Clear Waters Bring in Bluefish

By DAMON TATEM

BEACH, PIER AND BRIDGE FISHING

Corolla to Coquina Beach

Pier fishing should be good all along the northern beaches this week if weather conditions are good. Pier anglers will catch the usual summertime mix of small fish.

Small bluefish weighing 1/2 to 2 pounds should keep fishermen busy early mornings and late afternoons when the water is fairly clear. Most of the blues will be taken on Gotchas from the end of the pier. Scattered Spanish mackerel should be mixed in with the small bluefish, and landed easily on the same lures.

Bluefish and Spanish mackerel action will be best when light onshore winds push clear warm water inshore close to the beach from the Gulf Stream. Anglers can keep 15 bluefish per person per day with only five greater than 24 inches. There is no minimum size limit on bluefish. Fifteen Spanish mackerel 12 inches or larger can be kept per person per day.

Quite a few small spot, croaker, sand perch and pigfish should be decked by bait fishermen when the water is somewhat dirty. Most of these small bottom fish will be caught on bloodworms, fresh shrimp or artificial bloodworms. Some sea mullet also should be landed, along with a few flounder, an occasional pompano and skates. There is no size or creel limit on small bottom fish such as spot and croaker, but anglers should keep only what they intend to use.

Pier fishermen using soft plastic lures should deck fair numbers of speckled trout, along with a few gray trout. Some of the best action will be early mornings when the water is clear close to the surf line. Anglers can keep 10 speckled trout 12 inches or larger per person per day.

A big cobia or king mackerel could be hauled in by some fortunate anglers using live bait if the inshore water is clear and warm.

Anglers fishing from the Melvin Daniels Jr. Bridge on the Nags Head/Roanoke Island causeway should catch some keeper speckled trout during early mornings just about every day before traffic picks up on the causeway. An occasional keeper flounder also should be taken. Some small bottom fish, black drum and an occasional trout should be landed during the day.

Surf fishermen should catch fair numbers of small bluefish on lures along the northern beaches if the water is clear, and on cut bait if the water is dirty. Action should be best early mornings, but bluefish can hit off and on all day depending on the weather conditions.

Surf fishermen using bloodworms and shrimp will land some small bottom fish and an occasional flounder from deeper sloughs along the beach. The best action should be on the incoming and high tide.

A few speckled trout should be taken from sloughs during early mornings when the water is clear. Gray trout and an occasional puppy drum also are possibilities. Fishermen can keep seven gray trout 12 inches or larger per person per day.

Oregon Inlet area

Surfcasters on the north side of Oregon Inlet should catch small bluefish and a few bottom fish. Some black drum, flounder, and possibly a sheepshead or two should be landed in the surf close to the bridge pilings.

Anglers fishing from the catwalk on the south end of the Bonner Bridge should land small bluefish, a few bottom fish, some flounder and sheepshead.

Trout, puppy drum, croaker, spot and a few flounder should be taken in the Off Island channel behind the Bodie Island Lighthouse by both bait and lure fishermen.

Pea Island to Buxton

Pier anglers in the Rodanthe and Avon areas should deck some bottom fish, including nice-sized sea mullet and a few pompano. There is no size or creel limit on pompano currently. Bluefish and Spanish mackerel action should be fast and furious during early mornings when the water is clear. A few speckled trout, gray trout and keeper flounder also will be caught fairly regularly by pier anglers in this area.

Cobia and king mackerel action could materialize if the water around the piers is clear and warm. Anglers can keep two cobia 33 inches or larger per person per day, and three king mackerel 24 inches or larger per person per day. Most of the cobia and king mackerel will be landed from the ends of ocean piers on live bait such as menhaden or bluefish.

Surfcasters in this area should beach some sea mullet, spot, croaker and pompano fairly regularly on fresh bait. The best action will be in deeper sloughs along the beach on the rising tide. Good numbers of mixed-sized bluefish should be taken on lures, along with some Spanish mackerel. Bluefish and a few puppy drum will be caught on fresh cut bait by bottom fishermen.

Buxton to Hatteras Inlet

Frisco Pier fishermen should deck good numbers of small bottom fish. Spanish mackerel and bluefish action should be good when the water is clear. Some of the Spanish mackerel will weigh well over 3 pounds. A cobia, king mackerel, barracuda or tarpon could be hooked at any time from the pier when light winds push warm clear water inshore along the beach.

Cape Point fishing should be good overall with bluefish, Spanish mackerel, puppy drum, small bottom fish and flounder taken in the area just about every day when the weather is good. Some big cobia and drum also should be beached at Cape Point periodically. Anglers can keep one drum 18 to 27 inches per person per day.

Surfcasters along the Frisco beach should catch some bluefish, Spanish mackerel, pompano and sea mullet if winds are moderate. Strong southwest winds interfere with surf fishing in this area.

Hatteras Inlet surf fishermen should land some bluefish, Spanish mackerel, bottom fish and flounder. Anglers can keep eight flounder 141/2 inches per person per day caught in the ocean.

TROLLING AND BOAT FISHING

Anglers trolling in the Oregon Inlet area and along the beach north and south of the inlet should deck plenty of bluefish and Spanish mackerel. Cobia fishing should be good on tide lines outside the inlet.

Sound boaters should catch some speckled trout, flounder, puppy drum and small bottom fish west of Oregon Inlet.

Bottom fishermen in deeper water off Hatteras and Oregon inlets should reel in sea bass, triggerfish, tilefish and some snapper.

Hatteras Inlet area boat anglers should catch lots of Spanish mackerel, tailor bluefish, keeper gray trout, keeper speckled trout, flounder and big cobia.

OFFSHORE, GULF STREAM

Blue water charters off Oregon Inlet will land some gaffer dolphin, lots of bailer dolphin and fair numbers of yellowfin tuna. Some big-eye tuna also should be hauled in, along with a few wahoo. A few billfish should be released.

Hatteras offshore anglers should catch lots of mixed-sized dolphin, quite a few wahoo, scattered yellowfin tuna and a few king mackerel. Billfish action should be good.

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