Northern Beaches – May 28, 2015
Betty, of TW’s Tackle, reports that anglers are connecting with plenty of spot, sea mullet, and other bottomfish while soaking baits in beachfront sloughs from Nags Head north. Fish Bite bloodworms have been producing the majority of the action.
There’s also been some good fishing for over-slot red drum along the Corolla beachfront over the past week, with most of the fish falling for cut baits.
Dan Humphrey, of Springfield, VA, with a 30 lb. cobia he hooked on a live eel off Roanoke Island.
Bluefish have been mixed in with the other species in the surf.
Anglers fishing the little bridge on the causeway are hooking some speckled trout (most undersized but a few keepers), croaker, and spot. A 56 lb. black drum was also landed from the bridge last week.
Bottom fishing near Oregon Inlet is producing flounder, spot, sea mullet, croaker, and more.
Anglers trolling around the inlet and along the beachfront are hooking plenty of bluefish along with some spanish mackerel.
Christina W with one of many chopper bluefish she hooked while surf fishing the northern Outer Banks. Photo courtesy of TW’s Tackle.
Cobia have shown up around the inlet and off the beaches as well, and solid numbers are coming back to the docks from anglers sight-casting with jigs and eels.
The offshore fleet continues to connect with big numbers of yellowfin tuna and gaffer dolphin, and then wahoo, bigeye tuna, and billfish are in the mix as well. Most are falling for ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures.
Travis Kemp, of Moyock, NC, with a cobia that he hooked while sight-casting a C&B custom jig from the end of Jennette’s Pier.
Kat, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that offshore trollers are still seeing plenty of action with dolphin (both gaffers and smaller fish) along with yellowfin tuna and respectable numbers of bigeye tuna (ranging from 100-200 lbs.). A few citation-class wahoo are in the mix, and blue water anglers are also seeing some of the first billfish action of the year (with blue and white marlin and sailfish released last week).
Closer to the beaches, anglers are seeing good numbers of cobia and connecting with them while sight-casting to fish cruising on the surface within a few miles of the beachfront.
Around the inlet and just off the beaches, the spanish mackerel have arrived and are feeding alongside bluefish. Both are taking an interest in trolled Clarkspoons and other flashy lures.
Bottom fishing in the inlet has been producing flounder, spot, sea mullet, croaker, and more.
Dave, of Skiligal Sportfishing, reports that anglers have been catching big numbers of dolphin (most gaffers) on offshore trips out of Oregon Inlet recently. The tuna bite has been on as well, with some excellent hauls of yellowfins recently along with a few bigeye tuna encounters (with fish to 170+ lbs.). Some citation-class wahoo are also around and finding boats’ baits, and several billfish have been released by the fleet over the past week as well. Ballyhoo paired with skirted lures like sea witches are fooling the majority of the pelagic predators.
Mike, of Jennette’s Pier, reports that anglers are hooking sea mullet, spot, croaker, gray trout, and more while bottom fishing with shrimp, squid, and bloodworms. A few puppy drum, flounder, and bluefish have been mixed in recently as well.
Anglers are also catching the blues along with some spanish mackerel while working casting lures like Gotcha plugs from the pier.
One angler also landed a cobia while sight-casting from the end of the pier last week.
