Northern Beaches – July 2022
Madison, of TW’s Bait and Tackle, reports that surf anglers have been seeing an excellent puppy drum bite this week. Fresh cut mullet or shrimp fished on Carolina rigs has been the key to the bite. These red drum are being found just about anywhere from the northern Currituck beaches down to Ocracoke Island.
Bottom rigs tipped with smaller pieces of shrimp or sand fleas are producing some large sea mullet (to 1.5 lbs.).
Bluefish and a few spanish are moving within casting range, and they’re hitting smaller metal jigs thrown towards the surface-feeding schools.
Soundside anglers are also enjoying some of this red drum action, with both slot and over-slot fish being caught on gold spoons and soft plastics.
Sheepshead are staged up around pilings of the local bridges, such as Basnight Bridge, Mann’s Harbor Bridge, and the Bonner Bridge Pier.
Anglers fishing grass flats around the inlet are catching large speckled trout, and bottom fishing the deeper holes around the inlet is producing a few scattered, large red drum.
The offshore bite has been awesome for anglers looking to catch tuna, with both yellowfin and bigeyes a part of daily counts.
Quite a few billfish have been released, and anglers are catching gaffer-sized dolphin running out to the south.
C.J. Newcomb, of Victoria, VA, hooked (and released) this 47 lb. black drum on a white Gulp soft plastic on a jig head while fishing from Jennette’s Pier.
Aaron, of Carolina Sunrise Charters, reports that there has been plenty of nice-sized red drum moving around the sound. Topwater plugs are getting a lot of action, and anglers are also having success with spoons and Carolina-rigged cut baits.
There are a good number of large speckled trout still hanging around as well. Many of the same tactics used for red drum are getting the trout to strike. Look for both species to be feeding around both deeper holes and nearby flats from the inlet up towards Nags Head.
Sheepshead action has been consistent for anglers fishing sand fleas around bridge pilings and other inshore structures.
John, of Drumbeat Charters, reports that some false albacore have started to show up in the area. They’re hitting Stingsilvers or soft plastics cast around surface-feeding schools. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are also schooled up just off the beaches.
Nearshore wrecks have been holding good numbers of triggerfish. When working nearshore areas, it is a great idea to have a bucktail rig set up in the chance you run across a school of large red drum or some of the stray cobia that are still around.
Inshore anglers are catching slot to over-slot red drum on cut baits around the inlet.
There has been an excellent speckled trout bite all year for anglers fishing soft plastics on jig heads or live bait under popping corks. The trout are also hitting topwater plugs early, and all trout tactics are working best over grass flats around the inlet.
Les, of Fishing Unlimited, reports surf anglers have been catching some puppy drum, and bottom-rigged baits have also produced croakers and spot.
Casting jigs have been producing some scattered bluefish and spanish. There haven’t been a ton of schools around yet, but as water temperatures rise over the coming weeks, expect this bite to pick up significantly.
Soundside anglers are catching puppy drum and large speckled trout while fishing live baits, and sheepshead fishing has been good around pilings at both the Oregon Inlet and Pirate’s Cove bridges.
Andy, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that yellowfin tuna fishing has been very good, with plenty of large fish in the mix. A couple citation class wahoo (to 90 lbs.) are also scattered in some of the daily counts.
Billfish action is picking up, with both blue and white marlin releases.
On some days, anglers are finding good numbers of mahi, and nearshore trolling trips are catching consistent numbers of ribbonfish, spanish, and bluefish.
Meredith, of Pirate’s Cove Marina, reports that offshore trips are seeing a great tuna bite. Plenty of good-sized yellowfin tuna and a few large bigeyes (to 106 lbs.) are being caught.
There are a handful of mahi also being brought back in the fish boxes, and some wahoo are still around, with fish to 51 lbs. a part of the daily action.
Large blue marlin (to estimated 600 lbs.) and white marlin are also being caught by anglers running deep.
Bottom fishing offshore has produced good numbers of tilefish.
Nearshore trips are catching spanish, ribbonfish, and bluefish while trolling off the beaches, and bottom fishing at nearshore wrecks or structures are producing amberjack, large black sea bass (to 7.9 lbs.), and triggerfish.
Andy, of Nags Head Pier, reports that bottom fishing has been best, with a variety of fish (such as croaker and spot) being caught with smaller pieces of fresh shrimp, sand fleas, or artificial bait strips.
Anglers with soft plastics or live baits have landed a few flounder (to be thrown back).
Justin, of Avalon Pier, reports that bottom fishing has started to pick up, with spots and some scattered speckled trout being caught with fresh shrimp. Flounder, though you can’t keep them, are also mixed in.
John, of Bob’s Bait and Tackle, reports that bottom fishing in the surf has been producing large sea mullet, spots, and scattered croaker. Anglers on the sand early have also been catching puppy drum with Carolina-rigged cut baits.
Schools of spanish mackerel have started to show up more consistently. Targeting these schools early in the morning, before beaches get crowded, has been the best time to spot the surface-feeding action.
Anglers fishing in the sounds have been catching some really good-sized sheepshead around the local bridges, and it has been a great year for speckled trout fishing, with large fish (to 7 lbs.) around.
Around the inlet, anglers are still finding schools of large citation class red drum (to 50”).
Nearshore fishing has been producing a mix of bluefish, spanish, and ribbonfish while trolling spoons.
Jeff, of Albemarle Fishing Charters, reports that good salinity in the sound has led to good numbers of red drum moving around this year. Anglers are finding action around structure on the shoreline edges, but not too much action is being found back in the creeks where the waters are more brackish.
Some striped bass are still around but scattered, which makes them difficult to target. Look for heavily structured areas holding bait.
