If you are fortunate enough to have planned a fall escape to the Outer Banks, your timing could hardly be better. The fishing has been sensational.
The big red drum that have abandoned northern waters are feeding along the OBX coast and surf fishermen and pier fishermen are both taking advantage.
Pier fishing has been good the past couple of days with a handful of big drum pulled over the rails. Pier anglers are seeing decent catches of puppy drum, speckled trout, bluefish, spot, and sea mullet.
Along the beaches, anglers fishing the surf are scoring with puppy drum, bluefish, sea mullet, black drum, and smaller trout. Hopefully with the calm conditions forecasted for the next couple of days we will see those big, speckled trout return.
Sound side fishing has been spotty with the cold front, but there are still plenty of drum and trout out there, just fewer bites. Striper season is closed in the sound, but there have been plenty being caught and released around the bridges
Offshore action has heated back up with lots of tuna (both yellowfin and blackfin), Wahoo, a few king mackerel, and scattered dolphins.
Virginia Saltwater
Speckled trout fishing in the shallows remains good in rivers, inlets and along the oceanfront in the surf. Rockfish and puppy drum are also being caught by the trout fishermen.
A few big red drum are still available, but most are moving south. Some big spot are biting at the mouth of the Rapp, but will soon move offshore.
Tautog and sheepshead are still being caught in the Bay along CBBT structure and on the artificial reefs. Thomas Czaplicki caught a 12 lb. 1 oz. sheepshead, Raymond Dodson Jr. a 11 lb. 8 oz. sheepshead and Michael Bouquet a 9 lb. 11 oz. Tautog.
Black seabass fishing has been excellent, boats are catching limits of jumbos. The Triangle Reef is a popular spot.