River Herring in Trouble
North Carolina increased its budget on River Herring recovery efforts this year to over $250,000 appropriated just for the herring studies. Each week, our state’s biologists set out trawl nets to take samples of the River Herring, as of mid-August the biologists have yet to even see a herring. Collecting these fish in the the summer time show whether or not the spawning was successful. Considering that the biologist have yet to catch a single fish all summer, the spawn could not have been successful. One of the main culprits of this depleted fishery is the development of our coastal lands; many of the spawning grounds from the 1970s and 1980s have been drained and commercialized. Earlier this year a moratorium was placed on the harvest of these fish, which is one step towards the rebuilding of the stock. Studies are currently underway to determine if the temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen, as well as the plankton (a main food source for River Herring) levels within the Albemarle Sound. One study from 2005 suggested that the stock could be rebuilt, but that it would take nearly 20 years–since 2005 the stock has depleted even farther. Hopefully our Division of Marine Fisheries will come up with a plan to properly manage this species and bring it back to life.

(Pictured above is a sailfish caught aboard TidalFish member HIT N RUN, check the report here.)

North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Reports

Bill from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center reported: ”
August 28, 2008 Fishing Report
Weather wise we got some showers and a SSE wind. Only a few boats went offshore. The boats that went offshore caught good size yellowfin tunas and dolphin. One of the dolphin weighed 43 pounds. A blue marlin was caught and released. It was the tenth blue marlin for this boat this year. None of the inshore boats or open boats fished.

August 27, 2008 Fishing Report
Offshore good dolphin fishing and some nice yellowfin tunas. Five sailfish, a white marlin and a blue marlin were caught and released. Inshore a good run of ideal size bluefish and spanish mackerel. An open boat caught to cobias a flunder and a sheepshead. The larger cobia weighed 40 pounds. A much bigger cobia was faught for a long time but won the battle. A second open boat caught big speckled trout a third caught speckled trout and bluefish. Miss Oregon Inlet caught sea mullet, croakers and grey trout in the morning, croakers and sea mullet in the afternoon.

August 26, 2008 Fishing Reports

Offshore all the boats limited in dolphin. Two boats caught and released sailfish. The sailfish were present in good numbers but reluctant biters. Two boats also had two yellowfin tunas each. Inshore lots of spanish mackerel and bluefish. An all day trip had good false albacore fishing . An open boat had real good speckled trout fishing in the morning, caught and released sharks in the afternoon. Two young ladies caught most of the trout. Miss Oregon Inlet caught croakers and sea mullet.”

TW’s Bait and Tackle reported: ”
August 28, 2008 Fishing Report
In Summary: The open shoreline is open from ramp 4 south for 2.1 miles to Oregon Inlet and Ramp 4 north for 2.1 miles. Nighttime driving is prohibited from 10 pm to 6 am. Sea turtles will be nesting until November. Closures are smaller.
Surf Fishing Report: Slow. Rough water.
Sound Fishing Report: The Little Bridge anglers are catching a few Puppy Drum.
Pier Fishing Report:
Avalon: Slow.
Nags Head: Few small Blues
Outer Banks: Few small Blues and Croaker.
Inshore Boats Report: Trolling boats caught Blues and Spanish. Open boats caught nice Cobia, Flounder, Trout and Sheepshead on Wednesday.
Offshore Boats Report: Dolphin and Yellowfin Tuna

August 27, 2008 Fishing Report
In Summary: Rough seas this morning. Water temp is 77 degrees. Wind straight out the east at 18 kts reported by Army corps of Engineers Research Pier in Duck.
Surf Fishing Report: A few bottom fish and Blues.
Sound Fishing Report: Little Bridge is slow. Anglers are catching a few Spot and Flounder.
Pier Fishing Report:
Avalon: Bluefish.
Nags Head: Blues and Spot.
Outer Banks: Double header Spot this morning, Blues and Flounder.
Inshore Boats Report: Open boat had a good Trout bite yesterday. Inshore boaters also caught Spanish, Blues and false Albacore.
Offshore Boats Report: The offshore boats caught their limits of Dolphin on Tuesday. A few Yellowfin Tuna was also caught.

