Hatteras/Ocracoke – September 2022
Ian, of Hatteras Jack, reports that anglers fishing flats in the sound have been catching speckled trout and some good-sized puppy drum. Targeting areas around the inlets has provided some of the better action.
Surf anglers have started to catch better numbers of bluefish and spanish mackerel, most ikely as a result of water conditions cleaning up.
Bottom fishing is producing lots of croaker and a few pompano.
Matt Scanlon, of Narbeth, PA, with the 65 lb. cobia that fell for a feathered jig in Hatteras Inlet. He was fishing with Capt. Jake Dempsey of Team Dempsey Guide Service.
Debbie, of Rodanthe Pier, reports that a few spanish mackerel and bluefish are being caught by anglers casting Gotcha plugs.
Bottom fishing has produced sheepshead and some good-sized pompano (to 2+ lbs.).
Heather, of Frank and Fran’s, reports that anglers making the walk down to the Point have been rewarded with a few nice bluefish.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are also scattered anywhere from Buxton up into Avon, and there are plenty of smaller sharks included on this same stretch of beach.
Bottom fishing in the surf has been slowly picking up, with good numbers of croaker and some sea mullet around.
Soundside anglers have been catching speckled trout and bluefish.
Anglers running up to fish the old Bonner Bridge pier have been finding pigfish, black sea bass, and spanish mackerel.
Nicole, of Avon Pier, reports that bottom fishing has produced most of the action, with anglers hooking plenty of croakers and some sea mullet.
Anglers out early are also getting the chance to cast at schools of spanish mackerel.
Bryan, of Hatteras Style Custom Rods & Tackle, reports that bottom fishing in the surf remains strong from most ramp accesses in the area. Croakers, sea mullet, and some good-sized pompano are being caught all along Hatteras Island.
Anglers out at ramps 43-45 and 55 have been seeing bonus runs of spanish mackerel and bluefish. With water conditions cleaning up, anglers look forward to the fishing action picking up even more as we move closer to fall.
Some big blacktip and spinner sharks are also being caught around ramp 45 (near the Point).
Lee, of Teach’s Lair, reports that bottom fishing catches in the surf have included sea mullet and pompano. There are also schools of bluefish around, as these schools are moving in and out of the shoreline.
In the sounds, speckled trout fishing, which has been good for quite some time, has been picking up even more.
Red drum action inshore has been strong, with both slot and over-slot fish being caught around the inlet, and there have been plenty of bluefish holding in the deeper areas inside the inlet.
Offshore fishing is starting to show signs of the season’s coming change with wahoo now showing up in the counts. Anglers have found high speed rigs to be very productive when scouting for blue water action.
There have also been some blackfin tuna in the counts, and they are in especially good numbers for this late in the summer.
Schools of dolphin are mixed into the offshore bite, and some anglers are finding sailfish and large blue marlin releases.
Joey, of Fingeance Sportfishing, reports that action is picking up, with more spanish mackerel showing up on the ocean side of the inlets.
A few cobia are still moving around nearshore, and there should be more fish seen and hooked as they slowly start to migrate back into the area.
Inshore anglers have been experiencing a great speckled trout bite, and the good news is that the trout action should only get better with water temperatures cooling.
Jay, of Bite Me Sportfishing, reports that some good-sized wahoo (and in good numbers) have started showing up in the offshore trolling action. Anglers look to this bite as a sign of fall fishing getting closer.
There are plenty of dolphin still around, but they remain scattered in their typical summer patterns.
Anglers have also landed a few king mackerel.
With water temperatures still in a prime range, there’s always a shot at billfish when running out deep.
Matt and Elizabeth Waltham, of Poquoson, VA, hooked these mahi on ballyhoo offshore of Hatteras. They were fishing with Capt. Jeremy Hicks of Calypso Sportfishing.
Jeremy, of Calypso Sportfishing, reports that offshore trips have been seeing some excellent blackfin tuna action.
Wahoo started to show up in good numbers, which is hopefully a forecast into how good the fishing will be in the fall, and mahi and some good-sized billfish are mixed in the offshore trolling action.
Alan, of Tradewinds Tackle, reports that anglers have been starting to see better red drum fishing in the surf. Slot-sized drum (to 26”) are being caught with fresh shrimp.
Smaller bottom rig setups with the same fresh shrimp are also producing pompano.
Fishing in the sounds has been really good, including some anglers coming in with citation-class pompano.
Red drum fishing has been excellent on the inside. The flats around the inlets have been holding puppy and slot-sized fish, and targeting the deeper drop-offs has produced some trophy-class reds (to 50”).
There have been plenty of bluefish in channels throughout the area, and some large sheepshead (to 8.5 lbs.) are staged up around structure.
