Northern Beaches August 9, 2012
Jason and Art with one of the several red drum they caught and released while sight casting bucktails. They were fishing just out of Oregon Inlet with Capt. Donnie Davis oof DOA Charters.
Betty, of TW’s Tackle, reports that surf fishing has been slow overall over the past week, with dirty and grassy water the main culprit. Anglers have managed to land decent catches of sea mullet, croaker, pompano, and other bottom feeders when they found decent water. Shrimp and bloodworms are producing most of the action.
Pier anglers are also hooking some bottomfish along with bluefish on bottom rigs and metal lures.
Speckled trout are still feeding back in the sound, and anglers are hooking them on Gulps and other soft plastics from the little bridge pier and boats.
The spanish mackerel and bluefish bite is still hot for boats trolling Clarkspoons around and off Oregon Inlet.
Bottom fishermen are connecting with black sea bass, triggerfish, and tilefish at the wrecks and other structure off Oregon Inlet.
Big numbers of dolphin are still rewarding offshore trollers, with some scattered yellowfin tuna and wahoo in the mix. The billfish bite is also strong, and local boats released blue and white marlin and sailfish last week. Rigged ballyhoo are accounting for most of the action with the pelagics.
Bill, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that the dolphin bite continues to be hot for the offshore fleet. Some healthy yellowfin tuna are mixed in, and boats are also reporting action with some wahoo.
The billfish bite is still strong with releases of sailfish, blue marlin, and white marlin over the past week.
Nearshore boats are still connecting with some cobia, and they’re also boxing up black sea bass and triggerfish that are feeding at bottom structure off the inlet.
Trolling small spoons around the inlet is producing plenty of action with spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Anglers inshore bottomfishing on the headboat are hooking sea mullet, croaker, puffers, pigfish, and more.
Krista West with two of many fat triggerfish she and Michael West hooked at AR-130 off Oregon Inlet. Photo courtesy of TW's Tackle.
Dave, of Skiligal Charters, reports that there’s still been some excellent dolphin fishing off Oregon Inlet, with gaffers and bailers both in the mix.
Billfish action remains strong, with several blue marlin and sailfish encounters over the past week, primarily to the northeast of the inlet.
Some large wahoo (60+ lbs.) and yellowfin tuna have been mixed in with the dolphin and billfish, and all the blue water predators are taking an interest in skirted and naked ballyhoo.
Mike, of Jennette’s Pier, reports that anglers are hooking a mixed bag of croaker, spot, sea mullet, pigfish, puffers, spadefish, and more on rigs baited primarily with shrimp and squid. Anglers using larger baits have been connecting with a few puppy drum and flounder lately.
Some bluefish and spanish mackerel are taking an interest in Gotcha plugs and other casting lures when the water is clean.
Keith, of Corolla Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are finding plenty of bottomfish action in the local surf. Sea mullet, spot, croaker, and decent numbers of pompano have been the main targets, and bloodworms seem to be the most effective baits right now.
There’s still a solid speckled trout bite to the south in the sound, and plenty of flounder as well (though most of the flatfish are on the small side). Gulp baits are fooling both.
Boats trolling Clarkspoons around Oregon Inlet are still hooking big numbers of spanish mackerel and bluefish, and there are still some cobia in the vicinity as well.
While bottom fishing around wrecks and other structure in the 200’ depths, anglers are boxing up good numbers of tilefish and sea bass on squid and cut baits.
Offshore trollers are finding a solid billfish bite to the northeast of the inlet. There’s been good dolphin action around the Point and further south, and some yellowfin tuna are mixed in up and down the break.
