If you like to dig your toes in the sand and heave a line out into the crashing waves, you’re in luck. Now is the best time of all to surf fish. Why? Because the list of available fish to catch is longer than at any other time of year. Pompano are running, plus there are blues and Spanish Macs prowling the surf. All the bottom fish – croakers, sea mullet, spot and flounder – are available, and you might also luck into a speck or a puppy drum, a shark or even a cobia. You just never know, this time of year.
Fish of Note.
Puppy Drum: Starting to show up around the inlets, although numbers are still noticeably lower than in previous years.
Bluefish: Running rampant with plenty of bait pushing through the inlets.
Flounder: Still being caught in the backwaters, with most fish around keeper size and a few smaller and larger fish mixed in.
Red Drum: The drum are farther back in the backwaters and have been running larger, over-the-slot size fish chasing mullet.
Croaker, Spot & Mullet: All moving through the inlets in good numbers and providing plenty of forage for the predators.
Cobia: The bite remains on fire, with anglers continuing to find quality fish throughout the bay.
Bull Drum: Still providing consistent action for those targeting them specifically.
Sheepshead: The bite has slowed a bit, but there are still fish being caught around structure.
Pompano: Good catches are reported as warmer water pushes these fish farther north. This is a short seasonal window, so surf anglers should take advantage while they can.
Sharks, Red Drum, Bluefish & Spanish Mackerel: All continuing to provide opportunities from the beach.
OBX
It has been a good week for sea mullet and bluefish. Large schools of menhaden just off the beach had the bluefish and seagulls going at it. Some big sharks were beached. Pompano and croakers were biting for pier anglers. The offshore fleet is finding billfish galore – white and blue marlin along with sailfish. Mahi are also in the mix.
