Hatteras – Winter 2014-2015
Rene Biddix, of Wilmington, NC, with a 49″ red drum she caught and released at Cape Point after it fell for a chunk of mullet.
Ryan, of Hatteras Jack, reports that anglers haven’t been able to fish in several days due to a nasty nor’easter, but solid numbers of speckled trout and puppy drum were rewarding their efforts before the blow. Both will likely be available after the ocean calms down, and both will bite bottom rigs or artificials like Gulp baits pinned to jigheads. The puppy drum action remained excellent all winter long last year, and Hatteras Island anglers are hoping to see the same this winter.
Ginger, of Frank and Fran’s, reports that anglers are seeing the ocean calm down after several days of hard northeast winds and big swells, and the fishing action should be improving as the weather moderates. Before the storm, anglers were hooking some puppy drum, speckled trout, keeper flounder, and bluefish around Avon. Bottom rigs are fooling a little of everything, with soft plastic lures on jigheads getting more attention from the trout and puppies.
Anglers were still landing a few citation-class drum from Avon Pier and Cape Point before it got rough as well, and there may still be some around.
The cooler weather should hopefully lead to some improved trout action, and anglers are hoping to see the puppy drum bite stay hot all winter as it did last year.
Bob, of Frisco Tackle, reports that anglers landed a few large red drum at Cape Point last week, so it might not be too late in the year to release a citation fish. Puppy drum will stick around after the big ones depart for the winter, and anglers are hoping for a repeat of last year’s winter-long puppy drum bite. Both artificials (like Gulp baits) and shrimp or cut baits on bottom rigs will fool the puppies. Some speckled trout have been mixed in with the smaller drum and also biting the artificials.
Bluefish, pufferfish, and sea mullet were also around before the rough weather last week, and anglers can tempt them to bite shrimp and Fish Bites baits on smaller hooks.
Kyle, of Frisco Rod and Gun, reports that high winds and seas have kept many anglers from fishing over the past few days and overwashed Highway 12 in several places, but the roadway has reopened and anglers were catching some fish before the weather.
D.J. Muldowney, of Sanford, NC, with a slot puppy drum that bit a chunk of mullet in the Buxton surf.
Some puppy drum have been feeding around Frisco Pier, and anglers are hooking a few on shrimp and cut baits. Black drum, speckled trout, small bluefish, and some flounder have been mixed in at Frisco as well.
Speckled trout have also been feeding around Buxton and biting bottom rigs and artificials. There should still be some good opportunities for anglers looking to connect with the specks in the near future, and last winter saw excellent puppy drum action into the spring so anglers are hoping to see more of the same as 2015 rolls around.
Offshore boaters are connecting with decent numbers of blackfin and yellowfin tuna while pulling ballyhoo and skirted lures in the blue water off Hatteras Inlet. A few wahoo have been mixed in, and a blue marlin was released last week as well. Some king mackerel have been feeding a bit closer to the beach and biting spoons and strip and live baits.
JAM, of Teach’s Lair Marina, reports that the rough weather has kept many boats at the dock over the past week, but anglers found some excellent king mackerel action when they were able to get out last week.
Puppy drum are still feeding in the sound, where they’ll bite a variety of artificial and natural baits.
Surf casters are seeing plenty of bluefish action along with some puppy drum while soaking bait from the Hatteras beachfront. Speckled trout are also showing up in solid numbers and biting soft plastic baits that anglers are working in the surf. Pufferfish have also begun to show up as the water cools off, and anglers can tempt the tasty panfish to bite shrimp or Fish Bites baits on bottom rigs.
Jay, of Bite Me Sportfishing, reports that anglers have seen some stellar action with blackfin tuna in the past week, with big numbers falling for vertical jigs dropped to schools that anglers mark on the sounder. Plenty of false albacore and sharks have been around as well, and both have been competing with the blackfins for anglers’ jigs. Trolling ballyhoo and smaller lures will also fool the tunas.
Anglers can expect to see action with the tunas for much of the winter, and some bluefins will likely show up later in the season for anglers looking for some serious battles.
