Dr. Julie Ball
As summer comes to a close, anglers have enjoyed a few breaks from the stifling heat.
Spanish mackerel action is still over the top, with big fish available, and plenty of them. Several citation-sized fish have already been caught and the action continues to sizzle. Boats are having good luck while trolling with small spoons around the tubes of the CBBT in Bay waters, and along tiderips off Sandbridge and Cape Henry. A few stray Mahi just a few miles off the beach have surprised a few trollers. King mackerel action is good and improving with fish up to 40-pounds.
Cobia fishing has been good this season, and this week, it’s been more of the same. Cobia hunters are relishing an upswing in the number of larger fish, with several weighing up to 87-pounds. Fish are forming into pods and gliding along the surface in the lower bay and along the oceanfront.
Flounder action is good on some days and not so goods on others. Most structures produce fish averaging 21-inches for anglers working with live bait or jigs and Gulp baits. Decent flatfish are also available on inshore and offshore wrecks, along with triggerfish and nice sea bass.
Sheepshead anglers continue to have good catches on the bridge pilings of the CBBT as well as over all four tubes. Respectable spadefish are still available along the CBBT and near the Tower Reef and near shore structures.
Nice spot are filtering into the usual hot spots in southern sections of the Bay, inlets, and along the oceanfront. Local piers are reporting good action for spot on a moving tide, along with a smattering of decent croaker. Puppy drum and scattered speckled trout are available in several lower Bay inlets.
Big amberjack continue to lurk at the Southern Towers as well as on several offshore wrecks. Jack crevalle are a possibility at the Chesapeake Light Tower. Nice blueline tilefish, black-bellied rosefish, and a good number of barrel fish, along with jumbo sea bass, continue to keep anglers happy.
For offshore anglers, billfish action is on the rise. A good number of white marlin along with some blue marlin, sailfish and spearfish are active, with a few grand slams already reported. Some nice yellow fin tuna and big eye tuna are also possibilities. Plenty of big dolphin are still around, along with wahoo.
Nags Head
On Wednesday, TW’s reported that the winds were SE at 2 and the water temp was 78 degrees.
Surf fishermen were having good luck with spot and bluefish.
Sound Fishing: The Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway reported cooking size croakers, some trout and pinfish.
Pier Fishing: Avalon: Bluefish.
Nags Head: Bluefish and spades.
Jennette’s: Bar jack and pinfish. Some cobia have been spotted.
Outer Banks: Spot, blues, pompano and a 16-inch flounder.
Inshore had good catches of speckle trout, bluefish and Spanish. Nearhore anglers caught albacore, moonfish and lots of Spanish and blues.
Oregon Inlet
On Wednesday, the Fishing Center reported that anglers aboard offshore charters had an amazing day of billfish releases. Boats also pulled in a yellowfin tuna, some dolphin, tilefish, and sea bass.
The Miss Oregon Inlet Headboat had busy trips morning and afternoon. Anglers enjoyed reeling in flounder, sea mullet, bluefish, spot, croakers, pigfish, pinfish and sea bass.
Hatteras Surf
On Tuesday, Red Drum reported that The Point had plenty of bluefish with some Spanish mixed in. Behind the motels, it was bluefish and Spanish. Ramp 55 to the Inlet had small flounder, blues and sea mullet. Avon anglers caught small croakers, sea mullet and pompano.
The Point had bluefish and Spanish all day on Wednesday. There were also some big Blacktip sharks out there. Behind the motels and cottages, it was Spanish and bluefish. Avon had flounder and Spanish in the morning. Hatteras had small flounder and bluefish.
Hatteras Offshore
Excellent catches of bluefish mixed with a few Spanish mackerel entertained inshore anglers throughout the day. Some yellowfin and blackfin tuna were caught offshore. Dolphin fishing was good. The Wahoo bite continues. Bottom fishing was good with nice catches of gray tilefish. One white marlin was released.