Hatteras – June 21, 2018
Ryan, of Hatteras Jack, reports that bottom fishing in the surf is producing good numbers of sea mullet and pompano.
Anglers rigged with metal casting spoons and jigs are catching bluefish and spanish mackerel as they run up and down the beach. Early mornings before the crowds and the winds pick up have been better for the spanish.
A couple of small cobia have been reported off the surf, but the action has definitely begun to wind down.
Soundside anglers are glad the speckled trout season has opened, and they are finding the specks using soft plastics under popping corks.
Red drum are traveling in smaller schools along the flats in the sound looking for bait.
Good numbers of flounder are being reported from both the surf zone and the area’s inlets.
CT Miller, from Waynesboro, VA, with a 73 lb. cobia caught while chumming in Barney’s Slough. He was fishing with Capt. Joey VanDyke of Fingeance Charters.
Debbie, of Rodanthe Pier, reports that spanish mackerel and bluefish continue to bite well at the end of the pier by anglers throwing Gotcha plugs.
A good number of smaller flounder (to 12”) are being caught closer to the surf zone.
Sea mullet are feeding well on sand fleas and shrimp fished on the bottom.
Anglers are catching pompano and a couple larger black drum (to 24”) while fishing with sand fleas.
Ginger, of Frank and Fran’s, reports that spanish mackerel and bluefish have been biting well early in the morning on Stingsilver jigs.
Large pompano (to 3 lbs.) are being caught by anglers fishing with sand fleas.
Those same anglers bottom fishing are finding good-sized sea mullet (to 1.5 lbs) in the deeper sloughs.
A couple of keeper flounder are being caught on soft plastics.
Earl, of Avon Pier, reports that anglers sight casting to schools of spanish mackerel and bluefish have had great success using Gotcha plugs.
A good number of sea mullet are being caught by those anglers bottom fishing.
The cobia bite has begun to slow, but a few are still being caught by anglers fishing the end of the pier.
Reports of flounder are picking up, but most have been the smaller-sized (not legal) fish.
Cameron, of Frisco Tackle, reports that anglers fishing with sand fleas are finding good action with pompano and sea mullet.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding in the surf, and areas such as the Avon Pier and Buxton’s point have been faring the best.
Small flounder (to 10”) are being caught in good numbers, and anglers anticipate the larger fish to arrive in the surf shortly.
Soundside anglers are reporting some puppy drum feeding on the flats in the late evening.
Thomas Farlow. of Robbins, NC, with a 24″ flounder caught fishing inshore near Lockwood Folly Inlet using a Carolina rig with a live pogy.
JAM, of Teach’s Lair Marina, reports that bill fishing has been “hot” out of Hatteras, with boats raising white marlin, blue marlin (to 500 lbs.), and sailfish in the spreads. Captains have focused on the small temperature breaks offshore.
Good numbers of mahi are being caught, with limits coming for anglers on most trips. A lot of gaffer and bailer fish make up the counts, but bulls (to 38 lbs.) are still hitting the dock.
Bottom fishing around the wrecks is producing large numbers of triggerfish.
Blackfin tuna and wahoo are mixed in the counts, and they’re hitting the skirted ballyhoo at temperature breaks and around weed lines.
Nearshore anglers sight casting have found a few hold out cobia (to 60 lbs.) as well as a couple of schools of citation drum moving into the inlets.
Joey, of Fingeance Sportfishing, reports that cobia fishing is slowing in the area, but good numbers of juvenile fish are being spotted by boats working off the beach.
Spanish mackerel are in large schools feeding on glass minnows close to the breakers.
Inshore trips are finding red drum schooled up on the flats in the sound.
A couple citation red drum are being caught around the inlet, but it seems most fish have worked their way inside.
Jay, of Bite Me Sportfishing, reports that tons of dolphin (bailers and gaffers) are being caught while trolling skirted baits. Trips have been seeing 50+ fish per day.
A couple white marlin and sailfish have hit baits in the spread, and it seems that more fish are being seen daily.
A 596 lb. blue marlin was caught recently.
Bill, of Predator Sportfishing, reports that trips are seeing limits of bailer dolphin, with a few mixed gaffers, while pulling skirted ballyhoo.
Billfishing has turned “on” as anglers have seen a few blue marlins raised on baits in the spread.
Some sailfish releases have come on recent trips, too.
Bottom fishing is very good, with large grouper, tilefish, and a couple of amberjacks being caught on the drop. Large numbers of triggerfish have filled out coolers when working over wrecks and live bottom.
Jessie, of Carolina Girl Sportfishing, reports that billfish have been the focus this week for the Big Rock tournament, with both blue and white marlin reported in the Hatteras area.
Larger mahi (25+ lbs.) continue to hit skirted baits out in the Gulf Stream.
Anglers looking to fill the box with bottom fish are finding huge numbers of good eating triggerfish and tilefish at the local live bottom areas.
Jimmy, of Tradewinds Bait and Tackle, reports that surf anglers are seeing good numbers of pompano caught on sand fleas.
Sheepshead are also running in these same sloughs, and they prefer feeding on sand fleas.
A few upper-slot red drum are being caught on the north end of the island on cut mullet and menhaden.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are in the surf and hitting glass minnow jigs early or late in the day.
Nearshore anglers are catching good numbers of spanish while trolling Clarkspoons behind planers.
Fishing the deeper channels near the inlet has produced some gray trout.