August 26, 2008 Fishing Reports
In Summary: It is rumored, beach access at ramp 4 will be opened all the way to the bridge this week. I will let you know. I fished south of ramp 4 on Monday. Not much luck but much grass.
Surf Fishing Report: Bottom fish and Blues.
Sound Fishing Report: The Little Bridge reported Specks and Flounder.
Pier Fishing Report:
Avalon: Blues and Spanish. Caught a 65 lb Cobia early this morning.
Nags Head: Blues and Spanish
Outer Banks: Blues, Spanish and Spot.
Inshore Boats Report: Spanish and Bluefish caught by trolling boats. Triggerfish, False Albacore, King Mackerel and Cobia.
Offshore Boats Report: Good Dolphin fishing. Lots of Billfish caught on Monday.”

NORTH CAROLINA FISHING REPORTS COVERING THE ENTIRE NORTH CAROLINA COAST

Reported from North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

From Knotts Island to Ocracoke:
Ocean: Offshore anglers had very high success rates, with the exception of tuna catches, which were slow.  Plenty of dolphin, greater amberjack, wahoo, blueline tilefish, black seabass, triggerfish, barracuda, and vermilion snapper were caught this week.  Billfish anglers caught sailfish and both blue and white marlin on a fairly regular basis.  Midrange catches took a downward trend. Fishing was slower, with the exception of a few isolated catches of striped bass and a few triggerfish and sheepshead on the artificial reefs. Inshore anglers had very good success rates with Spanish mackerel and bluefish for some short term yet high-volume action.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Fishing improved over what we saw last week.  Flounder catches were much improved, with nice specimens being caught throughout the area.  Oregon Inlet produced the bulk of them. Most were caught in the shallow areas near the various islands and landmasses.  Spotted seatrout and very large croakers were caught in the same area in very high numbers.  Sheepshead and tautog were caught around the bridge structure at Oregon Inlet on a regular basis, with mole crabs (sand fleas) being the bait of choice. Striped bass catches at Manns Harbor made a modest improvement.
Piers/Shore: Anglers had similar success rates to the inshore boaters, with catches of Spanish mackerel and bluefish making up the bulk of their catches.  Atlantic spadefish, banded rudderfish, blue runners, silver perch, spot, pigfish, pinfish, croaker. skates, stingrays, and assorted sharks were caught with moderate regularity.  Cobia catches on piers were very good, with citation size specimens being caught on a regular basis.
General Overview: Success rates improved across the board, with water temps in the surf throughout the area in the upper 70s-lower 80s.  Tropical depression Fay may affect fishing efforts mid-late week.

From Portsmouth to Surf City:

Ocean:  It has been rough  offshore all week and not many boats have ventured out. Large Spanish can still be hooked off the beach and around Cape Lookout.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Nice pigfish are popping up everywhere. Sheepshead are around all bridge and pier pilings in Carteret and Onslow counties.  Good catches of spotted seatrout are reported if you fish at night under the lights of bridges. They are also still up in the marshes with redfish.  Bluefish and small sea mullet, croakers and black drum can be hooked in the turning basin of the state port. All in all - fishing is a little slow.
Piers/Shore:  Sheepshead are being caught around the pilings and black drum in the surf. Croakers, small spot, sea mullet and bluefish can be hooked.

From Topsail to Sunset Beach:
Ocean: Weather-wise, last week was not good. The wind blew most of the week and did not allow boats to venture offshore. There have been some reports of the wahoo starting to bite. Red grouper fishing has been decent if the wahoo don’t cooperate. Closer to shore, there are some African pompano and some nice kings being reported around the tower. Near/shore reefs are producing some flounder, spadefish, and over-the-slot red drum.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Not much has changed. There are some flounder coming out of the river, with fish being caught from the mouth of the river all the way to Wilmington. Trout are still being caught around Oak Island/Southport area. Tarpon fishing around the muddy slough area has been producing some fish of late. Late evenings/night has been the best time to fish.
Piers/Shore: Fishing dropped off last week due to weather. Area piers report some keeper flounder, pompano, blues and sea mullets. Spanish mackerel fishing was good before the wind starting blowing.

