Cape Point/OBX

rageslinger

Four Pointer
Anyone fish the point much? Just booked a place in Avon for first week of May. I went few years back in high school and loved it. I think I will be timing it right for big blues and maybe few Spanish. I might try for a Drum but never really fished out there for them. Any advice appreciated.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
Just remember if fishing the point proper (tip) follow the unwritten rules of doing what everyone else is. Otherwise back off 100yds either way and have fun!

What else you wanna know? Two hook rig with 4/0 circles and enough weight (it can vary depending on current) will likely yield blues, puppy drum, black drum and possibly other surprises.

I got on sea mullet will hit that rig too, though I’d down size the hooks a bit for them. I caught a bunch of citation and near citation sized sea mullet fishing for puppy drum in December on that size rig. They wouldn’t leave me alone, though I didn’t mind too bad.

Fishing for drum? That’s a whole different ball game with specialized equipment. It’s addictive, but do yourself and the others a favor and not do it (on the top of the point) if you don’t have the right gear. Most guys are willing to help if you decide you’d like to learn how.

Spanish? Grab some “glass minnows” of varying colors at the local tackle shop (I’m a fan of Hatteras jack, frisco rod and gun.... you’ll hear people tell you reddrum tackle too.... ehhh.... throw em far as you can and reel back fast. If you’re catching blues, speed up the retrieve.

Don’t be afraid to cut up something you catch and use it for bait, assuming you know what it is and it’s legal. Don’t be afraid to throw the head or a chunk on the heavier gear near sunset, though not as common, but drum are caught in the spring in other areas besides the point.

I’d also look for other areas besides the point, especially if I wasn’t drum fishing. Less crowd and can have just as much success.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
If you need more specific how to’s let me know. I can help where ever you need. The Roost is a pretty good bait shop as well. Frank and Frans too.... just not a big fan of RDT. Most will help however they can. Just be humble and willing to listen.
 

southerngunbelle

Six Pointer
I think most all of OBX has good fishing .... my family and I have been going down every year for 12 years. Different place each time, at least the first few years, and always fished.
We were never disappointed!
 

1SHOT1KILL

Old Mossy Horns
I will be in Buxton and on Cape Point the second week of May. Would be there 31 April thru 5 May but a couple LEO buddies couldn't get that week off so we settled for the second week.

Been fishing the Cape Point since I was a pre-teen back in the mid 1970's. I've caught just about everything except for a Cobia on the Point at one time or another. That time of year your best bet for over slot and bigger drum will be at night. I make my own simple single drop slider rigs, with a sliding weight, a couple red and/or green beads, a couple 100#-150# barrel swivels, with 4/0-6/0 circle hook for puppy drum and 8/8-9/0 circle hook for big drum on 50# fluorocarbon leader. Works good for blues as well, but if the are in the surf and chewing on bait, I prefer a double drop steel leader rig and 2/0-4/0 circle hooks depending on the size of the blues. You can buy drum rigs and blue rigs ready to go at any decent tackle shop on the OOBX. I just prefer to make my own.

For cooler fish such as whiting (sea mullet, Virginia mullet), pompano, croaker, black drum, etc. a standard double fish finder rig will work fine, but again I prefer to tie my own. You can use anything from a #1 circle hook, a #2 short shank J hook, up to a 1/0 circle hook. I tend to fish a tad smaller hook than most of the guys I fish with, but I also tend to catch more fish most of the time.

Baits are the standard mullet (I prefer finger mullet over cob, if fingers are available), Bunker, and shrimp. The key is fresher is always better. If the sand fleas are in the surf, get you some of them as well to put in a bucket and keep cool dry sand on them. Puppy drum, whiting, pompano, and black drum love them. The last 10 years or so, I have found that it beneficial to have a couple bags of FishBites Bloodworms and Sand Fleas in my tackle box. The whiting, pompano, spots, croaker, and black drum love them. For blues (and Spanish) hitting metal, get 1.5oz-2oz glass minnows, Hopkins, or Sting Silvers lures. Those lures in the silver and the gold colors will produce fish if they are biting metal. They have lures in all kind of color combos but you can't go wrong if you have a few silver and a few gold lures in your tackle box.

When fishing the actual Cape Point, keep it at a single rod, keep it in your hand, and do not leave it spiked for more than a few seconds. Don't not put out bunch of sand spikes to stake your claim to a stretch of beach, so to speak. Fish shoulder to shoulder, not way out front or way behind. Be prepared to move or reel your line in to allow someone that is hooked up to run up or down the beach in order to get their fish in. That is just a few of the unwritten rules of fishing the Cape Point. I am sure I am forgetting some things but that's some of them.

I tend to fish the narrows just on north side of the point about 300-400 yards and tend to catch more big whitings, pompanos, and some nice puppy drum there in those deep holes and sloughs than actually at the tip of Cape Point. The south side of Cape Point can be productive too in the right wind. Don't be concerned about moving up or down the beach to find the fish. Down around Ramp 48 and 49 can produce a lot fish as well. Since you are going to be staying in Avon, Ramp 34 in north Avon can be good fishing as well.

Frank & Fran's tackle in Avon, Red Drum tackle in Buxton, and Frisco Rod & Gun in Frisco can supply with all the tackle and bait you need and steer you to where the fish are biting.

One last thing if you have kids or even teenagers, don't let them swim in that water. That water is no joke and almost always has a strong current. In recent years when I've been down there for a week or more, I have seen or heard of some teen or kid drowning. Last September, the second week of September, there were 3 drown Buxton and Avon. There was almost a 4th right in front of our cottage in Buxton but thank the Lord that little girl's grandfather snatched her out of the breakers/surf. Another few seconds she would have been gone. Luckily she was fine after she coughed up a bunch of water, but she was very lucky. If they want to swim, there are places on the sound side that are good for that or in the swimming pools. If you don't respect that water, you could end up a statistic.
 

23mako

Ten Pointer
A good way to catch the sand fleas is to use half of a minnow trap and dig them up and let the surf sift the sand off of them. They are a great bait and will just about get eaten by anything. I have a bucket that I have drilled a lot of holes in just for fleas. I find they stay alive a good while just in the broken shells that are found in the surf line.

1shot also brought up a good point about the fishbites. The sandflea flavor in orange is a good one. Bloodworm is also a good one to have as last year when I was spot fishing that was just about all they would eat.
 
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