No need to charter a boat and motor 30 miles to the Gulf Stream to catch a sailfish. In Nags Head, the water is so warm this week in the surf that several sailfish, though small, were caught off the piers. Southeast breezes raised the water tempearture to the upper 70’s, according to TW’s Tackle in Nags Head. Here is their report: Surf: Spot, Sea Mullet, Pompano and Flounder and Bluefish … [Read more...]

By Dr. Ken Neill, IIII Offshore boats are coming in with riggers full of flags. The white marlin bite has taken off early this year. Good numbers of blue marlin and sailfish are being caught, making for grand slam catches. Swordfish are being landed by boats targeting that species and bigeye tuna are being caught from the canyons. Some yellowfin tuna as well as wahoo are coming over the … [Read more...]

Dr. Julie Ball reports. The flounder action in the Bay is very productive. Good action is coming from near shore and inshore wrecks, where anglers are taking limits of nice fish running 22- to 24-inches. Some keeper sea bass will also take baits on the same wrecks. In the Bay, jigging and live bait are both techniques working well around all four islands of the CBBT, where flounder are running … [Read more...]

If you’ve waited until late July to take your summer vacation at a Nags Head cottage – your timing is very good. Capt. Reese Stecher of Beach Bum Guide Service says his parties have been catching lots of fish and a wide variety. Just offshore, Stecher has been putting clients on hard fighting amberjacks and the Mahi-Mahi are also close in. Some near shore Mahi’s have been gaffers. The amberjacks … [Read more...]

There’s a lot of gray going on at the Eastern Shore. Not gray skies - gray trout. Brent and Angelin Ham from Greensboro are enjoying some dynamite trout action while vacationing this week at Cherrystone Campground in Cheriton. Breaking in a new 17’9” center console, the Ham family is catching lots of gray trout up to 16-inches, plus whiting, croakers, puppy drum, spot and sea bass. High tide … [Read more...]

Eastern Shore Chris Bait & Tackle reports: Sea Mullet/Roundhead: Good catches are being reported off Kiptopeke, the Cabbage Patch/Bouy 18 area, Latimer Shoals and outside the Concrete Ships. Sea Trout: Pan trout to 14-inches have been caught outside the Kiptopeke Concrete Ships and out of Oyster in the Sand Shoal Inlet. Croakers: Medium size croakers have been showing in the bay … [Read more...]

By Dr. Julie Ball Summertime is well underway, and the saltwater fishing scene is following suit as catches escalate. The flounder action continues to rebound from the recent stormy weather. The bite is mostly steady this week, although some days are better than others in. Plenty of keepers are available in the usual flounder spots for those willing to work for them. Anglers drifting baits … [Read more...]

By Dr. Ken Neill, III The tuna bite slowed this week. The yellowfin are still out there, but not at the “boats coming in early with limits” level that we had the previous week. The mako sharks have thinned out also. They have been replaced by more dolphin and billfish and the wahoo have also arrived. It is a good mix-bagged fishery offshore of Virginia right now. Offshore, bottom fishing is … [Read more...]