Northern Beaches – July 6, 2017
Betty, of TW’s Bait and Tackle, reports that surf fishing is starting to pick up again, and anglers fishing the bottom are catching bluefish, spanish, sea mullet, spadefish, small flounder, spot, and croaker.
In the sound, the speckled trout have been hit or miss, but fishing near the Nags Head/Manteo causeway has been producing a few fish. Some bluefish have also been hooked in the sound.
Puppy drum have been feeding well inshore, and most fish are falling for cut mullet on Carolina rigs.
Nearshore, the spanish and bluefish have been active, and trolling Clarkspoons or casting metal jigs has worked best.
Those venturing offshore have been rewarded with plenty of yellowfin tuna action while trolling ballyhoo. A few dolphin have been in the mix as well.
Norma, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that tuna fishing offshore has been great when trolling ballyhoo. Many citations (yellowfin and bigeye tuna) have been landed. Wahoo, sailfish, blue marlin, and white marlin have also been hooked.
Nearshore fishing has kept anglers busy with spanish, bluefish, and red drum. Trolling Clarkspoons for the spanish and blues has been the best method.
Inshore, those fishing the bottom are landing good numbers of sea mullet, speckled trout, bluefish, flounder, and sharks. Dropping fresh shrimp or cut baits is the ticket for these species.
Capt. Travis Patsell, of Smith Mountain Lake, VA, caught this sheepshead on a fiddler crab while fishing the Oregon Inlet area.
Julianna, of Pirate’s Cove Marina, reports that yellowfin and bigeye tuna have provided the most action offshore. Dolphin, sailfish, and a few blue marlin are also in the area, and trolling has been the best method.
Nearshore, spanish and bluefish have been feeding well for anglers trolling Clarkspoons. Kings have been a little further off the beach, and they are willing to take a trolled cigar minnow.
Tilefish, cobia, and amberjacks have also been hanging around nearshore structure.
Aaron, of Carolina Sunrise, reports that speckled trout have been feeding on live shrimp and plastics, and most have been in the 1-2 lb. range. Flounder have also started to move inshore, and hooking a live mullet on a flounder rig has produced many fish in the 2-3 lb. range.
Red drum have been holding on the grass flats and shell bottom areas. Cut bait has produced most of the fish, with the majority of the reds in the 19-26” range.
Live fiddler crabs dropped around area bridges has produced sheepshead in the 6-8 lb. class.
Nearshore, trolling Clarkspoons has been the best way to box good numbers of spanish. A few cobia have also been hanging around bait pods and nearshore structure, and live baits or jigs will work for these last few cobia.
Phillip, of Jennette’s Pier, reports that spot, croaker, sea mullet, and puppy drum have been caught using fresh shrimp and sand fleas on the bottom. Anglers casting Gotcha plugs from the pier have put together solid catches of spanish and bluefish.
A mahi was landed from the end of the pier.
John, of Nags Head Pier, reports that spot, sea mullet, and triggerfish have been willing to take a fresh shrimp on the bottom.
Spanish have been landed from the pier while tossing Gotcha plugs.
The water temperature is 72 degrees.
John, of Bob’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers fishing the surf are landing croaker, sea mullet, and flounder by putting fresh shrimp on the bottom. Those casting metal jigs are catching bluefish and spanish.
Inshore, most anglers are hooking in to speckled trout and red drum. Live baits pinned on Carolina rigs have been the best method to land specs and reds, but working Gulp plastics on the bottom has worked, too.
The nearshore spanish and blue bite has stayed steady, with most fish hooked while trolling Clarkspoons. Just a little further off the beach, kings are holding. They have been hitting trolled cigar minnows and slow-trolled live baits.
Offshore, dolphin and yellowfin tuna in the 40-50 lb. range have been landed while trolling ballyhoo (and also while kite fishing).
Keith, of Corolla Bait and Tackle, reports that flounder, sea mullet, croaker, spot, speckled trout, and puppy drum have all been landed while bottom fishing with fresh shrimp and cut baits.
Bluefish and spanish have been schooled up in the surf zone, and anglers casting Gotcha plugs and Stingsilvers have had success hooking high numbers of fish.
Nearshore fishing has still produced a few cobia on bucktails. Casting with spoons to pods of bluefish and spanish has also kept anglers busy just off the beach.
On the nearshore wrecks, triggerfish and amberjacks have been feeding well. Dropping cut baits and using jigs works well for both species.
Bottom fishing around 250′ of water has boxed good numbers of black sea bass and tilefish.
Offshore fishing has been all about the tuna. Large yellowfin and bigeye tuna have been landed while trolling ballyhoo and also while kite fishing. Mahi have also been in the mix offshore.
