Sight Fishing in Carolina
Capt. Allen Cain Reports
The weather is finally starting to warm and get more consistent here in coastal NC. This in turn has made fishing more productive as warming water temperatures are making fish more aggressive. It’s still spring, so we get the occasional rainy/windy days, but for the most part it has been nice the last few weeks.
Redfish are schooled up in crystal clear shallow water and making for great sight fishing targets. Clear water requires a little longer cast but watching a school of fish chase down and eat your fly or lure is as exciting as it gets. In some areas the fish aren’t schooled in big groups, but we are already seeing them tailing and belly crawling in just inches of water and crushing bait back in the creeks. With the warming water temps, the redfish in the ocean are moving back inshore from the surf zone. Over the next month the redfish will begin spreading out all along our inshore bays and creeks. This time of year they are mainly eating small baitfish, but with the right presentation, they will eat any lure or fly.
Some of our seasonal fish are starting show up as well. Trout and flounder fishing have started to improve and we are catching them throughout the area creeks.
The ocean water temperature was 63 degrees yesterday, so it should only be another week before Bonito and False Albacore show up along the beaches. The spring Bonito and Albie run doesn’t last as long as in the fall but it should give us a week or two of good fishing for them.
I will be heading up to Weldon NC on the Roanoke River starting April 18 to target striped bass. This is some of the easiest fishing you will ever do, as the river will be full with tens of thousands of stripers as they make their annual spawn. The average fish will run 2-6 pounds but what they lack in size they make up for in numbers. A 50-75 fish day is not uncommon, whether you’re fly fishing or using light tackle spinning gear. The keeper season for stripers will end April 30. After that it will be catch and release only. This is a great fishery for kids, or as a way to introduce new anglers to fishing because of the short boat rides and ease of fishing. I only have about 12 days left open for stripers on the Roanoke so don’t wait to book a trip if you’re looking for some easy spring fishing. The boat ramp in Weldon is only a short drive from Raleigh and is located right off of Interstate 95 just below the Virginia line. Depending on where you’re coming from it’s an easy day trip or if fishing multiple days there are many hotels in the town of Roanoke Rapids.
Captain Alan Cain, 336-613-2975, www.sightfishnc.com
Virginia Saltwater
Dr. Julie Ball
The local water temperatures continue to rise, and the spring fishing season is heating up accordingly. But with some windy days in the near forecast, boats will likely stay close to shore for the weekend. With the Virginia cobia season threatened by restrictive regulations this year, anglers are looking for some positive news on the fishing front.
Flounder have debuted in the seaside inlets on the Eastern Shore, where anglers are watching for optimal days to target them with strip bait and gudgeons, especially in Wachapreague and Oyster. This action will only improve as the water continues to warm.
Tautog action is still going strong, and the spring tog bite has really taken off within Bay waters. And with fiddler crabs now available, it is game on. Fiddler crabs and even blue crabs are working well on lower Bay structures and wrecks. The rocks and tubes of the artificial islands and the pilings near the High Rise section of the Bridge Tunnel are providing very good results. The Concrete Ships, the Cape Henry wreck, and the Yancy wreck are also providing some good action when folks can get to them. Most anglers are catching limits of fish ranging to around 4-pounds, but some nicer tog over 6-pounds are also in the mix. Deeper water wrecks are also producing nice tautog, with fish to 15-pounds taking offered crab in water ranging to around 70 to 100-feet. Sea bass are also available on many of these deeper structures, but they are still illegal to keep.
Anglers fishing inside Rudee Inlet are excited about an early season run of nice bluefish, with some of these fish reported at over 10-pounds. Folks are catching nice blues throughout the inlet from jetties, docks and boats, and as far back as the boat ramp area. Plenty of small schoolie stripers are also bombarding baits as folks target bluefish. Some croaker are hitting in the tributary rivers, and should continue to heat up as the season evolves. Roundhead and drum will also show themselves soon.
