Added on Thursday, June 7, 2018  Fish Post

Northern Beaches – June 7, 2018

Betty, of TW’s Bait and Tackle, reports that surf anglers are finding good numbers of sea mullet and spot while using shrimp, bloodworms, and sand fleas.

Better numbers of pompano are being seen on the southern Hatteras beaches, and many of these reported are the larger (2-3 lbs.) specimens.

Puppy drum have been biting well down south for anglers fishing cut bait on a Carolina rig.

Over-slot red drum have been running the surf around ramp 43. Fresh cut mullet has produced the most bites.

A couple of large bluefish (up to 8 lbs.) have also hit cut baits around ramp 43.

Many of the piers are seeing cobia in their daily counts, with some of the larger fish coming from Avon. The northern piers are seeing better numbers daily, though, and a small fish was landed from the Kitty Hawk surf. Carolina-rigged cut bait works well for the surf anglers, while the pier fishermen are sight-casting bucktails.

Spanish mackerel and bluefish are running the beaches following the schools of glass minnows. Casting Gotcha plugs and small metal jigs to feeding schools has been producing good numbers of fish.

Cobia have been the main target for nearshore anglers, with fish to 60 lbs. on schools of bait being reported almost daily.

Trolling anglers have found limits of spanish mackerel, bluefish, and a few false albacore.

Anglers fishing the little bridge in Manteo are reporting striped bass, speckled trout, black drum, and spot. Most fish are being caught on bottom rigs with shrimp, with a few falling for soft plastics.

Large sheepshead are coming in from around the pilings on the Bonner Bridge. Anglers are having good luck with smaller Carolina rigs baited with fiddler crabs and sand fleas.

Offshore boats have continued to report huge numbers of mahi. Schools of huge yellowfin tuna (to 102 lbs.) are being reported by anglers dragging skirted ballyhoo and Pirate Plugs, and a few bigeye tuna have been mixed in with the yellowfins.

A couple of wahoo are coming back to the docks with the other pelagics, and billfishing continues to ramp up with both blue and white marlin releases being reported.

Bottom fishing has been great, too, with catches of triggerfish and large grouper (to 52 lbs.).

 

Barry, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that boats are coming back to the dock with huge yellowfin tuna weighing up to 97 lbs. Trolling ballyhoo has been working the best, and bigeye tuna are mixed in.

Blue and white marlin are tearing through boats’ spreads and the trolled ballyhoo.

Mahi fishing has still been very good, with a strong number of gaffer fish in the count.

Nearshore anglers have been working the cobia bite hard. Cobia love hanging around the schools of rays off the beach, and larger bucktails are the go to lures in these situations.

While sight fishing, some boats are finding roaming schools of citation red drum that will also hit the bucktails.

Trolling Clarkspoons behind a planer is producing great numbers of spanish, bluefish, and a couple bonita.

Inshore anglers have been focusing on the sheepshead bite in the area. The Bonner Bridge is a popular spot, but most structure in the sound will hold fish. Small Carolina-rigged sand fleas have been working great.

The head boat anglers are reporting flounder, spot, pinfish, and good-sized sea mullet.

Aaron, of Carolina Sunrise, reports that sight fishing is awesome south of the inlet. Searching the water’s surface for bait balls and cruising fish and then throwing Meat Hog bucktails is the best tactic.

There are a few schools of “old” red drum that have also been working bait balls in the area.

Trolling the beaches has produced good numbers of the spanish that are hanging around.

 

Nikki, of Pirate’s Cove Marina, reports that large yellowfin tuna (to 90 lbs.) have been biting skirted ballyhoo along the temperature breaks offshore.

Mahi fishing has been good, with some gaffers and bailers coming off weed lines.

Boats stopping to bottom fish are finding good-sized tilefish feeding on cut bait.

Cobia fishing has been excellent this week. Boats are sight casting and seeing 10+ fish in a day. Nearshore anglers choosing to troll are finding spanish and bluefish.

 

Steve, of Jennette’s Pier, reports that sheepshead fishing has fired off at the pier, with anglers dropping sand fleas or mussels down the pilings having the most success.

Double loop bottom rigs with shrimp have accounted for a bunch of sea mullet and pinfish that are aggressively feeding.

Some legal flounder are showing in better numbers, and anglers working baits closer to shore have seen the most action.

Cobia are in the area, and anglers on the end of the pier have caught a few by sight casting bucktails.

 

Andy, of Nags Head Pier, reports that the sea mullet bite has been great for anglers bottom fishing with both shrimp and bloodworms.

Bluefish are being caught on Gotcha plugs near the end of the pier.

A few flounder are being caught on bottom rigs with fresh shrimp.

 

John, of Bob’s Bait and Tackle, reports that large numbers of sea mullet have been feeding very well in the surf. Fishing with bloodworms has worked best.

A few puppy drum (to 27”) are being caught by anglers using cut mullet on Carolina rigs. Finding a nice deep slough on the beach has helped create success.

Black drum in the surf are taking the same cut baits and shrimp, and flounder have been showing in greater numbers in the last week.

Bluefish are running throughout the surf as well. Casting metal spoons to the visibly feeding schools has been working great.

Some large red drum are being caught on the edges of shoals in the sound. Large Carolina-rigged cut bait is the best tactic.

 

Keith, of Corolla Bait and Tackle, reports that surf fishing the northern beaches is producing good-sized sea mullet and croakers on bloodworms.

Schools of bluefish are working the surface, and casting metal jigs has worked best.

Slot-sized red drum are holding in the sloughs on the beach, and they are biting well for anglers fishing cut mullet on Carolina rigs.