OBX/Northern Beaches – October 2024
Kyle, of TW’s Bait and Tackle, reports that following any inclement weather (especially northeast winds), good runs on trophy-class red drum has been happening on the local piers. Fresh cut mullet fished off the end has been key.
Red drum have been making up a majority of the surf catches, with some scattered bluefish in the mix, too.
Soundside anglers are seeing good action on puppy drum and speckled trout. The better bite has been just south of the inlet, and both species only get better moving into October with the inshore water temperatures continuing to cool.
Offshore boats are finding catches of mahi, tuna, and some billfish releases.
Ben, of Salty Waters OBX, reports that the action has started to pick up with cooler than usual temperatures and northeast winds firing up an early fall feeding pattern.
Speckled trout have been so aggressive that they are striking artificial lures and not just live baits. Anglers are finding the trout all over the sound, with most fish staged up on grass flats, over structure, and back in the marshes.
The inshore red drum bite has also picked up, with groups of fish all over the flats around the inlet.
Some bull drum are hanging around the inlet and in the deeper inshore channels. The better bite has been in the evenings.
Some sheepshead are staging up around the inlet bridge as they start to move out from the sound, and moving into October, the sheepshead numbers only get better.
Billy Poss, of Maryland, landed this red drum in the vicinity of Oregon Inlet using cut mullet. He was fishing with Capt. Aaron Beatson of Carolina Sunrise.
Les, of Fishing Unlimited, reports that red drum of all sizes are being caught from Corolla down to Hatteras. During resent storms, the local piers saw a run of citation-class red drum.
The surf zone and piers on the northern beaches have been producing nice-sized spot, pompano, sea mullet, and bluefish.
Down on Hatteras Island, surf anglers are seeing much of the same, as well as better numbers of spanish mackerel.
Anglers fishing from the Little Bridge have enjoyed good catches of trout, and the trout bite should only pick up moving into October.
Bottom fishing from the Little Bridge is producing spot, croaker, black drum, and the occasional puppy drum.
Anglers making a run down to the Bonner Bridge Pier have been landing bluefish, drum, and a few speckled trout.
Jack, of Afishionado Charters, reports that boats are just now starting to see the trickle of fish that hopefully signals the start of the fall yellowfin tuna bite. Sea Witches with medium to medium/large-sized ballyhoo behind spreader bars have been the go-to set up.
Blackfin tuna continue to be abundant, with anglers having success using the same ballyhoo tactics.
Boats are still enjoying trips with multiple white marlin bites. The billfish are falling for smaller dink baits rigged on circle hooks.
Any habitat that offshore anglers find (such as floats or grass) are often holding mahi, and when boats find the mahi, they are in really good numbers. The same smaller dink baits for white marlin are having mahi success. It’s also a good idea to have some cut baits ready to start bailing fish if they get fired up.
McKayla, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that offshore runs are producing yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna, and wahoo.
Some trips are also enjoying strong numbers of mahi.
The billfish action remains pretty good, with daily releases of white marlin, blue marlin, and sailfish.
Trevor Buchert, of Kitty Hawk, landed this 40″, 17 lb. king mackerel near Avalon Pier while trolling finger mullet.
Meredith, of Pirate’s Cove Marina, reports that boats have been greeted with good numbers of mahi. Some trips are even landing quick limits.
Plenty of billfish are out there, with release flags flying each day.
Moving into fall, the fleet looks forward to the tuna fishing firing off. Yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna, and wahoo are all expected to be hitting the docks throughout the fall.
Jim, of Nags Head Pier, reports that most of the pier anglers have been focused on red drum. After any northeast blow, anglers have caught quite a few, with almost all of the reds being over-slot fish. A couple of keeper slot fish are in the mix, too.
Bluefish have been making up the majority of other bottom fish catches.
Joe, of Avalon Pier, reports that bottom fishing is producing a few spot and croaker, and anglers fishing closer to the wash have been catching some puppy drum.
During any northern wind conditions, the pier has seen a few bigger drum caught by anglers fishing off the end.
John, of Bob’s Bait and Tackle, reports that surf anglers have been doing well with red drum, especially during any rough weather conditions. Puppy drum, slot-sized drum, and the occasional bigger drum are all being caught with cut baits. The big drum bite, in particular, has been better from the local piers simply due to baits getting out further.
Also mixed in the bottom fishing action are spot, croaker, and a bunch of bluefish.
Anglers fishing back in the sound have been catching good numbers of speckled trout and red drum. The better action is closer to the inlet, though there are also fish being caught up towards Kill Devil Hills.
Nearshore anglers are having a lot of success trolling for bluefish and spanish mackerel, with some false albacore also around, too.
Offshore anglers have been catching blackfin tuna and mahi, and they’re seeing some billfish releases, too.
