Light Wind, Clear Water and No Excuse for Not Getting Out Early

By DAMON TATEM

BEACH, PIER AND BRIDGE FISHING

Corolla to Coquina Beach

Early rising pier anglers should be greeted with good bluefish action along the northern beaches this week when winds are light and the water is clear. Fair numbers of Spanish mackerel, some weighing more than 2 pounds, also should be taken along with the bluefish. Action also should be good in the early evening, just before dark. Most of the bluefish and Spanish mackerel will be caught on Gotchas with the color combinations changing from day to day, depending on water conditions.

Some bluefish will be landed on cut bait when the water is somewhat dirty. Few Spanish mackerel are decked when the water is murky, as they prefer clear water and are primarily sight feeders. Anglers can keep 15 bluefish per person per day, with no more than five greater than 24 inches in total length. There is no minimum size limit on bluefish. Fifteen Spanish mackerel 12 inches or larger in fork length can be kept per person per day.

Total length is measured from the tip of the snout with the mouth closed to the top of the compressed tail. Fork length is measured from the tip of the snout to the middle of the fork in the tail.

Fair numbers of small bottom fish such as pigfish, spot, croaker and sand perch should be taken fairly regularly when the water is dirty. Most of these fish will be caught on bloodworms, shrimp or simulated bait on the incoming or high tide. A few sea mullet also should be landed along with an occasional pompano and keeper flounder.

Scattered speckled trout should be decked along with an occasional gray trout by anglers casting soft plastic lures close to the beach. A few gray trout and a few speckled trout also will be taken on bait by bottom fishermen. Anglers can keep 10 speckled trout 12 inches or longer in total length, and seven gray trout 12 inches or larger in total length, per person per day.

Clear warm water from the Gulf Stream is pushed in close along the beach when winds are light onshore. When this occurs, pier anglers have an opportunity to catch a variety of deeper water species, including some good-sized fish. Triggerfish, filefish and spadefish often come inshore to feed on small crustaceans around pier pilings when conditions are right. Most of these fish can be landed by dangling small pieces of bait on small hooks close to the piling.

Larger fish such as cobia, king mackerel and jacks also make regular appearances inshore when the water is unusually warm and clear. Most of these fish are taken from the ends of ocean piers on pier rigs baited with live bait such as menhaden or bluefish.Anglers can keep two cobia 33 inches or larger in fork length per person per day. Three king mackerel 24 inches or larger in fork length can be kept per person per day.

Surf fishing should be fair along the northern beaches with most of the action early mornings and late afternoons away from the heat and bright sun of midday. Action usually is best in deeper sloughs on the incoming tide. Small bluefish, small bottom fish and a few speckled trout should make up the bulk of catches. A few Spanish mackerel also could be landed. Most of the bluefish and Spanish mackerel will be taken on metal lures such as Stingsilvers.

Anglers trying their luck on the Melvin Daniels Jr. Bridge between Nags Head and Roanoke Island should catch a few keeper speckled trout just about every morning at sunrise. Small bottom fish, black drum and a few flounder should be landed from the bridge during the day. Most of the action will be in the early morning or in the cool of the late afternoon.

Oregon Inlet area

Surfcasters along the north side of Oregon Inlet should catch some spot, small blues and a few flounder. Anglers fishing close to the bridge should land some black drum, small bottom fish and possibly a sheepshead or two.

Anglers fishing from the catwalk on the south end of the Bonner Bridge should reel in some bottom fish, bluefish and a few sheepshead. Sheepshead feed on small crustaceans living on the bridge pilings. Sand fleas and small crabs usually prove to be the best bait for sheepshead. A few keeper stripers also should be taken.

Pea Island to Buxton

Tailor bluefish and some Spanish mackerel should provide good action for pier fishermen along the northern beaches of Hatteras Island when the water is clear. Fishing should be best early mornings just after sunrise and just before sunset. Bottom fishermen should deck fair numbers of small spot, sand perch, sea mullet, pinhead croaker, small flounder and a few pompano. Spadefish, triggerfish and filefish should be taken close to pier pilings when the water is clear.

Fishermen using live bait could be rewarded at any time with a cobia, king mackerel, jack crevalle or barracuda when the water is clear and the water temperature is above 70 degrees.

Surfcasters in this area should catch a mixture of small bottom fish fairly regularly on bloodworms, shrimp and squid. Some nice pompano should be landed in the area by anglers using sand fleas for bait. Scattered bluefish and some nice Spanish mackerel should be taken on metal lures in the area when the water is clear. Feeding birds are a good sign of bluefish action. Blues voraciously attack schools of baitfish, leaving scraps of chewed up small fish behind, which attract hungry gulls.

Buxton to Hatteras Inlet

Anglers on Frisco Pier should catch some nice Spanish mackerel and small bluefish daily when the water is clear. Fishermen using live bait could land a big cobia or jack when conditions are good. Bottom fishing should be good with small croaker, spot, pinfish, sand perch and some nice pompano decked.

Surfcasters in the Cape Point area should beach some nice Spanish mackerel and bluefish when the water is clear. Some bottom fish, pompano and nice flounder also should be taken. Anglers can keep eight flounder 141/2 inches in length in the ocean per person per day. A few puppy drum should be caught at the cape when the water is a bit choppy. A big cobia or two should be landed on cut bait. Night fishing can prove very productive at Cape Point in the summertime.

Some sea mullet, mixed-sized pompano, spot, croaker and other small bottom fish should be taken quite often from Frisco to Hatteras Inlet when winds are light.

Fair numbers of bluefish and Spanish mackerel should be caught sporadically in the Hatteras Inlet surf along with some small bottom fish. An occasional puppy drum will be landed, and some drum larger than the legal limit should be released from time to time in the inlet area. Anglers can keep one red drum 18 to 27 inches in total length per person per day.

TROLLING AND BOAT FISHING

Boaters fishing in the Oregon Inlet area should deck some summer bluefish, Spanish mackerel, speckled trout and keeper flounder. Headboats in the area should catch small croaker, spot, pigfish, pinfish and flounder. Some king mackerel, jack crevalle and cobia should be taken by boaters fishing in deeper water outside the inlet.

Hatteras Inlet boaters should land some nice Spanish mackerel, bluefish, keeper flounder and cobia, and should release a few drum.

Deep water headboats off Hatteras will deck sea bass, triggerfish and snappers.

Boaters fishing in the sound west of Hatteras should reel in speckled trout, gray trout and some puppy drum.

OFFSHORE, GULF STREAM

Blue water anglers off Oregon Inlet should catch plenty of yellowfin tuna and lots of dolphin just about every day when the weather cooperates. Some wahoo also will be taken, along with an occasional big-eye tuna and mako shark. A few billfish should be released.

Hatteras offshore fishermen should land a mixture of dolphin, wahoo, yellowfin tuna and king mackerel. Fair numbers of billfish should be released.

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