Here’s The Short Version
We are planning a three- or four-night trip to Cape Lookout for surf fishing starting the Sunday after the Tennessee-Alabama game. We would be getting a National Park Service Cabin and splitting it between the group. We don’t know how large a group yet – we are going to try for the largest cabin we can get and work from there. Cabin reservations are available January 10th for the 2011 season.
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| Cape Lookout Highway |
Below is a ton of information, verbal vomit really. My two ideas in typing all this out at this time was 1) to get as much down as I can remember based on what we learned from our 2010 trip and 2) to try and preemptively answer as many questions as I can, especially as it pertains to logistics, trip cost and gear investment. I’ve tried to think of things from the standpoint of a saltwater rookie, and in places I’ve probably gone into much greater detail than necessary. That said, I am sure there are things I’ve not yet considered, so if you need to know something, by all means, ask.
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| Sunset. Note the Directv dish on the RV, where Andrew caught the tail end if the Ole Miss game. |
At this point -- November 2010 -- we do not need a definite yes/no. Depending on the size of the cabin, and thus the number of slots available, a commitment deadline may be as early as July 4th but certainly no later than September 1st. At this point all we need is a “I’m interested, and I’ve tentatively blocked off some time on the company vacation calendar” or “Absolutely not, telling fish stories and drinking frosty cool beverages with a bunch of laid back guys in one of the prettiest spots on earth has no appeal for me.”
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| View of the Cabins from the Ferry |
| Tide Chart Core Banks South at | |||||||||
| Date | Day | Zone | High | Low | High | Low | High | | Sunset |
| | Sat | EDT | | | | | | | |
| | Sun | EDT | | | | | | | |
| | Mon | EDT | | | | | | | |
| | Tue | EDT | | | | | | | |
| | Wed | EDT | | | | | | | |
| | Thu | EDT | | | | | | | |
| | Fri | EDT | | | | | | | |
| | Sat | EDT | | | | | | | |
Here’s the general idea as it stands now:
· Target Dates:
o Option A: On: Sunday, October 23rd, Off: Wednesday, October 26th
o Option B: On: Wednesday, October 26th, Off: Sunday, October 30th
o Option C: Some variation thereof, possibly Saturday October 22nd – Wednesday October 26th
· Logic for the dates
o The later in October the better the chance for cooler weather. The drum follow the cold/wet weather the same as the ducks.
o Saturday the 22nd is the Tennessee-Alabama game
o The DIFF club holds an annual fishing tournament the second weekend of October (we want to avoid this)
o The tides are working in our favor, with a low tide in the early afternoon.
o Bonus: Wednesday the 26th is the new moon – highest tides + least light = (hopefully) bigger drum
o As you would expect, Monday/Tuesday is generally quieter and the locals are friendlier, with traffic and friendliness moving in the opposite directions as the week progresses. Friday/Saturday can have the feel of combat fishing, especially down at the south point. That said, the definition of a “crowd” is relative.
· The Park Service maintains 26 glorified shelters called “cabins” that are designated to sleep either 4, 6, 8 or 12 people.
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| One of the 6-person NPS cabins, with long-term parking behind. |
o The nightly cost ranges from $73/night for a 4 to $168/night for a 12. With 8 guys in a 12 that comes to all of $21/night (before tax).
o I’ve been told by many people that the real capacity of the cabins (except for the handicapped cabin, #2, a 6, which is a cut down 8) is 2 less than the designated number. Think Camp Ocoee
o The cabins are wired for electricity but you bring your own generator plus any appliances (lamp, coffee maker, TV, alarm clocks, etc)
· Cabin reservations for 2011 are not available until January 10, 2011 .
o Tom and I are gong to start calling first thing in the morning that day.
o The first one through is going to get the largest cabin available for the full week (Check-in on Saturday the 22nd, Checkout on Sunday the 29th)
o This size of the cabin will determine the number of slots available. We will give back the nights we ultimately don’t need (they will get used).
· Once we get cabin reservations we will immediately need to get at least two ferry reservations.
o Sunday is the hardest day to get a ferry reservation, either getting on or getting off.
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| Sunset on Davis Island |
Logistics
· Davis , NC
o Davis Winston-Salem
o Get a map and look for the eastern terminus of US Hwy 70. Davis is about 10 miles short of that spot.
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| View of Davis, NC from the Ferry. |
· This last year we had 2:00 PM ferry reservations. That’s cutting it kind of close.
o 4.30 PM on Saturday or 8.00 AM Sunday (with Saturday night in the hotel in Havelock
· Out of state plates have several options:
o Caravan the 12 hours from Chattanooga Davis
o Flying in to Raleigh-Durham and drive 4 hours to Davis Kinston
o Flying in to Jacksonville , NC Camp Lejeune Davis
· Partial trips
o The NPS cabins are located at the ferry landing. If there is a need/desire for a partial trip, this is very easily done.
o Late arrival: Park the car at the ferry landing, call us during the ferry ride across (usually, no reservation needed during the week), get in the truck and go fish.
o Early Departure: Ride the ferry across, get in the rental car and go catch the plane.
