By Dr. Julie Ball
Sheepshead action is still going strong as anglers entice big fish from the pilings and all four tubes of the CBBT. This action will resume once the water settles, but the bite will soon be winding down for the season.
Before the storm, the fishing scene was on a roll.
Cobia were out of control as the season came to a close, with many big fish making the end of the season a memorable one. Sight casters will now shift their interests to the schools of big red drum roaming the lower Bay shoals and along the ocean front.
Flounder fishing will slow after the storm until the dirty water clears. The best flounder action continues to come from the inshore and offshore wrecks, where nicer fish are available if you can find the right structure. Big triggerfish and some nice sea bass are hitting squid on many of these same wrecks. Anglers are also encountering schools of bailer-sized dolphin while wreck fishing or trolling in these areas, especially between the Chesapeake Light Tower and the Triangle Wrecks.
King mackerel action has been good with more smokers boated this week off the oceanfront. Spanish mackerel are still providing action within the Bay and along the ocean front, along with some false albacore and small bluefish.
Backwater anglers are finding good numbers of speckled trout and puppy drum in lower Bay shallows, especially in Lynnhaven and Rudee Inlets, the Poquoson flats, and Hungars creek. One angler reported a good outing, with nine specks in the 3-pound class range while fishing in Hungars creek with live bait this week.
Decent sized spot are around, and the action will likely heat up with the recent blow. Croaker are hitting near all four islands of the CBBT, the skinny waters of the Eastern Shore, and off Cape Henry. The hardhead action out of Oyster improved last week, but the cooling trend may put an end to this bite.
The Chesapeake Light Tower and Southern Towers offer a chance at an amberjack, or maybe a jack crevalle. Deep droppers are catching limits of blueline tilefish, golden tilefish, black-bellied rosefish, with jumbo sea bass in the mix.
Offshore, white marlin releases continue to improve. Blue marlin, sailfish, spearfish, and even swordfish offer bluewater trollers variety, and a shot at a grand slam. One boat even reported releasing one of each local billfish species for a very rare fantasy slam this week. Bigeye tuna are still around, along with some yellowfin tuna. Some big wahoo and big gaffer dolphin are also a good consolation prize.
Nags Head
TW’s Reports:
Surf Fishing: Small drum are up and down the beaches along with small pompano, sea mullet, croakers and spot.
Sound Fishing: The Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway reported trout, croakers, black drum and stripers.
Pier Fishing: Avalon: Small Trout.
Nags Head: Trout.
Jennette’s: Bluefish.
Outer Banks: Plenty small puppies. One angler caught more than 30; none were keepers.
Nearshore: Boats decked bluefish, some Spanish and a few trout. Inshore boats had good catches of keeper red drum along with albacore, Spanish and a few flounder.
Hatteras Surf
Red Drum notes there were some yearlings and slot fish (drum) landed but the majority were undersized. A few bluefish hit cut bait. The water was starting to clear by Wednesday. Ramp 48 had small bluefish, sea mullet, pompano and puppy drum.
Hatteras Offshore
The fleet was finally out again on Wednesday and had an incredible day. There were more than 40 white marlin caught. The Pelican recorded a grand slam with one Blue, eleven White Marlin and one Sailfish. The charters came back to the docks with yellowfin, blackfin, a 52 lb. wahoo and limits of dolphin.