The US Navy has recently reported that it wants to expand it’s bombing ranges within the Pamlico Sound, these bombing ranges are off-limits to recreational boaters and fisherman. The BT-9 and BT-11 bombing ranges in the Pamlico sound have been around for decades but now with stronger and stronger bombs they have decided they need to expand these areas to stay safe. Both areas of off-limits to boats and foot traffic. The BT-9 bombing range is near Brant Island and is already a circular region 6 nautical miles across. If this passes, the region will be expanded so that a boat will have to cross over Brant Island Shoals to pass the island, these shoals are highly dangerous to small recreational fishing boats. The BT-11 bombing range is near Piney Island, if this range is expanded some of our state’s finest shoreline fishing will be taken away. Both of these regions are home to many crabs, shrimp and oysters as well as trout, red drum and flounder. Many see this as a trend of the government taking away public access to our public resources.

Not only are they trying to take away our public access to a fine fishery but they are doing so without a full environmental impact study. No one knows how these high tech bombs will affect local fish habitats but you can bet that they won’t be improved. Please let your local representatives know that you are against the expansion of the BT-9 and BT-11 bombing ranges in the Pamlico Sound.

North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Reports

Bill from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center reported: ”
August 14, 2008 Fishing Report
Ocean conditions while not as bad as were predicted were unsettled enough to keep all but one offshore boat in port. That boat found conditions improving throughout the day. Unless something unforeseen happens it should be a nice day tommorrow. The fishing was good for both dolphin and tile fish. Inshore bluefish and spanish mackerel trolling was good. Open boats went after different types of fish. Only two boats did the same type of fishing. They had good speckled trout and flounder fishing both morning and afternoon. One boat caught puppy drum morning and afternoon. Another boat caught bluefish. Finnally the last boat caught two cobias and a dolphin. Miss Oregon Inlet caught flounders, croakers and sea mullet. I have to get out there and try to catch some of those sea mullet they are really good eating.

August 13, 2008 Fishing Report
Offshore good dolphin and tile fishing. Both fish are good eating. The dolphin are more sporting to catch. For many people the tile fish are their favorite to eat, often compared with grouper. Inshore good trolling for spanish mackerel and tailor bluefish. Open boats also trolled for spanish mackerel and tailor bluefish. Miss Oregon Inlet caught croakers and sea mullet.

August 12, 2008 Fishing Report

Today dolphin combined with tile fish resulted in outstanding catches made at the Gulf Stream. I counted eight white marlin flags and three sailfish flags. Hurrying from one side of the marina to the other I almost missed a god catch. I got there just in time to see the captain tossing fish into a big plastic can. The fish cannot be left on the dock any longer than it takes to get a picture or two. The pickup crew waste no time getting the fish to where they can be kept cool and fresh. Inshore excellent spanish mackerel by all the inshore boats. open boats caught speckled trout and flounders. One boat had a nice catch consisting of a cobia and spanish mackerel. Miss Oregon Inlet caught flounders, sea mullet and croakers in the morning croakers and flounders in the afternoon.”

TW’s Bait and Tackle reported: ”
August 14, 2008 Fishing Report
Surf Fishing Report: Surf-casters are beaching Bluefish and bottom fish.

Sound Fishing Report: The Little Bridge reported Flounder and Croaker. They have also caught Stripers in the 23 in range. Of course you can’t keep them but it is good action.

Pier Fishing Report:
Avalon: Small Blues

Nags Head: Spot, Blues and Spade.

Outer Banks: Sea Mullet, Croaker and Blues.

Inshore Boats Report: Spanish and Blues.

Offshore Boats Report: Good Dolphin and Tile fishing.

