TScott and I took a fall fishing trip about 3 years ago in October and had a blast. We know very little about surf fishing, but we caught fish everyday there. Just wanted to see if any board member has experience surf fishing in Hatteras and willing to share any tips. We used chunk mullet and fresh finger mullet fished in fish finder rigs. We caught small bluefish and a couple of hookups with very large somethings that we never saw but managed to burn up a reel fool of line. Figured it was probably a skate given the fight.

Dale,
I am by no means an expert, but have fished at least once a year for the last dozen or so years down at Hatteras and Oregon Inlet...and on occasion over at Ocracoke. Most of my trips have been in the fall, and we usually try to fish the weekend of thanksgiving. Couple of friends spend a lot of time in Nov-Dec down in the area each year, targeting drum and stripers, as well as anything else that bites. Most of the fishing is done with cut bait (fresh!!) and finger mullet as you stated, also use live eels when targeting stripers. If a Bluefish or striper blitz occurs, everyone throws "metal" as it seems to be a little more efficient. Year in year out, day in day out, the point at Buxton produces more consistent fishing than anywhere else that I know of...although it can be crowded at times. Second would be Oregon Inlet for stripers in Dec. (If you want some fun action, there are normally a lot of LARGE King Mackerel just offshore at Hatteras in late Nov /early Dec, a day trip out for King fishing can be spectacular if the weather is nice, also boat trips out of Oregon inlet for stripers in December are usually a great bet). For up to date information on what is being caught, and where, you may want to check the following websites;

http://www.reddrumtackle.com
http://www.hatteras-island.com
http://www.hatterasharbor.com
http://www.fishtradewinds.com
http://www.obxfishing.com
http://www.hatterasoutfitters.com

Earl, thanks for the insight. Been to the Point plenty of times. Don't like fighting the crowds, but surely understand it's draw. One of our large hookups came just south of the Point in the hook. We did well on the north side of the point one evening catching small blues on about every cast. We also spent some time at the very end of the island (False Point, or False Cape I think) and had another large hookup. Always wanted to fish on Okracoke but haven't to date. Where did you guys stay while in Hatteras? We stayed at the Falcon Motel. Spartan, but clean and economical. Had trouble finding fresh bunker but Scott managed to catch us a cooler load of fresh finger mullet with the cast net one evening on the False Point. Also used some smaller bluefish as cut bait. Both of our big hitters came off a bluefish head!

Dale we have stayed in rented houses numerous times (the friends I spoke of usually rent one for the months of nov/dec) and also at a little brick motel directly behind the Red Drum tackle shop, name slips my mind. We have caught fish up and down the beach and in the areas you speak of..just have to be were they are at at the time. We have also fished at the south end of the island several times, Hatteras inlet, but run into grass there many times which brings about the joke of fishing for cows. No telling what you guys had a hold of, lots of fish down there that can make a drag scream.