Surf fishing OBX or similar

[JeremyW]

Wondering if it's worth trying to fly fish OBX surf or not, I've not had luck with choppy water that breaks close to shore. Just wondering if I should skip the beach for the calmer sound side?

Anyone fish any of the mid-atlantic surf / southern beaches successfully?

 

[Swattie87]

Wondering if it's worth trying to fly fish OBX surf or not, I've not had luck with choppy water that breaks close to shore. Just wondering if I should skip the beach for the calmer sound side?

Anyone fish any of the mid-atlantic surf / southern beaches successfully?

Yes, but I use spinning gear to do it. It’s just way more effective on the beach than FFing. If you’re gonna FF, you’ll probably have more fun fishing the sounds/bays IMO.

Beaches in the Carolinas (especially OBX) have relatively little drop off. You can be a couple hundred yards from dry sand and still be only ankle deep. Mid-Atlantic beaches, Delaware/Maryland in particular, are steeper, which might make them a little easier to FF and actually get to where fish are.

 

[wgmiller]

It can be done, but as mentioned, you'll have better success in the flats of the bays. In the surf you'll want to look for "sloughs" or areas where baitfish and other food can be corralled by fish looking to feed. Personally speaking, I caught a 12" or so flounder from the surf in the OBX a number or years back. You need a stripping basket and line that will get the fly down into the strike zone (intermediate, sinking, etc.). You can fly fish the surf in the OBX, but it's not a high numbers game. As mentioned, spin fishing is going to be your best bet. Hard to beat a two-hook downrig with some bloodworms, cut bait, or shrimp!

Attached you'll find some info that covers OBX fly fishing pretty well and is an amalgamation of information I collected from various sources, such as OBX Fly Fishing , etc. There is now a dedicated fly shop in the OBX called Outer Banks on the Fly and is located in Manteo, just west of Nags Head.

I'll be down there later this month for some R & R and will be tossing some feathers and fur into the surf. I'm not expecting much, but you never know!

 

[JeremyW]

It can be done, but as mentioned, you'll have better success in the flats of the bays. In the surf you'll want to look for "sloughs" or areas where baitfish and other food can be corralled by fish looking to feed. Personally speaking, I caught a 12" or so flounder from the surf in the OBX a number or years back. You need a stripping basket and line that will get the fly down into the strike zone (intermediate, sinking, etc.). You can fly fish the surf in the OBX, but it's not a high numbers game. As mentioned, spin fishing is going to be your best bet. Hard to beat a two-hook downrig with some bloodworms, cut bait, or shrimp!

Attached you'll find some info that covers OBX fly fishing pretty well and is an amalgamation of information I collected from various sources, such as OBX Fly Fishing , etc. There is now a dedicated fly shop in the OBX called Outer Banks on the Fly and is located in Manteo, just west of Nags Head.

I'll be down there later this month for some R & R and will be tossing some feathers and fur into the surf. I'm not expecting much, but you never know!

yeah, I went by that store last year, OBX on the fly, pretty cool. I didn't have time to take a guided trip, however now I have a kayak I can bring for the sound, and hunt around the plants / veg of the bay...

 

[Old Town]

I always did well on the south side of Oregon inlet. I would walk out to the area that turned south on the jetty-break wall where there is a somewhat of a eposed sand bar at times. Fish close to the rocks. In other words fish as close as you can to where you are standing. I heavy clouser minnow driffed close to the bottom would catch some flounder and other species. Flounder grab the fly and just hold on to it so there is no real strike so to speak. Perhaps put a small sliver of squid on it to help understand the bite as this will keep them chewing a second or two longer. However having a bucker of mudminnows and a one ounce bank sinker works much beter. There is usually bait simming there so that is why the fish are there also.

 

[rancid waders]

You can fish both sides of Oregon inlet, if you can read the water. Walking to the sound side and fishing Clousers should you should find drum and speckled trout on a moving tide. Can't go wrong with chartreuse and white Clouser although black over red is a local favorite there . If all that fails get yourself a long spin setup and swing 1/2 oz jig heads with 4"mister twister tails in green or white color. Just like nymphing, bouncing bottom at the inlet drop offs.

