# Buxton Day 5



## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Since the bite had slowed, thought I'd give this a start and post the remainder tonight, unless there is good evening bite again. Not many folks on the beach for the morning bite though. 7 - Bluefish, 12" to 14", 1 - Pompano 6", 2 - Red Drum, 24" & 26" and I landed a Sting Ray!!! It was the cutest thing too, almost 9" across. Bite stopped after the sun came over the clouds so went for bait and to post these.

Hey... What happened to the first two paragraphs??? Damn modern technology. They were that upper 60's for wakup, finally CLOUDS over the shoals!! Wind out of the west, 10 mph. GREAT sunrise finally, this is the Buxton I remember and love. Overcast skies, so not the beating sun we have had. Folks on the beach in just shorts, me... long pants and a shirt. 11:57 am high tide, Low at 6:31 pm. Morning low was at 5:15 and first light is about 6:45 or so.

Nice morning bite. Enough to keep the few of us out there busy and happy. By the time the rest of the crowd hit the beach, it was over. I can't for the life of me understand why folks will not believe the fish are RIGHT in the wash, cast 10' from shore and you miss them. Cast to the outer bar, or as far as you can, and you catch big rays. I haven't really even been casting, I have been putting the rod tip down and flipping the rigs out to the zone. I have done some longer casts though, just to make sure. I have gotten bites and a mullet or two, but the main action is up tight.

Ham and beans for lunch!


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## bacpacker (Jul 15, 2011)

Can't eat fish all the time! 

Do you typically have as much luck close in? I've never been there with clear enough water to see in that well.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

I fish all zones. I'll have the artillery out and send it flying with a half pound and a hunk of meat (8nbait). I'll have a double bottom rig and fish the slough, close, middle, outside. Looking for where the fish are. Then I have a 6' or 7' pole with a Carolina rig, 1/2 to 1 ounce, with a strip of mullet or shrimp and I fish the wash. I spike the first two and wade the surf fishing under them. I have always done well in the wash, most little little stuff but keeps me happy. That is where I find most of the flounder.

This year is different, or was, we'll have to see what this change of weather brings. It has been so calm so far that it really is unusual for fall in Buxton. ALL the puppies I have caught have been right at the dropoff or within 5 feet of it. We are talking right up against the dropoff!

Usually they are somewhere in the middle, a double bottom rig case out. You have to cast around to find out how far out or where the holes are. So yes, it is unusual to find them all this close. But that is why I fish around to find where they are. Most of the folks are still casting as far as they can, and missing the action,... this year anyway. And mullet has been the ticket. Slim hits on bunker and too many pompano and little guys to keep shrimp on the hook. I did save a 16" blue from yesterday which will be bait today. The best (and cheapest) bait for bluefish is a piece of oily bluefish!!!


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

*Day 5 continued!*

Ok, where did I leave off... I'll start with the important stuff, fish count.

13 - Bluefish all around 14". Well, let me break it down as best as I can by my notepad...

We already posted the morning bite. Afternoon bit is:

3 small 6" Pompano and 3 toads, good size ones. 6 bluefish 14". Two black drum, 9" and 10" and two 26" Red Drum. I started putting times, one at 4:30 one at 6:00. The bluefish schooled right in the wash in front of the deck and were driving bait on the shore. No, not thousands but a few dozen "Greenies" were beached. Not silversides, Greenies, look like menhaden but no spot and green on their backs. After I caught some I spent the rest of the time just enjoying the show.

Did I mention that it was another beautiful day? The clouds FINALLY arrived over the shoals and actually reminds me of being in Buxton. Really nice sunset too.

Evening bite: 5 - trout 11" and 12", 2 - Black drum, 8" or so, A 6" sand perch!!! 3 - 11" mullet, 2 bluefish, 16" & 12" a 9" spot, and one fish head, looked like a 5" or 6" croaker. Stayed up until midnight fishing, not fast and furious but last day of great weather so I took advantage. The head was interesting. Bitten off in a "V" shape, about 70 degrees wide. Not a shark rounded bite, more like a snapping turtle. I tossed it down to a couple hard core young guys just north of the deck to check out while it was still gasping. They had no idea what it could be either, but... Just at the time It hit me, it hit their close line also. He had it hooked for a few seconds and said "it took off for Afghanistan". They were not keeping fish either so I saved the 16" blue and shared the stomach contents with them; silversides and a piece of something that looked like the fangs of a small trout. They weren't ribs, looked like a head.


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