The deep water off the Virginia coast is still the place to be if you wish to crank up tilefish, black-bellied rosefish and grouper from over 300 feet of water. Be aware that plenty of pesky dogfish are still ready to compete for your bait, but not for much longer.
Offshore anglers are hoping for a good year. Although the bluewater fish may be within range of the Virginia fleet, boats are waiting for a break in the wind to check out the scene.
Nags Head
Capt. Reese Stecher of Beach Bum Fishing
(www.beachbumfishing.com) notes that striper fishing has been good in Nags Head with keepers coming from the sound and lots of smaller fish at the inlet. He caught 6 on a windy day last weekend when it was almost too rough to fish. The limit on stripers in two fish over 18-inches through the end of April.
Jennette’s Pier had Skates on Wednesday. Nice puffers were biting last weekend.
Corolla
OBX Bait & Tackle reports: On Thursday in Corolla we have some thunder storms moving in with the water temp at 50 degrees and the wind is S at 15 knots. This past week is pretty much the same on the northern beaches with some scattered Bluefish, Shark, Skate and Mud Marlin (stingray’s). There is not a whole lot to report it is very quiet on the Outer Banks this week. There are a few anglers here and there with the point catching some Puppy Drum and some Yearlings along with some Bluefish, Sea Mullet and some Blowtoads.
Oregon Inlet
The Fishing Center reports: On April 4, the weather finally eased up a bit and three of our offshore charters ventured through the inlet this morning. We had some very nice catches brought in this afternoon. Six first-class Blue Fin Tuna were caught today. They measured between 62 inches and 64 inches. We also had some fat Yellow Fin Tuna reeled in. All in all it was a good day for fishing and it was nice to see those charters headed out through the inlet this morning.
Last Saturday, four offshore boats sailed. Congrats to the Parker group for their nice yellow-fin and a 63″ blue-fin weighing in at 144 pounds. The Fleming party boated 6 very nice yellowfins and an early season dolphin.
One in-shore boat sailed this afternoon and some great young anglers aboard. They landed some nice puffer fish along with some great catch and release action on sound stripers.
Hatteras Surf
Red Drum reports on Wednesday: After all that cold and windy weather yesterday we sure have a beautiful day. The Point had some Puppy Drum and Yearlings this morning. This evening at the Point about a dozen Yearling Drum were caught and Puppy Drum. Andrew went to Ocracoke and did the same as they did on the Point. The south beach had Blow Toads, Sea Mullet and Blue Fish. The wind is going to be hard South West tomorrow so tomorrow night should be good fishing hopefully.
We had a decent Drum bite Monday night. There were a dozen or more 40-inch Drum caught and released. Dan Willard had a 41-incher. There was also 41 inch caught and released at the Point. Ramp 38 had Blow Toads and a couple of Sea Mullet. The Point also had early today Blue Fish and Sharks.
Hatteras Offshore\
Hatteras Harbor reports on Wednesday
There were a few boats offshore today. They had catches of Blackfin, a few Yellowfin and Wahoo, along with some Albacore and some big sharks. Inshore boats fished around the inlet and caught Bluefish.
Citations”
Louis Lovati of Chesterfield, MI caught a 50-lb. Wahoo
Michael Kennedy of Sterling Heights, MI had a 22-lb. Blackfin Tuna
Joseph Barker of New Baltimore, MI had a 20-lb. Blackfin Tuna
Jason Hill of Troy, MI landed a 91″ Shark
David Hill of Commerce, MI caught a 23-lb. Blackfin Tuna
Erik Hill of Troy, MI had a 25-lb. Blackfin Tuna
Several boats fished Monday. The weather was cool in the morning but warmed to the 60’s by afternoon. Wind was fairly breezy but not enough to shorten the day. A few Yellowfin Tuna were caught with a good Blackfin Tuna bite. Several big sharks were caught. There were also a few Wahoo and Bottom fish brought in.