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| Sunset over Core Sound |
Gear, or, What’s the Investment?
· The gear investment is not as heavy as you may think You do not need 12’ and 14’ surf casting rods (though they are nice!) At a minimum, you need three rods, but I would recommend at least 4:
· Two distance rods
o In a perfect world with unlimited budgets you would go out and buy two 12’ spinning rods and multiple ball bearing stainless steel spinning reels each with 350+ yards of 20 lb braid. You will see folks out there like that, usually with the cherry red F-250 that still has 35# psi. For those of us in the real world, two mid-level 8- or 10-foot spinning combos from Neuse or Bass Pro or will work fine.
o The important think here is the reel, not the rod. You want one with at least one ball bearing, with a large capacity spool and an adjustable drag – a drag you can get on and off in a hurry. You don’t want that 15 lb. drum to drag your rod out of the sand spike and into the sea, but at the same time you still want to be able to reel him. It is generally best to get the one labeled saltwater (anything this big usually is anyway) but not required – we’re going to give everything a good rinse with fresh water before bed anyway.
o Braided line, while nice, is not a requirement. Put on a spool of new 20# high visibility mono, preferably during the pit stop at Neuse Sport Shop in Kinston on the way down (Braid = $0.11/yard, Mono = $0.03/yard). Heck, you can buy the whole rig right there (with line) for $50 - $75 per rig.
o The basic rig is to tie on a 3-way swivel, with a 10” wire leader and a 1/0 circle hook attached to one swivel and a 3- or 4-oz pyramid some 18”-36” down the line on the other. Some people double up with two hooks, but usually that just leads to a mess. The bait is cut up pieces of whiting, sea mullet, whole shrimp and/or sand fleas – anything that the red drum, black drum, puppy drum, bluefish or big sea mullet will bite.
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| Setting Out the Big Stuff |
o One rod and you won’t catch that much, so two rods is better. Three rods is getting towards work if you’re alone and four is too many.
· One flounder rig
o OK, this is the rod and reel to splurge on – if you consider $75 - $100 a splurge. Go to the shop, look at the combos, and get graphite and aluminum one that is aimed at the inshore fisherman.
o While always a matter of personal choice, the ideal combo is a medium to fast action, 8’, with a high capacity stainless or aluminum spool and multiple ball bearings. The metal spool is important – you’re going to stand in the surf and cast and there is a good chance you will get dunked by a wave and drop the damn thing into the sandy water, probably at the exact moment the flounder finally takes the bait, and that sand will destroy the plastic gears and spool of an el cheapo outfit by the time that flounder has spit your minnow. As for line, I have 15# braid on mine, but Andrew (as always) outfished me with mono and persistence.
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| Flounder Surf at the South End |
o As for the rig, my recommendation is to buy the ready-made flounder rigs from Sea Striker, the ones that already have the lead weight. Bucktail, plastic squid, or plain –a couple each. Bait is live mullet and mud minnows retrieved early that morning from the tidal pools at the south end.
· One (maybe two) pompano/toad/bait rigs
o Basically, you want a slightly lighter (and cheaper) version of your flounder rod. Again, 15# test, but mono works fine. Most of the old Carolina
o In truth, you can get away with the standard bass rod here. However, there is a danger here – you could be the one who hooks that random 10# drum in the suds that (at best) spools you or (worse) causes your drag to explode.
o The rig is the standard pier or gulf multi-hook rig with two #2 extra-long shank snelled freshwater hooks (eagle claw sells them though wal-mart) and a 2-oz egg or pear shaped sinker at the bottom. The bait is thumbnail size pieces of shrimp.
o You’ll catch all sorts of ugly stuff on this rig – flounder, fluke, pompano, toads, puffers, whiting, sea mullet and small blues, plus perhaps the occasional red drum.
· Optional: A fly rod
o 10’weight, minimum
o Heavy grain sinking line, 400 grain is best
o High capacity spool with as much 20# backing as you can get on it (min. 150 yards)
o No special leaders – 6’ to 10’ of 20# level mono works fine
o Flies – clausers, anchovies, glass minnows, red and white poppers
o NO steel leaders (they can see it)
· Rig Hardware
o Tippet/Leader – a spool of 20# wire and a spool of 20# mono
o Hardware – Lots of 3-way swivels and 2-way clasps
o Weight – A good selection of 2 oz. egg sinkers and 3- and 4-oz pyramids, plus a couple of 5- and 6-oz bombs for the really long cast at high tide
o Hooks
§ A good selection of circle hooks, in each size from 4 through to 3/0, heavy on the 1/0, plus one bag of 5/0
§ Freshwater snells, extra-long shank, size 2, at least two bags
§ 4 or 5 Flounder rigs
o A word on ready made rigs – except for the flounder rigs, there is really no need to spend the extra dollars.
o As for a tackle boxes – go small and cheap. Get the little plastic guy from Wal-Mart, the one that opens and has a shelf or two, and spray paint the lid your favorite color so we can tell it apart from all the others. Nylon and double sided are both bad as the sand gets in everything.
