Northern Beaches June 9, 2011
Capt. Bull Tolson, mate DJ Dejarnette, and the crew of the "Sea Toy"--Yuri Freudenschiuss, Kevin Paley, Joe McKinnon, and Tom and Kyle Kramer--with the 211.5 lb. bigeye tuna that anchored their winning points total in the 6th annual Pirate's Cove Tuna Roundup and earned them nearly $24,000.
Kyle, of TW’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are connecting with bluefish and spanish mackerel from the northern piers while working Gotcha plugs and other metal lures. They’re falling for some of the same lures from the Bonner Bridge catwalk.
Anglers on the piers are also seeing some cobia and landing a few on live baits pinned to king rigs.
A few cobia are still showing up outside Oregon Inlet, but the run has slowed down some. Sight-casting bucktails and soft plastic trailers to the fish is the way to go when anglers spot them from the boats.
Anglers dangling sand fleas from the catwalk are hooking up with some sheepshead.
Flounder and speckled trout are on the feed in the sound, and anglers have hooked a few on soft plastics and live baits from Oregon Inlet on up to Kitty Hawk.
Offshore, the fishing has been a bit hit-or-miss recently, but boats are still putting together some solid dolphin catches and releasing a handful of blue marlin and other billfish.
Keith, of Corolla Bait and Tackle, reports that spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding in and just outside Oregon Inlet, and anglers can hook them while trolling small spoons or working Kastmasters and other small, shiny metal lures.
Drifting through the channels in the sound has been producing some keeper flounder lately, mostly near Oregon Inlet.
Surf anglers from Corolla to Nags Head are connecting with some sea mullet, croaker, spot, and bluefish on bottom rigs baited with shrimp and bloodworms.
A few cobia are still around Oregon Inlet, but the majority have headed north it appears.
Amberjacks have shown up on the wrecks offshore of the inlet, where they’ll take an interest in live baits.
Offshore, the bigeye tuna are starting to make an appearance for the local fleet, and there have been reasonably good numbers of blue marlin released lately. Dolphin and a few yellowfin tuna are rounding out the blue water catch, and the action’s been best around the Point and just to the north lately.
Alex Pink with a citation-class red drum he hooked on a bucktail jig off Oregon Inlet and released after the photo.
Korin, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that boats are still putting together good catches of yellowfin tuna while trolling ballyhoo in the blue water. Decent numbers of bigeye tuna (to nearly 200 lbs.) are showing up as well.
The gaffer dolphin fishing also continues to be solid for boats targeting the green and gold fish.
Billfish are also making a good showing, with boats releasing good numbers of white and blue marlin and a few sailfish last week.
Closer to the beach, bottom fishermen have had excellent catches of triggerfish.
Spanish mackerel are feeding along the beaches and in the inlet, and small spoons will get their attention.
Flounder fishing has been solid in the inlet and the sound.
Dave, of Skiligal Sportfishing, reports that dolphin are taking up the majority of the room in the fish box lately. Most are coming while trolling ballyhoo along grass lines and rips.
Some king mackerel and amberjacks have been mixed in.
Yellowfin tuna fishing is still decent when boats are targeting them, and there have been good numbers of blue and white marlin seen and hooked by the fleet over the past week.
Ashley, of Jennette’s Pier, reports that anglers are hooking some bluefish and spanish mackerel while working Gotcha plugs from the pier.
Some spot are falling for baited bottom rigs.
Some cobia have been seen around the pier in the past week, and anglers landed a 48 pounder on a live bait.
