Northern Beaches – June 8, 2017
Betty, of TW’s Bait and Tackle, reports that the surf has produced a variety of fish for anglers. Those fishing fresh shrimp or bloodworms on the bottom are hooking up with sea mullet, pompano, bluefish, spot, croakers, pufferfish, black drum, and speckled trout. Fresh cut bait has also been working well lately and has produced good numbers of puppy drum and flounder. When the conditions are right, anglers are having success tossing large spoons from the beach to spanish mackerel.
Nearshore, anglers have been trolling Clarkspoons on planers for spanish and bluefish. Sharks are now feeding well in the area, and anglers drift fishing the bottom with cut bait are hooking in to plenty of action.
The flounder have also made their way in. They’ve started to feed well on live minnows fished on Carolina rigs.
The cobia are still around, with several landed this week off the beach.
Anglers heading offshore have been rewarded with limits of yellowfin tuna. Most boats have been boxing limits by mid-morning. Anglers trolling rigged ballyhoo have landed dolphin and wahoo, and a few sailfish have been in the mix as well.
Dr. Laura Suggs (Navy), stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC, with a red drum caught fishing from the bank. She was using a soft plastic on a jig head.
Carla, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that inshore fishing has stayed consistent, with many different species being landed. Anglers are catching stripers, puppy drum, speckled trout, sea mullet, pufferfish, and croaker. Fresh shrimp has been the most productive bait inshore.
Nearshore, anglers are trolling Clarkspoons and hooking up with keeper-size spanish and bluefish. Casting metal jigs is producing the larger spanish. While bottom fishing off the beach, anglers have hooked in to plenty of sharks and bonita.
When anglers have made it offshore, they are catching limits of yellowfin tuna. Dolphin are still feeding well, and gaffer-size fish are hitting rigged ballyhoo with blue and white skirts. Anglers have been hooking up with both blue and white marlin while trolling Ilander lures, and a large mako shark was also landed while fishing the blue water.
Julianna, of Pirate’s Cove Marina, reports that anglers have been filling the coolers when fishing offshore. Trolling rigged ballyhoo has produced many gaffer dolphin and also some citation-size wahoo. Yellowfin tuna have also been plentiful on offshore trips, too.
Nearshore, trolling Clarkspoons has produced spanish in the 2-3 lb. range, as well as some small bluefish. Casting Stingsilvers has produced the larger spanish.
Anglers have also had luck landing a few citation cobia while fishing bait balls or drift fishing on the bottom.
Mike Stough, from Ohio, with a couple of cobia (50 and 53 lbs.) caught on the fly outside of Oregon Inlet. He was fishing with Capt. Aaron Beatson of Carolina Sunrise Charters.
Aaron, of Carolina Sunrise, reports that cobia fishing is still great, and anglers sight fishing are connecting with good numbers of fish.
Bull redfish have also been present just off the beach. Most fish have been landed while throwing bucktails or by trolling spoons.
Spanish have been feeding on Clarkspoons right off the beach. Anglers using #2 planers or #1 sinkers have been finding the most success.
Inshore, anglers are finding good numbers of flounder moving in. Most fish have bit on Gulp baits, but a few have also been landed on live minnows on Carolina rigs. Those targeting speckled trout have had the most success tossing Z-Man PaddlerZ and StreakZ with Pro-Cure added on.
Julie, of Jennette’s Pier, reports that the spanish bite has been hot for anglers willing to throw plugs. The electric chicken colored Gotcha plug has been the top producer. There have also been small bluefish in the mix while plugging.
When anglers fish the bottom with fresh shrimp, they have been rewarded with keeper-size sea mullet. A good number of cobia have been landed from the pier, but most have been just under the legal limit.
John, of Nags Head Pier, reports that anglers fishing fresh shrimp and bloodworms on the bottom are connecting with speckled trout and blowfish. When the weather cooperates, the spanish and bluefish have been hitting metal jigs and Gotcha plugs.
Mark, of Bob’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers fishing inshore are hooking in to flounder, bluefish, skates, speckled trout, and striper. The flounder, speckled trout, and striper have been hitting the Gulp swimming mullet. Otherwise, bloodworms have been getting the job done on most inshore species.
Right off the beach, the cobia are still hanging around. Most anglers have found success pitching bucktails around bait balls, turtles, and buoys.
Keith, of Corolla Bait and Tackle, reports that surf anglers are connecting with sea mullet and croaker when using bloodworms. When anglers have tossed out cut mullet, they’re finding bluefish and puppy drum have been willing to eat. The water temperature is in the low 70’s.
Right off the beach in the 1-3 mile range, anglers are boating solid numbers of spanish trolling Bowed-Up spoons. Cobia are also in this same range, and bucktails have been doing the trick on them.
Bottom fishing in the 20-25 mile range has produced good numbers of tilefish and black sea bass, with fresh cut mullet and cut squid having the best success.
