Hatteras/Ocracoke – March 2023
Nicole, of Hatteras Jack, reports that surf anglers have been able to find some action on puppy drum staged in holes around the Point.
Some early season sea mullet are starting to be caught by anglers bottom fishing on the Rodanthe beaches. Hopefully the coming weeks will see the first bigger push of fish into the area.
Anglers fishing the sound are catching both speckled trout and red drum over in creeks around Stumpy Point.
John, of Frank and Fran’s, reports that dogfish sharks and rays have stuck around all winter, and they put up a great fight for anglers casting a variety of cut baits.
There has been a mix of black drum and a few red drum scattered along the beaches to also keep anglers’ hopes up.
Some blowtoads have also started to show up, a great sign that the fishing season is starting to turn with new species arriving back into the area.
Bryan, of Hatteras Style Custom Rods & Tackle, reports that surf anglers should look to enjoy this run of mild winter weather. All hopes are that these patterns remain, but history shows that March is very capable of swinging back and forth unpredictably and setting back the fishing action.
Anglers have been scouting the beaches for schools of puppy drum staged up in certain pockets. There are even some schools of over-slot fish mixed in the action.
Smaller cut baits have been producing sea mullet and the occasional early bluefish.
Over the coming weeks, look for these species to remain the top targets when weather patterns allow for favorable fishing conditions. Moving into the middle to end of the month is when anglers can expect to see better numbers of fish as more migrate into the area with the warmer water temperatures.
The large red drum also tend to make their showing around the end of March and into early April.
Victoria, of Teach’s Lair, reports that bluefin tuna action has been a consistent bite through these cooler winter months. The season has officially closed, but anglers still expect some hookups when running out to do some trolling for blackfin tuna.
The blackfin tuna have been pretty hit-or-miss in recent weeks, but size quality is really good, as anglers have been finding some citation-class fish around.
Look for better numbers of wahoo to be scattered in the action through March. Same with the tuna, as the numbers could be up or down, but the overall size quality should be good when they move in.
Joey, of Fingeance Sportfishing, reports that sound anglers are looking forward to striped bass fishing really ramping up in the coming weeks as we move into the spring season. Soft plastics on heavier 1/2 oz. jig heads are all that is needed to work the deeper structured areas for these fish as they start their spawning run.
Shad action has kicked off for anglers fishing lightly weighed jigs with curly tails (for extra lure movement in the water). This shad run is always a positive sign that the season has begun to turn, and with the high water in the mainland rivers, expect to see a spectacular shad fishery this year.
Out on the coast, anglers are still prepping gear as they await warmer water temperatures. There are trout and reds scattered on the mainland side of the Albemarle Sound, though it takes very slow presentations and patience to trigger strikes.
Jeremy, of Calypso Sportfishing, reports that a relatively mild winter has allowed for plenty of boats to take advantage of the weather and make the run. Tuna fishing has been the primary focus of offshore anglers, with action staying strong now through the month of March.
There are a bunch of chunky blackfin tuna mixed in with the large bluefin tuna that are hanging around the area.
Yellowfin tuna are occasionally mixed in the action, and they may show even more as we move into spring.
The larger-sized gaffer mahi will start moving in right behind the tuna run. If conditions continue to cooperate, the mahi could show earlier than their usual mid-April arrival time.
Alan, of Tradewinds Tackle, reports that puppy drum, speckled trout, scattered bluefish, and the occasional large red drum are all possible targets over the coming weeks as we move closer to spring.
The bite picks up more towards the end of the month, as more anglers look to take advantage of the comfortable, sunny fishing days that arrive and the slightly warmer water temperatures get some bait and fish moving around.
