By Dr. Ken Neill, III
Tautog catches have been very good for those targeting sheepshead at the CBBT. There are lots of small striped bass in the bay. Last fall, they were mostly too small to keep. This fall, there will be numerous 20-plus inch available. We are having a very good spot run. Nice spot are being caught in all of the rivers and inlets. Speckled trout and puppy drum are on the flats and anywhere with grass. Any dock with a light on it is a good location to look for specks, pups, and striped bass. Big red drum are being caught at the CBBT.
Spanish mackerel continue to be caught on the oceanfront along with false albacore. The coastal wrecks are holding sea bass, triggerfish and flounder.
The offshore bite is mixed bag. Billfish are being caught, but it has not been the epic September bite we have become used to. Dolphin, wahoo and some tuna are being caught. It is a good time to try for swordfish. Bottom fishing is producing good catches of tilefish and some grouper.
Chincoteague
Sea trout, taylor blues, sea mullet and flounder are still available inside the inlet. The surf off Assateague Island is producing sea mullet, sea trout, striped bass, small sharks, taylor blues and a few spot. Pan trout are available near the 2TL Buoy, for anglers drifting squid strips. Offshore boats are still finding yellowfin tuna from 30 fathoms out to the Canyons, while inshore waters are harboring lots of false albacore.
Nags Head
Capt. Reese Stecher (www.beachbumfishing.com) was scoring with daily limits on puppy drum and speckled trout until Hurricane Jose moved in. As calmer conditions prevailed, the red-hot bite picked right up where it left off.
Thursday was a beautiful day on the OBX. There were puppy drum and sea mullet scattered along the beaches Wednesday. The ocean was fishable, but with grassy conditions.
The Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway reported Trout, Croaker, Black Drum and Stripers.
Pier Fishing: Avalon anglers caught lots of Spot on bloodworms, plus Sea Mullet, Bluefish, Croaker, and Drum. Some big red drum were caught Wednesday night.
Nags Head Pier produced Puppy Drum and good night fishing for drum.
Jennette’s had Black Drum and 8 big bull Red Drum released Wednesday.
Outer Banks Pier had some keeper-sized Puppy Drum.
Oregon Inlet
The fleet stayed in port most of this week due to heavy seas from the hurricane. The last fishing day was Sunday with full fish boxes and lots of happy anglers. Anglers brought in limits of Mahi, good numbers of yellowfin, blackfin, and big-eye tuna. There was also a Mako shark and more than a dozen billfish releases.
Hatteras Surf
Things had finally calmed down by Wednesday. Surf casters caught some bluefish on metal and bait at Ramp 49. There were also some small puppy drum, and pompano beached. Puppy drum, small pompano and sea mullet were caught on the Point.
Hatteras Offshore
Limits of speckled trout and drum were taken on Wednesday as the weather cooperated for a change. A few bluefish were hooked as well. Several boats headed offshore and had good dolphin and wahoo catches as well as a few blackfin tuna.
