Fishing in December? | OBX Connection Message Board

OBX Connection Home > OBX Connection Forum > Fishing in December?

Fishing in December?

Fishing in December?
By: HokieKev 12/26/2018	Posted By: HokieKev - (Send PM) Member Since: 2/16/2016 Location: Kill Devil Hills, NC Total Posts: 149 Experience: Date Posted: 12/26/2018 5:11 PM
I walked down to Avalon Pier today and saw there were a few people fishing. Is it actually possible to catch anything at the end of December?

OBX Connection Sponsored Links

RE: Fishing in December?
By: mdabul 12/26/2018	Posted By: mdabul - (Send PM) Member Since: 9/29/2008 Location: Total Posts: 801 Experience: Date Posted: 12/26/2018 6:42 PM
Yep... it's mostly about water temp's this time of year.... right now water temp's is in the mid-high 40's in NH... that's warm enough to catch something (i.e. puppy drum. dogfish shark, skate, etc.) With a good east wind blowing, the sloughs will often have water 5-10 degrees warmer in them depending on the tide shift. A few years back we were catching puppy drum in the sloughs around OI well into February.

RE: Fishing in December?
By: Pickle 12/27/2018	Posted By: Pickle - (Send PM) Member Since: 9/3/2009 Location: Kitty Hawk Total Posts: 3439 Experience: Date Posted: 12/27/2018 7:38 AM
The simple answer is yes. From Corolla through upper Hatteras Island, Dogfish and Skates will be available on Piers (Jeanette's might be the only one open) and in lesser quantities in the Surf. Other species, mostly Blowfish (aka Puffers and Blowtoads) and Puppy Drum may be available in certain areas. Several places around (inside) Oregon Inlet may produce. There can be some small Stripers around the Mann's Harbor Bridges (Boat Fishing) and in Wanchese Harbor (if the temps don't get down too low). Your best bet would be Ocracoke, where the waters can be 10 degrees warmer than Northern places.

RE: Fishing in December?
By: Blue Fish 12/28/2018	Posted By: Blue Fish - (Send PM) Member Since: 1/3/2012 Location: Martinsville, VA Total Posts: 1699 Experience: Date Posted: 12/28/2018 9:03 PM
Offshore - tuna Inshore/Nearshore - rockfish Pier (Jeanette's) - rockfish, bluefish Surf (water temp above 50) - speckled trout, puppy drum, and sea mullet Surf (water temp below 50) - bluefish, rockfish Click to follow link...

RE: Fishing in December?
By: Pickle 12/29/2018	Posted By: Pickle - (Send PM) Member Since: 9/3/2009 Location: Kitty Hawk Total Posts: 3439 Experience: Date Posted: 12/29/2018 9:27 AM
Rockfish in Surf or Piers? Apparently somebody is living in the past. Hasn't been Stripers in years and years. I'll take bets on that. Also Bluefish above Hatteras very, very questionable. Sorry to burst the Bubble

RE: Fishing in December?
By: prezlee 12/29/2018	Posted By: prezlee - (Send PM) Member Since: 4/12/2011 Location: Avon Total Posts: 381 Experience: Date Posted: 12/29/2018 10:16 AM
Dogfish A to Z. www.youtube.com/watch?v=T...

RE: Fishing in December?
By: Blue Fish 12/29/2018	Posted By: Blue Fish - (Send PM) Member Since: 1/3/2012 Location: Martinsville, VA Total Posts: 1699 Experience: Date Posted: 12/29/2018 10:50 AM
Rockfish in Surf or Piers? Apparently somebody is living in the past. Hasn't been Stripers in years and years. I'll take bets on that. Also Bluefish above Hatteras very, very questionable. Sorry to burst the Bubble Pickle The link I referenced shows the article was written by Mattie Dalia for the North Beach Sun on January 29, 2013. Mattie Dalia has fished the coastal waters his entire life and made a lifelong dream come true by moving to the Outer Banks in 2006. You can usually find him in the evenings on Nags Head Fishing Pier, pursuing his favorite fish, el Spanish mackerel.

RE: Fishing in December?
By: mdabul 12/30/2018	Posted By: mdabul - (Send PM) Member Since: 9/29/2008 Location: Total Posts: 801 Experience: Date Posted: 12/30/2018 7:13 AM
well anything is possible in the ocean... you just have to hit the right conditions and location... you are guaranteed to catching nothing if your line isn't out

RE: Fishing in December?
By: Alexy 12/30/2018	Posted By: Alexy - (Send PM) Member Since: 7/10/2008 Location: Warrenton VA and Frisco NC Total Posts: 8615 Experience: Date Posted: 12/30/2018 10:16 AM
Rockfish follow the menhaden. The menhaden have ( and continue) to get obliterated by fishing operations like Omega Protein so the rockfish stay in the deeper water....I WISH they would hit surf areas but I have not seen anything consistent on shore rockfishing in NC for over 15 years.

RE: Fishing in December?
By: Pickle 12/30/2018	Posted By: Pickle - (Send PM) Member Since: 9/3/2009 Location: Kitty Hawk Total Posts: 3439 Experience: Date Posted: 12/30/2018 11:08 AM
I just thought I would vent a bit. There are very few "Fishing Articles" that are realistic. You can not believe the questions I get from people who read way too much. Writers have to make things interesting to sell. We are Wreck Fishing Specialists. If you read articles on Bottom Rigs you will go to the poor house buying special hooks, swivels, leader material etc. One hang up and you lost money. "Jewelry" doesn't cut it I use the KISS method. Keep It Simple Stupid. Two exotic swivels, Two different test leader material and $2 hooks are a joke. It goes on and on. Okay just venting.

RE: Fishing in December?
By: Blue Fish 12/31/2018	Posted By: Blue Fish - (Send PM) Member Since: 1/3/2012 Location: Martinsville, VA Total Posts: 1699 Experience: Date Posted: 12/31/2018 7:54 AM
No worries, Pickle. Having read your posts here for a very long time I trust your advice on the water. Certainly way before I would an article from someone I'm unfamiliar with. I just wanted to point out where the information was coming from. Lord knows I would have no clue! lol

RE: Fishing in December?
By: Blue Fish 1/1/2019	Posted By: Blue Fish - (Send PM) Member Since: 1/3/2012 Location: Martinsville, VA Total Posts: 1699 Experience: Date Posted: 1/1/2019 8:59 AM
No boats out this morning, but yesterday there were 3 parked out front of our place doing the nearshore thing. Caught up with this fella doing some surf fishing. He says the puppies are biting. Didn't take much coaxing to get him to pose with this one.

RE: Fishing in December?
By: Alexy 1/1/2019	Posted By: Alexy - (Send PM) Member Since: 7/10/2008 Location: Warrenton VA and Frisco NC Total Posts: 8615 Experience: Date Posted: 1/1/2019 11:54 PM
blow toads were all over in the AM on the beach at 49 today. Fine eating fish.

OBX Connection Sponsored Links