were returned to the sea. We used squid, shrimp and cut bait either on high/low bottom rigs or on Carolina rigs baited with mullet heads. Darkness slowly descended on us and we decided to call it a day.

Great fishing trip and time spent with good company.

Just got home from Cape Lookout and we had a great... (show quote)

Great report and pictures BD. Thanks for sharing them with us. Greatly appreciated.

Papa Jack Loc: Indianapolis

Thanks for the pictures

Seacat Loc: Swansboro, N.Carolina

Awesome trip BD!

RuffplayOR57 Loc: Klamath Falls, OR

BeachDrummer wrote:

Just got home from Cape Lookout and we had a great time. Got there at high tide Monday and went south below the lighthouse, reading the beach as we traveled to the point and around toward the jetty. High water prevented us from getting to the jetty. As we backtracked, we decided to stop at a couple of promising sloughs but not much was happening. After 2 puffers and a keeper black drum, we moved back further north to the weather station where a great trough was showing. After 20 minutes of inactivity, all of a sudden 1 of the 9 surf rods we had out took a sharp nose dive and didn’t rebound. Five minutes later, a beautiful slot red drum was in the cooler. Then another rod tip began that intermittent twitch that excites a surf fisherman. John dashed to check it and confirmed a fish had taken a bottom rigged shrimp. Just as he got that out of his mouth, another violent strike left no doubt that we had found a hot hole. With our red drum limit on ice and darkness falling fast, we headed for the cabin.

Day two we woke to a NW wind howling down the beach. As we began our only full day of fishing we went north a couple of miles before we found a spot we thought held potential. We set out 3 rods to test the waters and soon all 3 yielded mullet on 2 drop bottom rigs with #1 or 2/0 circle hooks baited with shrimp or squid. Over the next hour we caught a total of 9 mullet but had gone to 6 ounce pyramid weights because of the rough surf and they were not holding very well.

So we headed south to try around the point below the lighthouse to get out of that steady 18 mph north wind. There were several others that had the same idea but the surf was too still and nothing was biting. We did observe a couple of sharks feeding 10-15 yards from the water’s edge but they weren’t what we were after so we moved back up to the weather station where we had caught fish the day before.

We were able to hold a line in the trough created by a sand bar. The wind was roaring at better than 20 mph but we were determined to try it out. And am I glad we did. The incoming tide provided enough churn in the surf to bring us three good runs of fish in a 4 hour stretch that yielded 3 more slot red drum and 7 keeper black drum, along with a 34 inch red and a puppy drum that were returned to the sea. We used squid, shrimp and cut bait either on high/low bottom rigs or on Carolina rigs baited with mullet heads. Darkness slowly descended on us and we decided to call it a day.

Great fishing trip and time spent with good company.

Just got home from Cape Lookout and we had a great... (show quote)

Great Story BD, glad your Crew and you stayed after em’! You all have a great store and great meals from your adventure!

mdegraw

Nice pics, but what are you doing in the 2nd picture laying a reel down on the sand?