Northern Beaches September 12, 2013
Chelsey Wayne and friends from Raleigh, NC, with a pair of wahoo and five white marlin release flags, the results of an offshore trip with Capt. Lee Collins and mate Bo Davenport on the charterboat “Strike’Em” out of the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center.
Betty, of TW’s Tackle, reports that the billfish bite remains outstanding off Oregon Inlet. White marlin are making up the lion’s share of the action, but anglers are also seeing and hooking some blue marlin and sailfish as well. Boats meat fishing are connecting with solid catches of yellowfin and blackfin tuna.
Closer to the beaches, anglers are still seeing and hooking cobia and big red drum around Oregon Inlet and just offshore. Casting bucktail jigs and soft plastics to fish that anglers spot on the surface is fooling both fish.
Big numbers of bluefish and spanish mackerel are also feeding in the same areas and taking an interest in trolled Clarkspoons and metal casting lures.
The speckled trout bite is going strong around the inlet and in the sound, and soft baits like Gulps are producing big action with the specks.
Surf and pier anglers are hooking some fat sea mullet, slot-sized puppy drum, pompano, and assorted panfish. Sand fleas are plentiful and fooling the larger mullet, pups, and pomps, but shrimp and bloodworms will also get bites.
Kandice Dean, Emily Belcher, and Billy Dean prepare to release a blue marlin Dean and Belcher battled to the boat after it struck an Ilander/ballyhoo combo 37 miles off Oregon Inlet.
Ashley, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that the white marlin bite is still incredible off Oregon Inlet, with many boats returning to the docks flying double-digit numbers of release flags. Some blue marlin and sailfish are feeding alongside the white marlin offshore, and all three are taking an interest in ballyhoo trolled alongside dredge and daisy chain teasers.
Boats targeting tuna are putting big numbers of yellowfins in the fish boxes (with many limit catches and some fish to 80+ lbs.) A few bigeye tuna are also still in the mix and falling for the same ballyhoo and skirted lures that are fooling the yellowfins.
Inshore boats continue to find some solid cobia action (some limits on the cobes as well) while sight-casting to cruising fish. Some gaffer dolphin even joined in on the action with the cobia last week.
Amberjacks are schooling around offshore structure like the towers, where they’ll take a hearty interest in live baits.
Bob Lambert, of Grandy, NC, with a 20″ puppy drum that struck a cut bait off Outer Banks Fishing Pier in South Nags Head.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are feeding around Oregon Inlet and biting trolled Clarkspoons and other flashy lures.
Rob, of Strike’Em Sportfishing, reports that boats are still hooking big numbers of billfish, (primarily white marlin but with some blue marlin and sailfish in the mix as well) while trolling ballyhoo and dredge and daisy chain teasers offshore of Oregon Inlet.
Black and yellowfin tuna, wahoo, and dolphin have also been feeding offshore lately and taking an interest in boats trolling spreads.
Mike, of Jennette’s Pier, reports that anglers are seeing some solid fall fishing right now.
Cobia are cruising around the pier, and anglers caught several over the past week on live baits. Bottom fishermen are connecting with some slot-sized puppy drum, triggerfish, spadefish, pompano, sea mullet, croaker, and more. Shrimp, sand fleas, and bloodworms are fooling most of the bottom dwellers.
Anglers working metal lures from the planks are connecting with plenty of bluefish and some spanish mackerel when the water’s clean.
