Northern Beaches – October 23, 2014
Matt Roberson and Torrey Boman with 30 and 26″ red drum they hooked on gold spoons while working a Pamlico Sound grass bed with Capt. Donnie Davis of D.O.A. Charters out of the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center.
Betty, of TW’s Bait and Tackle, reports that anglers are still hooking puppy drum from the surf at the northern beaches, with excellent fishing on many days when the conditions are good. Shrimp and cut baits are fooling the majority of the pups and some larger reds as well. Spot, sea mullet, and other panfish are also feeding near the shoreline and biting shrimp and bloodworms.
The local piers have been seeing plenty of panfish, too, and some excellent action with big red drum on many days over the past few weeks.
Anglers fishing the little bridge in the sound have been connecting with some speckled trout and striped bass while fishing live baits.
Boaters working the sound are still finding easy limit catches of puppy drum along with big numbers of speckled trout and bluefish. All are falling for artificial lures like gold spoons and soft plastics.
Summer and Eric Bregman with Summer’s first red drum, a 41″ fish she caught and released off Avalon Pier after it struck a cut bait.
Anglers bottom fishing around Oregon Inlet are catching plenty of sea mullet along with some spot, bluefish, flounder, and other species.
Trolling nearshore is producing fast action with bluefish, mostly on small spoons.
The offshore fleet is still seeing plenty of tuna action, with yellowfin and blackfin making up the majority of the catch. Increasing numbers of wahoo are in the mix, and anglers are also still connecting with some dolphin. All the blue water gamefish are biting ballyhoo paired with skirted trolling lures like sea witches. A few billfish are still feeding in the area and taking an interest in boats’ baits as well.
Anglers dropping baits to the bottom offshore are connecting with big numbers of tilefish.
Ayra, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that boats are still seeing some solid action offshore of the inlet at present, with a mixed bag of fish taking an interest in their baits. Dolphin and tuna seem to be going back and forth as the main attraction day-to-day, and boats are putting solid numbers of ‘phins (most bailers but some gaffers in the mix) and blackfin and yellowfin tuna on ice.
Wahoo are feeding offshore as well and adding some variety to the fish boxes.
Nolan Minor, of Charlottesville, VA, with 20.5″ and 19.5″ flounder he hooked in a Pirate’s Cove canal. Photo courtesy of TW’s Bait and Tackle.
A few billfish are still in the area and taking an interest in boats’ baits.
Anglers bottom fishing closer to the beaches are connecting with triggerfish and black sea bass.
Inshore boaters are still seeing excellent red drum action along with some gray trout, flounder, and bluefish. Both live and cut baits and artificial lures like spoons and soft plastics are producing results with the inshore predators.
Dave, of Skiligal Charters, reports that the Oregon Inlet blue water action remains hot on most days that boats have the weather to get offshore.
Wahoo are showing up in increasing numbers, and anglers are still connecting with yellowfin and blackfin tuna as well. All three are taking an interest in skirted ballyhoo in the boats’ wakes.
There are still some billfish around, and boats have released blue and white marlin and some sailfish in recent weeks alongside their meatfish hauls.
Mike, of Jennette’s Pier, reports that anglers bottom fishing are connecting with gray and speckled trout, black drum, pigfish, spot, croaker, and more. Shrimp, squid, and bloodworms are getting attention from the bottom feeders.
Citation-sized red drum (40”+) have been making an appearance off the end of the pier on many recent days (some producing catches well into the double digits). Large cut baits are fooling the reds.
