Outlook is Good for Northern Pier Anglers

By DAMON TATEM

BEACH, PIER AND BRIDGE FISHING

Corolla to Coquina Beach

Pier fishing should be generally good this week on the three ocean piers in the northern beach area.

Small bottom fish such as croaker, spot and sea mullet should be taken in good numbers by anglers using small hooks fished on the bottom. Bloodworms and fresh shrimp will be the most effective baits for these small fish.

The best action should occur when the water is somewhat cloudy, providing some cover and protection for the small bottom fish from aggressive predators that feed by sight. Bottom fishing usually is very slow when the water is clear.

There is no size or creel limit on spot, croaker, sea mullet or sand perch, but fishermen should keep only what they intend to use.

Mixed sizes of bluefish should provide consistent action from the ends of ocean piers. Bluefish action should be best early mornings and in the late afternoons just before sunset. Bluefish runs sometimes last throughout the entire day. Most of the blues will be caught on Gotchas when the water is clear. Bluefish usually are landed on fresh cut bait when the water is dirty and the fish can’t see lures.

Some scattered speckled trout should be decked by pier anglers using soft plastic lures. The best action will be early mornings close to the surf line when the water is fairly clear. An occasional gray trout also should be taken along with the speckled trout. Fishermen can keep 10 speckled trout 12 inches or larger per person per day and seven gray trout (commonly called weakfish) 12 inches or larger per person per day. Gray trout are very similar to speckled trout, but the spots on the upper portion of their back are mottled and not well defined.

Surf fishing should be fair along the northern beaches, with mainly a mixture of small bottom fish caught when conditions are good. Most of these fish will be reeled in from deeper sloughs along the beach on the incoming and high tide. Some speckled trout should be landed from the same sloughs by anglers using soft plastic lures when the water is clear. Early mornings should be the best time to fish for the trout.

Small bluefish should be plentiful. Weighing between 1/2 and 2 pounds, these aggressive fish should be taken on metal lures when the water is clear and on fresh menhaden or mullet when the water is dirty. Anglers can keep 15 bluefish per person per day, with only five longer than 24 inches. There is no minimum size limit on bluefish.

Early-rising fishermen will catch fair numbers of speckled trout, including a few keepers, from the Melvin Daniels Bridge on the Nags Head/ Roanoke Island causeway. Sporadic runs of spot, some black drum and an occasional flounder should keep anglers on the bridge busy during the day.

Oregon Inlet area

Surfcasters should land a few bluefish, some keeper flounder and a few small bottom fish along the north shore of Oregon Inlet.

Anglers fishing from the catwalk on the south end of the Bonner Bridge should reel in mainly bluefish, along with a few bottom fish.

Some speckled trout, a few gray trout and an occasional puppy drum should be taken fairly regularly in the Off Island channel behind the Bodie Island Lighthouse.

Pea Island to Buxton

Pier fishing should be productive along the north beach of Hatteras Island. Sea mullet, small croaker, scattered spot, sand perch and pigfish should keep anglers busy when the water is somewhat dirty and the tide is coming in.

Small bluefish should be caught in good numbers in early mornings and late afternoons. The bait of choice will be Gotchas when the water is clear and cut bait when the water is dirty. A Spanish mackerel or two could appear in catches if water temperatures are high.

Some keeper flounder also will be decked, along with a few mixed- size puppy drum. Fishermen can keep one drum 18 to 27 inches per person per day.

Surfcasters in this area should beach lots of bottom fish and good numbers of small bluefish. A few puppy drum should be taken if the water is somewhat rough.

Buxton to Hatteras Inlet

Frisco Pier anglers should catch a mixture of sea mullet, spot and croaker. Tailor bluefish action should be good, and, hopefully, a few Spanish mackerel will be landed. Some keeper flounder also should be decked. Fishermen can keep eight flounder, 141/2 inches or larger, per person per day in the Atlantic Ocean. A big cobia or king mackerel could be hooked and landed at any time if water temperatures are elevated, winds are light and the water is clear.

Some big drum and yearling drum should be hooked and released at Cape Point when winds are from the southwest. Some of the best action will be at night. Tailor bluefish, a few Spanish mackerel and an occasional big bluefish should keep anglers busy at the cape when winds are light and the water is clear. Surfcasters in the Cape Point area also should catch some puppy drum, keeper flounder and small bottom fish. Big rays should provide plenty of action and even strip some reels.

Fishing should be good overall in the surf from Frisco to Hatteras Inlet, with some small bottom fish and bluefish taken regularly. Bluefish should be beached in the Hatteras Inlet surf and also possibly some Spanish mackerel. Some flounder will be landed in the area, and a few nice-sized drum should be released at night.

TROLLING AND BOAT FISHING

Boaters trolling in the Oregon Inlet area should deck plenty of tailor bluefish and an occasional albacore. Boaters in the sound west of the inlet should catch some puppy drum, speckled trout and flounder.

Hatteras Inlet boaters should release some drum, and land bluefish and some Spanish mackerel. Drift fishing should be good for flounder, and fair numbers of speckled trout and gray trout will be taken.

OFFSHORE, GULF STREAM

Blue-water action off Oregon Inlet should be excellent with plenty of nice-size dolphin, scattered yellowfin tuna and a few wahoo caught. An occasional big-eye tuna and mako shark also should be landed, and some billfish will be released.

Hatteras Gulf Stream fishermen should deck plenty of dolphin, fair numbers of wahoo and some yellowfin tuna. Billfish action should be good, with some big blue marlin released.

(c) 2007 Virginian – Pilot. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.