Dr. Ken Neill, III
September is typically the best time to catch white marlin off Virginia’s coast. There are also good numbers of blue marlin around, an unusually high number of sailfish, a lot of round-scale spearfish and if you spend the night, swordfish are available.
The yellowfin tuna bite should pick up again later in the fall. Some are being caught now along with some impressive big-eye tuna caught in both the Washington and Norfolk Canyons. Dolphin can be found most anywhere and more wahoo are being encountered.
Anglers trolling inshore are catching some impressive sized king mackerel, plus red drum, cobia, false albacore and dolphin. Small spoons add Spanish mackerel and small bluefish to the catches. The cobia bite went out with a bang as sight-fishermen scored with big catches near the mouth of the bay through the close of the season. The cobia are around and can be encountered in good numbers over the next couple of weeks on a catch and release basis.
The big red drum bite continues on the shoals, at the mussel beds near 36A and cruising in schools in open water. September finds them stacked at the islands of the CBBT. Big sheepshead are being caught now at the Tunnel and that bite will continue through September. Spadefish catches have been coming from the 4th Island of the CBBT and specks are being caught in bayside creeks on the Eastern Shore. Gray trout are hitting out of Oyster and along the concrete Ships.
It has not been a great flounder year but there are some good catches to be had at the CBBT. The best bite has been around the coastal wrecks. It is also a good time to hit the wrecks for big triggerfish and sea bass.
September is the month for a run on spot. A northeast blow typically turns on the spot fishing.
Nags Head
TW”s reports:
Surf Fishing: Fishing is slow overall.
Sound Fishing: The Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway reported a couple of small trout, small puppies and small stripers.
Pier Fishing: Avalon reported blues and sea mullet.
Nags Head: Blues and spot.
Jennette’s: Bluefish and small puppy drum.
Outer Banks: Bluefish, croakers, mullet and spot.
Inshore: Anglers reported catches of Spanish, bluefish, flounder, albacore and plenty of trout and spot.
Miss Oregon Inlet Headboat reported sea mullet, trout, sea bass, croaker, spot, some nice flounder, pigs and pins.
Oregon Inlet
The Fishing Center reported good action on Aug. 29, but not much since then due to storms. On Monday, the weather was beautiful and offshore charters had a great day with limits of Yellow Fin Tuna. The boats also brought numbers of Mahi-Mahi and some Black Fin Tuna as well. Kara Everett had a catch-and-release of a Sailfish. The near-shore charter boat anglers caught a nice number of Spanish Mackerel, King Mackerel and Albacore.
On Wednesday, one boat sailed and landed
one blue and two white marlin.
Hatteras Surf
Red Drum reported that fishing turned out to be pretty good on Wednesday with Spanish and plenty of blues at The Point. This afternoon bite featured sea mullet, pompano and a few keeper Flounder. That evening it was bluefish every cast.
Hatteras Offshore
On Wednesday, Hatteras Harbor reported an overcast, humid day on the island. One boat fished inshore and caught a nice mess of bluefish. They also enjoyed clamming in the calm water of the Pamlico Sound. Another inshore boat focused on catching Red Drum and had one release. Two boats ventured offshore and returned with some wahoo, blackfin tuna, and some really nice gaffer dolphin. Bottom fishing was good for amberjack, tilefish and grouper.