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This is shaping up to be an excellent striper season, both in Carolina and Virginia waters. Down at Oregon Inlet, Capt. Reese Stecher and fellow captains have been slamming the stripers. They are even catching some larger fish (28-inches plus) and that fishery will only improve. Reese continues to catch puppy drum and speckled trout, often right along wit the stripers. There are still two full months left in the season. Better Take advantage!
Virginia Saltwater
Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle reports the trout fishing was very good inside Lynnhaven Inlet last week. The action should continue through November. Rudee Inlet is also holding trout and puppy drum.
The Virginia striper season is open and things should pick up as the weather continues to cool. A few catches are coming from around the islands on the CBBT, inside the James River and near the James River Bridge. Night fishing and first daylight have produced best. Try top water poppers at dawn. The CBBT structures are also holding red drum. But the best drum action has come on cut bait or live bait fished on the bottom. Beth and Kevin Synowiec made a quick trip out on the bay and caught a two-person limit of 24- to 26-puppy drum and released 3 more to 49 inches.
Anglers have been doing well with tautogs on the rocks of the CBBT. The togs prefer crabs. Live green crabs are best and some tackle shops carry them.
Several boats have ventured out to the Norfolk Canyon recently. Captain Jake Hiles did an overnighter and his crew caught 50 sea bass, 30 tilefish (two citations). They found some dolphin and bailed 35 Mahi. They registered several hammerhead shark release citations and boated a 100-pound spinner shark. Early the next morning they trolled and added 3 citation yellow fins and closed out the trip with a 161-pound big eye tuna. Captain Justin Wilson successfully targeted swordfish on a recent trip.
Nags Head
Surf Fishing: A few bottom fish were reported but it was slow overall.
Sound Fishing: The anglers fishing the Little Bridge on the Nags Head/Manteo causeway have caught some nice size drum and trout the last several days along with some bottom fish.
Pier Fishing: Avalon Pier produced puppy drum, black drum, bluefish and trout.
Nags Head Pier anglers hauled in bluefish and trout.
Jennette’s had black drum, sea mullet and spot.
Outer Banks anglers put spot and bluefish in their coolers.
Inshore /Nearshore: Fishing could not be better. A good number of Citation Red Drum up to 48 inches were caught along with plenty of stripers. Trout fishing remains great.
Offshore: Only a couple of boats sailed Wednesday but caught decent numbers of yellowfin and blackfin.
Hatteras Surf
Wednesday was a great day to be on Hatteras Island! Even though the weather was little dreary to start the day, fishing couldn’t have been any better. The morning bites produced puppy drum at the Point, plus puppy drum and a citation drum at Ramp 38. Sea mullet and pompano were beached from Avon and north. The afternoon fishing heated up even more with citation drum in Avon and at the Point. In addition to the big drum, there were some citation sea mullet and puppy drum caught at Ramp 34, and sea mullet on the south beaches.
Hatteras Harbor
Some rain came through Wednesday morning, bringing much cooler temperatures. It did not dampen the spirits of some hardy inshore anglers who went out for a good morning of catching speckled trout and drum. Only two charters ventured offshore. They focused on king mackerel and returned with fair to good catches. One group bottom-fished for amberjack, and just as the fish hit, a big rainsquall came through and drenched everyone.
