Hatteras Winter 2013-2014
Johnny Fairbanks (age 10), of Frisco, NC, with a 24″ puppy drum he hooked in the Frisco surf while fishing with family.
Ryan, of Hatteras Jack, reports that anglers are connecting with big numbers of speckled trout and puppy drum from the surf all along the Outer Banks. The sloughs on the north sides of the piers have been some of the most productive spots recently, and anglers can hook both fish on soft plastic baits and MirrOlures. The pups will also fall for bottom rigs baited with shrimp and cut baits.
Some flounder and black drum are joining in on the action in the hook of Cape Point, and the same baits and lures will fool both.
Bob, of Frisco Tackle, reports that anglers are catching big numbers of squid in the sound at Hatteras while working squid jigs.
There’s been a solid puppy drum bite along the beach from the point at Buxton to Hatteras Inlet, and anglers also released a few citation-class reds last week. The slot pups are biting cut baits, shrimp, and artificials, and the action may remains strong for weeks to come.
Some speckled trout have also been feeding in the surf near Frisco, but the rough weather has dirtied the surf and made them tough to target lately. Anglers had caught a few on cut baits before the weather, so there may be good numbers around when the conditions improve. Both baited bottom rigs and artificial lures like Gulp baits will tempt bites from the specks.
Tim Hagerich and Krista Stumbers, of Hatteras, with a 40 lb. king mackerel that bit a live menahden off Hatteras Inlet while they were fishing with Capt. Andy Piland on the “Goodtimes.”
Kyle, of Frisco Rod and Gun, reports that anglers are hooking some slot puppy drum in the Hattera, Frisco, and Buxton surf, and a few citation-class fish are still around as well. Cut baits and shrimp on bottom rigs are fooling most of the drum. Dog sharks have also made their winter appearance in the surf and are biting the same baits.
Some speckled trout have been feeding along the beachfront as well but condition haven’t been ideal to target them for a few days. Casting soft plastic baits and MirrOlures in the sloughs between sand bars, especially around Frisco Pier, is the way to connect with the specks.
When boats were last able to get offshore, anglers found action with blackfin tuna and some citation wahoo while trolling ballyhoo and skirted lures. Anglers may well see some bluefin tuna move into the area as winter progesses, too.
Bottom fishing around offshore structure is producing plenty of action with triggerfish.
JAM, of Teach’s Lair Marina, reports that anglers are still connecting with plenty of puppy drum inshore and along the beachfront, but the bite isn’t quite as red-hot as it was a few weeks ago. A few speckled trout, sea mullet, and pufferfish are also feeding along the beachfront but the pups have made up the majority of the action. Most anglers are casting shrimp and cut baits, but a few of the drum are also falling for soft plastics on jigheads.
Allen Davis, of Raleigh, NC, with a puppy drum he hooked near the Buxton jetties on cut bluefish.
Offshore, anglers are connecting with some blackfin tuna while trolling and black sea bass, tilefish, and triggerfish while dropping baits to the bottom.
Jay, of Bite Me Charters, reports that anglers have been connecting with good numbers of blackfin tuna offshore of Hatteras Inlet when conditions have let them get offshore recently. Most are falling for ballyhoo paired with skirted lures. Bluefin tuna should be showing up off the inlet later in the winter, and anglers can hook them while trolling larger skirted ballyhoo or working vertical jigs and topwater plugs around fish visible on sonar or feeding on the surface.
Melinda, of Tradewinds Tackle, reports that anglers are still connecting with plenty of puppy drum (most slot-sized) and some black drum while fishing from Ocracoke’s beachfront. Shrimp and cut baits are tempting bites from both of the drum. The puppy drum action often holds up for much of the winter, both for anglers casting bait and working artificials like soft plastics and gold spoons.