 

[tomgamber]

Olive over orange. Tie them more sparsely than you would for fresh water.

 

[Striperbobby]

Wade the sound near oregan inlet fishing center. Stand waist deep and cast into boat channel with size 4 chartreuse over white clousers. I use floating or intermediate line with 6 weight rod. You will catch reds from 10 inches to 30 inches depending on the day, blues, trout of all sizes, flounder, croaker, lizard fish and maybe small striper and black drum.

 

[jifigz]

I fly fished the surf on Corolla more than a few times. Are you a strong caster? If so, it's great. Blues, mackerel, etc. Any streamer will work. I caught most fish on clousers. I used a 9 weight. It seriously isn't hard at all. Cast and strip.

Just watch out for beach walkers for your back cast.

 

[Striperbobby]

Wade the sound near oregan inlet fishing center. Stand waist deep and cast into boat channel with size 4 chartreuse over white clousers. I use floating or intermediate line with 6 weight rod. You will catch reds from 10 inches to 30 inches depending on the day, blues, trout of all sizes, flounder, croaker, lizard fish and maybe small striper and black drum.

 

[wgmiller]

Puppy drum!

 

[rancid waders]

Very nice drum !!!!

 

[discomidge]

I always did well on the south side of Oregon inlet. I would walk out to the area that turned south on the jetty-break wall where there is a somewhat of a eposed sand bar at times. Fish close to the rocks. In other words fish as close as you can to where you are standing. I heavy clouser minnow driffed close to the bottom would catch some flounder and other species. Flounder grab the fly and just hold on to it so there is no real strike so to speak. Perhaps put a small sliver of squid on it to help understand the bite as this will keep them chewing a second or two longer. However having a bucker of mudminnows and a one ounce bank sinker works much beter. There is usually bait simming there so that is why the fish are there also.

Just FYI, if you're on the south side of the bridge in the bay watch where you step. It goes from 3' to 30' instantaneously. People have died there. There's also good fish in there.

 

[wgmiller]

I always did well on the south side of Oregon inlet. I would walk out to the area that turned south on the jetty-break wall where there is a somewhat of a eposed sand bar at times. Fish close to the rocks. In other words fish as close as you can to where you are standing.

This is pretty much the area I fished last weekend, on the north side of the Basnight Bridge. I fished on an incoming tide and took a skunk, but that's saltwater fishing for ya when you wade. Either the fish are there or they aren't. Lots of see grass to remove from the fly led to some frustration, but it was still nice to be out. You can fish off the rocks, but have to think about landing the fish should you hook into something. The lower rocks are beyond slippery, so you really have to plan your move when fishing the rocks. I didn't make it out to the fishing pier (old RT 12) to see how others were doing.

 

[JeremyW]

I wanna try it kayaking...

OBX on the Fly | Outer Banks

Outer Banks Fly Fishing Shop...

obxonthefly.com

 

[JeremyW]

Just FYI, if you're on the south side of the bridge in the bay watch where you step. It goes from 3' to 30' instantaneously. People have died there. There's also good fish in there.

wear a PFD if wading... can swim, but maybe not a bad idea still...

 

[discomidge]

wear a PFD if wading... can swim, but maybe not a bad idea still...

Yeah that spot is wild, can't be too careful there. The currents are nuts as well. It's on the west side of the bridge just to be clear. I think that area/island is called Green Island. Another great spot to wade fish is called "the pond" on the north side of the bridge, between the fishing center and the inlet. I've caught tons of trout in there as well as some drum. Even just the little slough between the bridge and the island there is really good. No wading required. Sheepshead hang out on the pilings too....

 

[discomidge]

the pond: https://goo.gl/maps/XnZSyMyMstVRdKeeA

 

[discomidge]

the pond: https://goo.gl/maps/XnZSyMyMstVRdKeeA

aaand the deep green island hole: https://goo.gl/maps/J7XYTK3joFjUyCmr8

last fall I pulled some nice specks out of there.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

People have died there.

How? Can't you just swim back onto water that is shallow enough to stand in? Just curious how people are killed by this occurrence. Strong currents and/or undercurrents?