Hatteras – April 9, 2015
Ryan, of Hatteras Jack, reports that anglers are hooking some puppy drum while soaking bait and casting soft plastics from the beach at Rodanthe.
Mickie Warren, of Rodanthe, NC, with a 46″ red drum that she hooked on a chunk of menhaden while surf casting at Cape Point in late March.
Panfish have shown up as well, and anglers are putting together good catches of sea mullet and pufferfish while baiting smaller hooks with shrimp and bloodworms.
Sarah, of Frank and Fran’s Tackle, reports that anglers are finally seeing some decent action from the beach around Avon. Puppy drum, sea mullet, and pufferfish have been the lion’s share of the catch, but anglers are also starting to see some small tailor bluefish in the mix as well. Shrimp and cut baits are fooling the fish in the breakers.
Sam Petry with a large blackfin tuna that bit a naked ballyhoo while he was trolling off Hattteras Inlet on the “Tuna Duck.”
Some citation-class red drum have also been landed at Cape Point over the past few weeks, primarily on larger cut baits.
Bob, of Frisco Tackle, reports that anglers are connecting with pufferfish, sea mullet, and some blues from the Frisco beachfront. The puppy drum action remains strong as well, and all the fish are falling for shrimp, cut baits, and bloodworms.
Anglers fishing Cape Point at night are also connecting with some citation 40”+ red drum.
Kyle, of Frisco Rod and Gun, reports that offshore boats are seeing some good fishing out of Hatteras Inlet at present. Blackfin and yellowfin tuna have been making up the majority of the action (and many of the blackfins have been 20+ lb. citations), but anglers are also seeing some dolphin and wahoo while trolling the blue water. Most of the pelagic predators are taking an interest in skirted ballyhoo in the boats’ wakes.
Offshore bottom fishing has also been excellent on many recent days, producing big hauls of black sea bass, triggerfish, beeliners, grouper, tilefish, snapper, rosefish, and more.
Closer to the beaches, inshore boats have been finding plenty of action with red drum (ranging from puppies to 40”+ citation fish). Many are falling for bucktail jigs and other lures that anglers are sight-casting to schools of fish they spot on the surface.
Surf casters are seeing an improved bite along Hatteras Island’s southern beaches. The puppy drum bite continues from Hatteras to Buxton, and anglers have also landed some citation-class red drum while soaking cut baits from Cape Point. Some keeper flounder were also landed from Cape Point last week.
Anglers looking for panfish are finding plenty of sea mullet and puffers while soaking bottom rigs baited with shrimp and bloodworms.
Jam, of Teach’s Lair Marina, reports that anglers are seeing some excellent action with citation red drum while fishing from inshore boats along the beach leading up to Cape Hatteras. Most are sight-casting to schools of fish they spot on the surface (and some fish are 50”+).
Surf casters are also getting in on the citation drum action and landed decent numbers early in the week.
Bluefish, sea mullet, pufferfish, and smaller puppy drum have also been rewarding anglers from Buxton to Hatteras recently.
The offshore fleet has been catching big numbers of blackfin tuna while trolling (with some fish pushing 30 lbs.). Some wahoo and dolphin have been mixed in, and all the gamefish are biting naked and skirted ballyhoo.
Bottom fishing in the blue water is producing plenty of action with grouper, sea bass, triggerfish, rosefish, and more.
Jay, of Bite Me Charters, reports that the blackfin tuna bite has been stellar recently off Hatteras Inlet (with many citations and some fish 30+ lbs.). Anglers are also connecting with a few yellowfins and some dolphin while trolling the blue water. Naked and skirted ballyhoo are fooling the majority of the blue water predators.
Jeremy, of Calypso Sportfishing, reports that anglers saw some solid action with yellowfin and blackfin tuna last weekend, along with some scattered wahoo and dolphin.
Bottom fishermen have also been putting together solid hauls of grouper, tilefish, triggerfish, and more when the current is slack enough to get baits down deep.
Nearshore boaters found some large schools of red drum over the weekend and fooled solid numbers while sight-casting bucktail jigs.
Melinda, of Tradewinds Tackle, reports that anglers are still seeing plenty of puppy drum action along Ocracoke’s beachfront (with a mix of slot and over-slot fish). Bottom fishing with shrimp is also producing a mixed bag of sea mullet, pufferfish, and bluefish for anglers soaking baits along Ocracoke’s beachfront.
Some citation-class red drum are biting larger cut baits at night, and they’re also producing action with some sharks.
