Going to the OBX this summer? Like to swim in the ocean? So do sharks, like this huge hammerhead caught in the surf this week by Luke Beard at Ramp 49 in Frisco. He caught him on a human toe from the morgue – just kidding. It was a finger. But if you don’t mind swimming with the sharks, jump in.
Elsewhere on the OBX, the surf water temperature still hasn’t reached the magic 60-degree mark. It’s 53.8 F, but the fish are biting.
Some nice trout and puppy drum have been caught this week from the Little Bridge to Long Shoal, and further towards the western side of the sound.
Surf fishing is picking up. There was a good puppy drum and large red drum bite at the point in Buxton Friday. Puppy Drum are scattered from Ocracoke to as far north as Ramp 4 at Oregon Inlet. Along with the drum anglers are catching puffers, bluefish, and plenty of sharks around Hatteras.
Offshore has been tough weather wise, but a few made it out. Captain Ned Ashby took an international crew from Japan out and found plenty of Bluefin.
Virginia Saltwater
The water temperature in the Bay and along the Virginia Beach oceanfront is 48.0 F. We need four or five warm days to really kick off the speckled trout, puppy drum seasons inside Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets. A few warm days will lure bait into the shallows and the hungry predators will follow.
The recent cold snap has most likely delayed the big black drum bite a little. But a few warm days will take care of that as well. The bite will quickly pick up on Virginia’s Eastern Shore and in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Fresh clam is the bait of choice.
Tautog fishing is good on the ocean wrecks when you can find a weather window. This is the time of year when the larger togs can be had along the CBBT. Look for boats anchored over the rock near the islands. Yak fisherman will be fishing the bridge pylons.
Rockfish are available inside all the rivers but must be released.