Added on Thursday, July 31, 2014  Fish Post

Northern Beaches – July 31, 2014

Betty, of TW’s Tackle, reports that local surf fishermen are connecting with a mixed bag of panfish including spot, sea mullet, and croaker. Most are falling for shrimp and bloodworms on double-drop bottom rigs.

More bottom feeders are biting around the little bridge on the Manteo causeway. Anglers working soft plastics and other lures are hooking some speckled trout (most small but a few keepers) and flounder.

Speckled trout, flounder, and puppy drum are all feeding in the sound and around Oregon Inlet, and inshore boaters are hooking all three on artificial lures like Gulps and live baits.

Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding around Oregon Inlet and just off the beaches when the water’s clean, and boaters are hooking solid numbers of both while trolling Clarkspoons and other flashy lures.

Offshore trollers are still reporting solid yellowfin tuna and dolphin action with a few wahoo in the mix as well. All three of the pelagic gamefish are falling for naked and skirted ballyhoo that the boats are pulling. The billfish action just keeps getting better as well, and boats are releasing excellent numbers of white and blue marlin and sailfish. The billfish are also taking an interest in ballyhoo.

Deborah, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that boats are still hooking limit catches of yellowfin tuna on many days. Plenty of dolphin are also in the mix, and both are falling for naked and skirted ballyhoo in the boats’ wakes. Anglers are also seeing more billfish by the week, and boats are releasing big numbers of white and blue marlin along with some sailfish. Most of the billfish are biting ballyhoo as well.

Amberjacks are feeding at bottom structure between the beach and the blue water, and boats are hooking them on live baits and artificial lures like bucktail jigs.

Bluefish are feeding around the inlet and along the beaches, with spanish mackerel mixed in when the water’s clean. Anglers are hooking both while trolling Clarkspoons with planers and cigar weights.

Bottom fishing around Oregon Inlet is producing plenty of action with flounder, gray trout, spot, croaker, and more.

Inshore boats are connecting with solid numbers of puppy drum along with some speckled trout and flounder while working artificials and live baits in the sound.

Dave, of Skiligal Sportfishing, reports that anglers are still seeing action with yellowfin tuna and gaffer dolphin while trolling the blue water offshore of Oregon Inlet. Anglers are hooking most of both species on ballyhoo paired with skirted lures like sea witches.

The billfish bite is getting better all the time offshore, and anglers are seeing and releasing solid numbers of white marlin when targeting them with dredge teasers and “dink” ballyhoo. Blue marlin and some sailfish are also in the area and biting the same baits.

Richard, of Tar-Pam Guide Service reports that the red drum action around Oregon Inlet remains excellent on most days, but weather and wind shifts have made the fish tough to find on occasion. Anglers are finding the reds around sloughs and shoals in the sound and hooking them on topwater plugs, gold spoons, soft plastics, and live baits.

Speckled trout have also been on the feed in the sound recently, and anglers are connecting with good numbers of specks while casting the same offerings.

Mike, of Jennette’s Pier, reports that bottom fishermen are connecting with some spot, pigfish, croaker, pinfish, and more. Some solid triggerfish and sheepshead have also been in the mix recently.

Anglers fishing live baits on the bottom are hooking some flounder.

Plug casters are seeing solid action with bluefish and a few spanish mackerel when the water’s clean.

Live-baiters fishing from the end of the pier have caught cobia and king mackerel over the past week.