I have been fishing for stripers in the sounds on the Outer Banks for over 30 years. At first, we caught a few fish, but they were largely throwbacks. Then a few 18-to-20-inch fish showed and there were lots of them.
In the past two years, however, not only are there lots of stripers in the sounds, there are some big stripers. Capt. Reese Stecher of Beach Bum Fishing has been hammering the stripers – nice fish to 13 pounds. He has also been catching some big catfish along with the stripers. There is lots of bait now in the sounds, which is why there have been great catches of puppy drum and speckled trout.
Those fishing the sounds at Nags Head during the next month should have great success. If you need a skipper, contact Reese at beachbumfishing.com
OBX
Elsewhere on the OBX, rain and high winds put a lid on the fishing on Wednesday, but earlier in the week, anglers had better success. The piers reported specks, blues, blow toads, and sheepshead. Surf anglers had to dodge the skates and dogfish in order to beach some nice puppy drum and blow toads.
Inshore boats scored with the stripers in Mann’s Harbor. The boats that patrolled the Gulf Stream returned with Mahi, yellowfin, and blackfin. The ocean temp is 55.
Virginia Saltwater
As the rivers and bay temperatures continue to drop, fishing gets better and better for rockfish. The lower Rapp remains the hotspot. The James, Elizabeth and Piankatank rivers are also fishing well. The speck action has slowed a bit, but there are still some huge trout being caught.
Freshwater
Water temps are now in the 50s in most lakes and rivers, but the bass action continues to be strong. A weight of 22 pounds won a tournament out of Sturgeon Creek at Lake Anna. The striper bite and the crappie bite have been excellent at Anna, where the water temperature is at a near ideal 55 degrees at mid-lake.
