Northern Beaches – March 26, 2015
Betty, of TW’s Tackle, reports that anglers are connecting with some striped bass in the sound, primarily around the bridges near Roanoke Island. The stripers will strike a variety of soft plastics or diving hard baits trolled or cast around the bridge pilings.
Francis Kennedy with an upper-slot puppy drum he hooked while fishing from the beach at Ramp 49 in Frisco. Photo courtesy of Frisco Rod and Gun.
Surf casters are primarily connecting with dogfish and skates from Corolla to Nags Head. Anglers fishing Hatteras Island are hooking the same, but some puppy drum are adding pleasant surprises to the mix. All are taking an interest in shrimp and cut baits on bottom rigs, and anglers can also sometimes tempt the pups to eat artificial lures like Gulp baits.
Capt. Patrick Shore with a 100″ bluefin tuna he and Madelyn Shore landed south of Cape Lookout after it inhaled a horse ballyhoo under a Joe Shute Lure.
The puppy drum bite has been better at Ocracoke, where anglers are reporting fairly consistent action.
Offshore boats are reporting that bluefin tuna have shown up off Oregon Inlet, and anglers are hooking up with them in a variety of sizes (most 60-90”). A few yellowfin tuna have been mixed in with their larger cousins, and both are taking an interest in trolled ballyhoo. Anglers who find concentrations of the tuna may also be able to hook up while working vertical jigs or topwater poppers around fish they spot on the sounder or feeding on the surface.
Capt. Gary Dubiel, of Spec Fever Guide Service, with a speckled trout that bit a D.O.A. CAL soft plastic in a creek off the Neuse River.
Kat, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that when boats get the weather to run offshore, they’re finding solid numbers of bluefin tuna feeding along and offshore of the break. Both keeper (under 73”) and trophy fish are in the mix, and boats landed bluefins weighing 120-240 lbs. over the past week.
Some larger fish (to 80”+ and 400 lbs.) are also biting and being released by the recreational fleet. Some blackfin and yellowfin tuna are feeding in the same areas and adding some tasty variety to the fish boxes.
Most of the tunas are taking an interest in ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures.
Mike, of Jennette’s Pier, reports that anglers have been hooking a few dogfish from the pier in recent weeks. Most are falling for cut baits on the bottom.
Not much else has been happening, but birds have been working bait balls around the pier over the past several days, so anglers are hoping the action turns on soon.
The water temperature is 44 degrees.
