By Dr. Ken Neill, III
Water temperatures have reached into the 50s inside the bay and she is waking up. Crabs are active and now that the potting season is open, getting crabs for tautog bait will be much easier. Tog have been caught on the ocean wrecks all winter long but have been rather dormant in the bay. That has now changed with the warmer waters and structures inside the bay are producing some nice tog.
Striped bass are in the bay and up in the rivers. The recreational season is closed in the bay until May. The commercial guys are catching them good. Recreational anglers can catch and release until the season opens. It is not too early to start trying for flounder, especially up in the shallows where the water is warmer. Expect the drum bite to begin early this year, probably in the early part of April.
Offshore, there is some warmer water in the Norfolk and Washington Canyons that could hold tuna but all of the boats have been running way south (or just running out of Oregon Inlet) to fish the Point area for bluefin tuna. Yellowfin tuna are also being caught in this area. If that water holds in the canyon, we may get some boats checking it out. Bottom fishing in the canyon area has been good for blueline tilefish.
Nags Head Surf
Blow toads are biting and that’s a good sign. The tasty puffers are the first to bite (with the exception of sharks and skates) so the drum and mullet won’t be far behind. Stripers are being caught off the Little Bridge at Manteo. The water temperature in the surf is 52 degrees
Oregon Inlet
Good reports from Oregon Inlet. On March 15, 10 boats sailed out of the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center and some big Bluefin were brought back to the docks, the biggest weighing in at 396-lbs. There were a few Yellowfin mixed in and one 40-pounder.
On March 17, the bluewater fleet added some Blackfin, Albacore and Wahoo to their Bluefin catches. There were several catch and release Bluefin, including one 76-inch citation release.
Hatteras Surf
On Wednesday, Ramp 55 had a few Flounder and Blow Toads. Ramp 49 had Blow Toads and Blue Fish. The Point had Blues, Sharks and Blow toads. The Jetties had a couple of Black Drum.
Earlier in the week, a 32-inch Drum was caught at Cape Point along with a 200lb. shark. Blow Toads are everywhere. Some Bluefish and Sea Mullet were beached at Ramp 38. There were nice Bluefish at ramps 55 and 43. Frisco added Puppy Drum to the mix.
Hatteras Offshore
Hatteras Harbor reports: It was a nice day to be out on the water on Wednesday. Three boats headed offshore and returned with Blackfin Tuna, Amberjack and Albacore.
Citations included: Sarah Anderson of Bumpass, VA with a 28-lb. Blackfin Tuna caught aboard the Carolina Girl. Julie Scott of Mineral, VA landed a 24-lb. Blackfin Tuna citation on Carolina Girl
Only a few boats were out on Tuesday. Bluefin were seen and hooked, but not brought to the boat. Blackfin Tuna were around in fair numbers. The weather got windy as the day went on.
It was excellent Blackfin Tuna fishing Monday. One Bluefin was brought in by a local boat that was commercial fishing. The weather was a bit windy, but the sun was out and the temps were in the 60’s