· Misc. Gear
o A pair of saltwater fishing pliers in a holster with wire cutters (My last trip I ruined two good pairs of stainless steel needlenose pliers. Don’t)
o A cheap filet knife in a plastic holster. A couple of nice to haves here: a metal fish scaler and a pair of el cheapo kitchen shears.
o Rubber coated work gloves from the hardware store (the mesh glove where the palm has been dipped in rubber). Nice to have when cutting up bait, plus after a few days of heaving casting the pointy part of your index finger gets kind of raw.
o One sand spike per rod, plus one extra to replace the one that invariably gets broke.
o Muck boots (Tractor Supply, $20), Raincoat, Rain pants
o Boot-foot chest waders – OK, not required, will make life much easier if it’s cold, it rains a bunch and/or you need to catch bait
o A medium sized cooler that you don’t mind putting fish, beer, and/or bait in
o Shop towels – a bag of cheap ones from Auto Zone, plus one of those hooks that you use to attach a golf towel to a golf bag.
o Bug repellent - you may need to use constantly, or you may need to use not at all, just depends on the wind direction. Keep in mind the bugs get worse the farther you are from the surf, and that the cabins are a long way from the surf.
o Suncreen – lots. SPF 45 for your face, SPF 30 for the rest of you. Expect to go through about a ½ a bottle a day. Really.
· Group Gear (If you have, bring, but do not go buy special)
o 4 lb hammer
o fish hook remover
o White plastic cutting board
o Casting nets & minnow traps
o Lots of 5 gallon buckets with lids
o Minnow bucket bubblers
o Sand flea strainer
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| Success! |
· Cape Lookout in late October – it will probably be hot, it might be cold, and chances are it will be both if you stay more than 2 or 3 days.
· You will need clothes for the full selection of seasons - Hat, stocking cap, polarized glasses, sweatshirt, long sleeve shirts, shorts, t-shirts, jeans, wool socks. As for shoes, you’re going to be constantly switching between waders, muck boots, and bare feet. Leave the sandals, tennis shoes and flip flops at home.
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| Cape Lookout Lighthouse. (This was as close as we got - we were there for the fishing!) |
· Food
o Food and Beverage will be a group deal, mostly from the kitty.
§ We’ll take a $40 per person contribution and start from there. Special requests will generally be honored.
o Basic Menu
§ Breakfast – Eggs and sausage sandwiches, coffee, OJ
§ Lunch – Make your own sandwiches from the cooler
§ Snacks – Nabs, Fruit, Granola Bars
§ Dinner – ENC BBQ, chili and gumbo (prepared in advance and brought to the island frozen) and fresh fish
o Beverages
§ There is water on the island, but even the dogs don’t like it. We’ll have at least one gallon per person per day.
§ Gatorade, Cokes, etc – We’ll have some, not a lot
§ There will be a cooler full of any and every kind of cheap canned beer we can find. We do requests, but we don’t do $8 six packs.
o BYO (Bring Your Own)
§ Extra Snacks, Extra Gatorade
§ Brown water and import beer (no bottles)
· Camp gear
o Community
§ Coleman lanterns, extra coleman stove
§ Frying pans, dutch oven, etc
§ Table top, sawhorses for legs
§ Coffee pot, weather radio, TV
§ Firewood
o BYO
§ Sleeping bag, towel, earplugs
A Word on Sand Spikes
· Sand spikes cost $6 to $8 or more. Given that they are nothing more than PVC and a single bolt that seems a bit steep. Here’s a quick way to make your own.
· Materials:
o Two 10’ sections of 1.5” or 2” white PVC pipe
o Cooking oil
o One small sauce pan
o One leftover wine bottle
o Paper towels, dish soap
· Directions (Do this in assembly line fashion)
o Cut the PVC into three equal sections. (Length is personal preference, but 2’ is too short and anything above 4’ gets in the way.)
o Sand off any residual PVC burrs (they will melt in the pan, and the missus can get peeved about that).
o Pour about 2.5” of oil into the pan, let it get really, really hot.
o While you’re waiting, set up the wine bottle on some paper towels next to the stove.
o Once the oil is hot, hold 1.5” of the PVC in the oil long enough to get heated (do not let the PVC actually touch the bottom of the pan).
o Once the PVC is heated, press it firmly onto the wine bottle. When the oil is truly hot the PVC will open from gravity alone. Hold the PVC on the bottle and it will set to the opened shape in about 15 seconds.
o Cool the PVC in the sink, then clean off any residual oil with dish soap.
o On the opposite end, cut as sharp an angle as you can, at least 45 degrees and preferably 60.
o If you’re feeling really ambitious, put a bolt through 12” – 18” below the flared lip. (Keep in mind this is really not necessary.)
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