Hatteras – May 22, 2014
Bucky Zentner and friends with cobia to 78 lbs. they hooked while sight-casting to fish off Hatteras Inlet with Capt. Jeremy Hicks on the “Capt. Snag” out of Oden’s Dock.
Ryan, of Hatteras Jack, reports that cobia have shown up along the beachfront at Avon and Rodanthe. Surf casters have caught several from the beach around Ramp 27 and Cape Point, and boaters running out of Hatteras and Oregon inlets have been finding good numbers of fish to sight-cast to while cruising just offshore. Cut baits are fooling the fish from the sand, while bucktail jigs and live baits are the way to go for the sight-casters.
Surf casters are also connecting with decent numbers of puppy drum on shrimp and cut baits. And there’s been an excellent sea mullet bite for those baiting up with bloodworms. Bluefish and a few smaller flounder are rounding out the surf catch.
Pier anglers are connecting with bluefish and a few spanish mackerel.
Puppy drum and speckled trout are feeding in the sound, and waders and those in boats are hooking both on soft plastics and cut and live baits.
Michael, of Rodanthe Pier, reports that bottom fishermen have been hooking some spot, sea mullet, croaker, and a few solid black drum. Shrimp and bloodworms have been fooling most of the bottom feeders.
Sarah, of Frank and Fran’s, reports that surf casters are connecting with some sea mullet, spot, croaker, flounder, and puppy drum locally. Shrimp, bloodworms, and cut baits are fooling most of the fish.
Robert and Alex Pink and Gary Hall, of Wilmington, with an 80 lb. cobia, one of many they hooked while sight-casting to fish off Hatteras Inlet with Capt. Aaron Kelly on the “Rock Solid.”
Anglers walking to Cape Point have found action with some larger citation-class red drum and a few cobia while sending larger cut baits out on fish-finder rigs.
Kyle, of Frisco Rod and Gun, reports that anglers are connecting with some sea mullet, bluefish, and puppy drum while surf fishing from the island’s southern beaches. Shrimp and cut baits are fooling all the surf fish. Some citation pompano have been in the mix lately as well, and they’re falling for shrimp and sand fleas.
Cobia have made their spring appearance, and surf casters have hooked a few from Cape Point and other spots on the beach over the past week on large cut baits.
Boaters are connecting with solid numbers of the cobes while sight-casting bucktails and other lures to fish they spot cruising around the inlets and along the beachfront.
Those fishing the sound are finding plenty of action with puppy drum on baits and artificials.
The offshore fleet is seeing some excellent spring action, with big numbers of gaffer dolphin (some to 40+ lbs. lately), some yellowfin and blackfin tuna, and a few wahoo. Billfish have also shown up, and boats have released white and blue marlin along with a few sailfish in recent days. The meatfish and billfish are primarily taking an interest in ballyhoo and skirted trolling lures.
Boats bottom fishing offshore are hooking some snowy grouper, golden tilefish, and other tasty bottom dwellers.
JAM, of Teach’s Lair, reports that anglers trolling offshore are connecting with plenty of gaffer dolphin and some wahoo on skirted ballyhoo. Some white and blue marlin have shown up as well.
Bottom fishing offshore is producing tilefish, grouper, and more.
David Barr, of Moyock, NC, with an 18 lb. striped bass that bit a sand flea off Outer Banks Pier.
Closer to the beaches, the cobia have shown up, and it seems that with fish stretching from the VA line to NC’s southern beaches, the bite should be good for quite a while. Sight-casting bucktail jigs and other lures to fish that anglers spot on the surfaces is producing most of the cobia action.
Anglers are hooking puppy drum in the sound and surf, with a few citation-class reds coming from the beachfront.
Jay, of Bite Me Charters, reports that big hauls of gaffer dolphin (some to 40+ lbs.) have been providing the bulk of the action lately, but anglers are also connecting with some yellowfin and blackfin tuna, as well as an occasional wahoo. Skirted ballyhoo are fooling most of the blue water predators. A few white and blue marlin have shown up, too, and are also taking an interest in ballyhoo.
Cobia have made their appearance along the beachfront, and anglers had some excellent action last week while casting bucktail jigs to fish they spotted cruising on the surface.
Melinda, of Tradewinds Tackle, reports that the red drum action (with fish ranging from puppies to citations) is still going steady from the Ocracoke beachfront, and anglers are hooking the fish on shrimp and cut baits on bottom rigs.
Cobia have shown up along the beachfront and inshore at Ocracoke, and anglers are hooking them while sight-casting bucktail jigs and while fishing large cut baits on the bottom.
Offshore, the gaffer dolphin bite is going strong, and anglers are still landing a few wahoo while trolling ballyhoo in the blue water.
