TW’s Tackle at Nags Head says that surf fishing is good. Black drum, bluefish, sea mullet, speckled trout and plenty small puppy drum with a keeper pups are being beached. The winds on Wednesday were N at 16 and the water was 59 degrees.
Sound Fishing: The Little Bridge on the Manteo causeway reported slow fishing.
Pier Fishing:
Avalon: Small trout.
Nags Head: Little trout.
Jennette’s: Spot, puffers, black drum and trout.
Outer Banks: Small puppies, small black drum and puffers.
Offshore: Blue water anglers had fair catches of blackfin tuna and released some small yellowfins.
Virginia Saltwater
Dr. Julie Ball reports:
The latest cold front continues to drop water temperatures, while also keeping many anglers inshore.
The fall speckled trout bite is gaining momentum. Anglers are hooking lots of smallish trout, with the best catches occurring in Lynnhaven and Rudee inlets, the Poquoson Flats, and in the Eastern Shore shallows. Most fish are below 18-inches, but several nice keepers are also around. A 7-pounder was caught at Lynnhaven Inlet. Casting grubs and Mirro-lures will get the job done. Puppy drum are also providing action, with keeper-sized fish in Lynnhaven, Rudee, and Little Creek inlets. Local surf anglers are reporting some quality pups coming from the surf lines from Fort Story to the Sandbridge area.
As waters cool, there is an upswing in lower Bay striper activity. Right now, mostly school-sized fish are available around the lower Bay bridge tunnels and some of the backwater locations. Larger fish over 30-inches are offering some better action in local tributary rivers and creeks, but the best is yet to come.
The tautog bite is still going strong in lower Bay waters. When boats can get out, folks are having no trouble finding willing takers along the entire span of the CBBT, on lower Bay wrecks, and along the Concrete Ships. Some recent catches of large fish were coming from the 3rd island of the CBBT. The bigger togs are lurking on deep-water wrecks, but the weather is a limiting factor. Sheepshead are a possibility in the same vicinities, while big triggerfish are actively feeding on many inshore and coastal structures. Nice sea bass will respond on most deep-water wrecks, with the Triangle Wrecks most popular. Big bluefish could also be roaming in the vicinity of the Triangle wrecks and other offshore structures, but few boats have tried for them due to challenging winds.
Deep dropping is good when boats can get out. Anglers are finding a good variety of big blue-line tilefish, golden tilefish, and black-bellied rosefish in deeper water. Scattered grouper to 40-pounds are also responding in some of these same areas. Virginia offshore waters are mostly an unknown right now, since few boats have ventured out. Yellowfin tuna, wahoo, and dolphin are still possibilities when folks make the run, but the best action has been to the south in Carolina, where boats are still scoring with yellowfin tuna, scattered blackfin and some nice wahoo lately.
Hatteras Surf
On Wednesday, Red Drum in Buxton reported a beautiful day with a morning bite of a few puppy drum, bluefish, sharks and skates on the Point. Ramp 44 had plenty of blues. Ramp 49 anglers caught sea mullet. Red Drum weighed in a 2-1 mullet caught from the south beach. There have also been some speckle trout around. One angler caught 8 specks at the jetties with 2 being keepers.
Hatteras Offshore
Wednesday was a beautiful day on the water said Hatteras Harbor. Boats that headed out live-bait fishing for king mackerel did really well. Fishing near the rock pile produced catches of wahoo and to the east, blackfin tuna were boated.
Inshore, fishing in the sound was good with catches of bluefish, trout and drum. One of the inshore boats headed to The Hook and had a great day. They caught a basket of nice bluefish, and this afternoon the big red drum made a showing. Weary anglers released all they could catch. On the way in, a school of “right whales” made a showing, cutting though the bait balls. So, if it was in the sound or in the ocean anglers had a great time.