Northern Beaches – August 29, 2019
Betty, of TW’s Bait and Tackle, reports that bluefish and spanish mackerel are being caught with glass minnow jigs from Nags Head up to Corolla, with the morning hours being best.
Some over-slot red drum have been hitting Carolina-rigged cut baits in the Nags Head area (closer to the inlet).
Bottom fishing with shrimp, sand fleas, or Fishbites strips has been producing good numbers of spot, sea mullet, and a couple of short flounder.
Nearshore anglers are having success trolling and casting spoons for ribbonfish, false albacore, spanish mackerel, and bluefish.
Inshore anglers are seeing a strong speckled trout bite while using popping cork setups fished around grass banks and oyster beds.
Red drum are mixed in with the trout, but the reds are preferring Carolina-rigged baits.
Bluefish are in deeper channels inshore, and they’re hitting just about any bait put in front of them
Stacey Roper, of Raleigh, NC, with a striped bass that fell for a cut piece of false albacore while fishing a dock in Wanchese, NC.
Bridgette, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that offshore anglers are seeing a great mix of yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna, mahi, wahoo, and false albacore while trolling skirted baits.
A few white marlin, sailfish, and a citation blue marlin have been mixed in.
Bottom fishing has been producing large grouper, triggerfish, and tilefish.
Nearshore anglers are catching great numbers of ribbonfish and limits of spanish mackerel while trolling.
Citation-sized red drum are being spotted off the beaches for anglers sight-casting with bucktails.
Inshore anglers have been catching solid numbers of speckled trout (with bluefish mixed in) in the deeper holes throughout the sound.
Aaron, of Carolina Sunrise Charters, reports that speckled trout fishing has been great in the sound. Anglers are locating small groups of fish holding over oyster beds and along deep grass banks. Soft plastics under a popping cork are a great setup when searching for the fish, with live baits and topwater plugs all producing bites as well.
Red drum are pushed up onto the flats, and they’re hitting Carolina-rigged live baits.
A few flounder are also being caught with live baits fished on the bottom. Targeting deeper channels and ledges from the inlet up towards Nags Head has been the most successful.
Fishing fiddler crabs and sand fleas along bridge pilings has been catching large sheepshead.
Gerry, of Fishing Unlimited, reports that a few speckled trout are being caught with soft plastics in the early morning hours.
Bottom fishing anglers have been landing croakers, pinfish, and the occasional black drum.
A few smaller flounder are hitting Carolina-rigged live baits.
Laurie, of Pirate’s Cove Marina, reports that nearshore trolling trips have been finding tons of ribbonfish alongside scattered spanish mackerel and bluefish.
A few citation red drum have been caught by anglers sight-casting bucktails.
Trips targeting the inlet are hooking red drum, speckled trout, and striped bass.
Offshore anglers have been landing blackfin tuna, mahi, and a couple yellowfin tuna while trolling skirted ballyhoo.
Large wahoo (up to 65 lbs.) are mixed in, and anglers anticipate the bite only picking up as it gets closer to fall.
Billfishing has been steady, with boats targeting deeper water finding blue and white marlin.
Andy, of Nags Head Pier, reports that sea mullet, croakers, and spot are being caught with bottom rigs tipped with shrimp or bloodworms.
A few pompano are coming from deeper holes closer to the shore for anglers fishing with sand fleas.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish have been breezing by the pier, and they’re hitting casting jigs.
Anglers at the end have seen a few king mackerel and cobia in the area, but not many bites have materialized.
Laurie, of Jennette’s Pier, reports that a few large king mackerel (up to 43 lbs.) have been caught by anglers live-baiting off the end.
Spanish mackerel are hitting Gotcha plugs in the mornings and late evenings.
A few schools of false albacore are mixed in around the spanish. Both are preferring smaller glass minnow jigs.
A couple of red drum have been landed by anglers fishing Carolina-rigged cut baits, and bottom rigs have been producing burrfish, croakers, sea mullet, puffers, and spot.
Anglers keeping baits tight to the pilings have caught sheepshead and spadefish.
Justin, of Avalon Pier, reports that some large king mackerel have been taking live baits fished off the end.
Targeting bait schools for stray cobia has produced a few fish.
Bottom fishing with shrimp or bloodworms has been catching sea mullet and spot.
John, of Bob’s Bait and Tackle, reports that early mornings have been best for anglers looking to sight-cast glass minnow jigs to surface feeding spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Bottom rigs have been best during the day in these hot summer months. A variety of sea mullet, spot, croakers, and bluefish are all hitting fresh bait shrimp.
A few smaller flounder are falling for soft plastics in the deeper sloughs throughout the surf.
Keith, of Corolla Bait and Tackle, reports that the bluefish and spanish mackerel bite has been best on the 4×4 beaches, with anglers having success casting jigs around bait balls.
A few scattered red drum have been caught with Carolina-rigged cut baits, and fresh shrimp and Fishbites strips are producing sea mullet and croakers.
Nearshore anglers are finding good numbers of ribbonfish and bluefish while trolling spoons off the beach.
Offshore trips have been producing wahoo, blackfin tuna, mahi, and tilefish.
