Northern Beaches – August 6, 2015
Betty, of TW’s Tackle, reports that anglers are still primarily seeing panfish like spot, sea mullet, and croaker along with a few bluefish while surf fishing from the beaches at Nags Head and to the North. An occasional puppy drum has been mixed in.
Those fishing the little bridge on the Nags Head causeway are also hooking croaker along with a few trout.
Bottom fishermen around the inlet are hooking some bluefish, pigfish, and croaker.
Inshore boaters are hooking red drum from slot to well over-slot sizes around Oregon Inlet and in the sound. Both baits and lures like soft plastics, bucktails, and gold spoons will fool the reds.
Ribbonfish have been prevalent around Oregon inlet recently, and in and nearshore anglers have been catching big numbers.
Trolling Clarkspoons and other shiny offerings around the inlet and along the beaches is producing plenty of action with bluefish and spanish mackerel.
Some king mackerel have also been caught just off the beachfront recently.
Amberjacks are feeding at structure a bit further offshore and biting live and dead baits along with some artficials.
The offshore fleet has seen good dolphin and yellowfin tuna action recently, with limit catches of dolphin many days and some significant yellowfin hauls as well. A few wahoo are joining the other fish in boats’ boxes, and the billfish bite continues to be solid, with release flags for sailfish and blue and white marlin flying from many boats’ outriggers. Naked and skirted ballyhoo are fooling the majority of the pelagic predators.
Zachary Paulette, of Franklin, VA, with a 27 lb. cobia that bit a live spot while he was pin-rigging from the end of Jennette’s Pier.
Gabby, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that anglers are seeing the yellowfin tuna bite turn on a bit more in recent days, and dolphin fishing remains excellent (with many boats limiting out). Some blackfin tuna and wahoo have been mixed in with the dolphin and yellowfins.
There are still plenty of billfish feeding in the blue water offshore as well, and boats released blue and white marlin along with sailfish over the past week.
Closer to the beach, anglers are hooking ribbonfish and spanish mackerel while trolling flashy lures like Clarkspoons.
Red drum are feeding around the inlet and in the sound and falling for baits and lures.
Anglers fishing the inlet on the headboat are connecting with flounder, gray trout, sea mullet, spot, bluefish, croaker, and more.
Grover Sheldon with a 30″ red drum he caught and released while fishing for pompano and sea mullet. Photo courtesy of TW’s Tackle.
Dave, of Skiligal Sportfishing, reports that anglers continue to hook big numbers of dolphin off Oregon Inlet (with many gaffers and fish to nearly 40 lbs. last week) along with a few wahoo.
Plenty of billfish are still in the mix as well, with anglers encountering sailfish and blue and white marlin alongside the meatfish many days. The billfish and meatfish are both taking an interest in ballyhoo rigged either naked or under skirted lures like sea witches.
The boat also had a successful swordfish trip last week, with one broadbill boated and a release out of three bites.
Mike, of Jennette’s Pier, reports that anglers bottom fishing are hooking spot, pigfish, croaker, sea mullet, and other panfish while bottom fishing with shrimp, squid, and other baits.
Some bluefish are falling for bottom rigs and casting lures, angler a caster also released a large false albacore last week.
A 67 lb. cobia fell for a live bait off the end of the pier over the weekend.
The water is 68 degrees.
