Northern Beaches – September 11, 2014
John Newbold, of TW’s Tackle, with a puppy drum that he hooked while surf fishing the Nags Head beach at Ramp 4 near Oregon Inlet.
Betty, of TW’s Tackle, reports that surf casters fishing the local beaches are connecting with panfish like sea mullet and spot while baiting up with shrimp and bloodworms. Some keeper and smaller flounder are also feeding in the surf and finding anglers’ baits.
Those fishing the sound are connecting with some puppy drum, speckled trout, and flounder around Colington Harbor and the little bridge on the Manteo causeway. Soft plastic baits like Gulps are fooling most of the inshore predators.
Anglers fishing the sound from boats are also connecting with decent numbers of speckled trout and puppy drum while working artificials around Oregon Inlet.
The offshore fleet continues to connect with yellowfin and blackfin tuna in good numbers, and some large bigeyes are still in the mix (to 150+ lbs.). Dolphin and wahoo are feeding in the same areas offshore, and all the fish are taking an interest in naked and skirted ballyhoo. Billfish action remains an option as well, and boats released white and blue marlin and sailfish last week, with a few grand slam catches of all three.
William and Wayne Reynolds and Brantley Guinn celebrate a grand slam of billfish releases they found off Oregon Inlet in late August while trolling aboard the “Miss Shell.”
Offshore bottom fishing is producing some solid hauls of tasty sea bass and tilefish.
Rhonda, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that boats continue to see billfish action while trolling offshore of the inlet, and good numbers of sailfish and white and blue marlin flags are flying from the fleet’s outriggers on most days.
Boats looking for meatfish are finding plenty of action with yellowfin tuna. Some blackfin tuna, wahoo, and gaffer and bailer dolphin are mixed in with the yellowfins, and all the pelagic predators are taking an interest in naked and skirted ballyhoo.
Inshore boats are connecting with good numbers of speckled trout and puppy drum while working artificial lures in the sound around Oregon Inlet.
Dave, of Skiligal Sportfishing, reports that anglers continue to put together some solid hauls of meatfish while trolling offshore of Oregon Inlet. Dolphin and yellowfin and blackfin tuna are still around in solid quantities, and anglers are connecting with increasing numbers of wahoo as summer progresses towards fall. Ballyhoo paired with skirted lures like sea witches are fooling most of the meatfish.
Samantha Ducharme, of Detroit, MI, with her first flounder, a 19″ fish that bit cut shrimp off Seaview Pier.
Billfish are also feeding in the blue water offshore, and boats are releasing decent numbers of white marlin and sailfish along with a few blue marlin while trolling. Ballyhoo are fooling the marlin and sails as well, and trolling them along with teasers like dredges and daisy chains increases boats’ odds of a billfish encounter.
Mike, of Jennette’s Pier, reports that anglers have had a good week with pompano while bottom fishing from the pier. Spot, croaker, pigfish, and some small speckled trout are also falling for baits like shrimp and bloodworms on double drop bottom rigs.
Anglers are also hooking some bluefish on bottom rigs and more, along with a few spanish mackerel, while working casting lures like Gotcha plugs.