August 13, 2008 Fishing Report
Surf Fishing Report: Scattered bottom fish and a few Blues.

Sound Fishing Report: The Little Bridge on the causeway are catching Black Drum and Flounder

Pier Fishing Report:
Avalon: Blues and Spadefish.

Nags Head: Blues and Flounder.

Outer Banks: Blues and a 22 lb Cobia and a 50 lb King this morning.

August 12, 2008 Fishing Report
Surf Fishing Report: Bottom fish and Bluefish.

Sound Fishing Report: The Melvin R. Daniel Bridge on the Nags Head/Roanoke Island causeway are decking Flounder and Black Drum.

Pier Fishing Report:
Avalon: Sea Mullet and Blues.

Nags Head: Blues, Spanish, Spot, and Flounder.

Outer Banks: Blues and Spanish early. Spot, Sea Mullet and seven keeper Flounder.

Inshore Boats Report: Open boats are catching Flounder, Bluefish, Trout and Cobia. Trolling boats are catching Spanish, a few King were caught also.

Offshore Boats Report: Dolphin. Limits of Tilefish are caught. Many Billfish caught and released on Monday.”

NORTH CAROLINA FISHING REPORTS COVERING THE ENTIRE NORTH CAROLINA COAST

Reported from North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

From Knotts Island to Ocracoke:
Ocean: Offshore anglers caught limits of dolphin with moderate amounts of wahoo, king mackerel, amberjack, and billfish.  Very few tuna were caught.  Midrange anglers caught king mackerel, cobia, and very large striped bass 6-8 miles offshore.  Triggerfish, sheepshead, and black sea bass were caught around most of the artificial reefs.  Inshore anglers caught limits of Spanish mackerel with very little effort when seas were calm enough to access them in the near shore surf zone.  There were also some good catches of bluefish, flounder, and kingfish.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Spotted seatrout and flounder were most prevalent with most specimens being caught in the early morning hours throughout the area.  Keeper ratios have been very good for both flounder and trout.  High numbers of croakers were caught on a daily basis with a few kingfish mixed in.  Sheepshead, tautog, and black drum were caught around the bridge structure at Oregon Inlet.
Piers/Shore: Anglers had similar success to the inshore boaters.  Spanish mackerel catches were the best I have seen in recent memory, with limits being caught by everyone targeting them.  King mackerel catches off piers were very good, with a few citation size ones being recorded this week.  Bluefish were caught in short-term high-volume numbers.   

General Overview: Water temps in the surf are very warm with upper 70s to lower 80s throughout the area.  Catch rates continued to improve ccross the board.  Weather is predicted favorable for the coming week.

From Portsmouth to Surf City:

Ocean:  The Spanish mackerel bite is still strong off the beaches, particularly around Shackleford and Cape Lookout.  Smaller fish in the 10 to 12-inch range have been holding closer to the beach while larger fish of up to 2-3 lbs are in deeper water.  Look out for the occasional small king mixed in!  Small kings, larger Spanish, some keeper flounder, and lots of sharks have also been reported from the near shore artificial reefs and wrecks.  Large black sea bass were caught at AR 300.  Offshore, the dolphin bite appears to have slowed, but many grouper and triggerfish were caught on hard bottom.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays: The sheepshead fishing is still good.  In and around Beaufort Inlet, anglers caught some of the biggest sea mullet of the year, along with a mix of spot, croaker and pigfish.  Anglers in the New River/North Topsail area reported catching sheepshead and some nice speckled trout.

Piers/Shore:  Look for bluefish, small sheepshead, spot, croaker, and the occasional black drum or Spanish mackerel.

From Topsail to Sunset Beach:
Ocean: Offshore, bottom fishing in the 30 to 50-mile range has been producing red, gag, and scamp groupers, along with an assortment of other reef fish. Closer to shore there are some kings around but fishing has been a little slow. Most ledges in the 10 to 20-mile range are holding a few fish along with amberjacks, barracuda, and the occasional sailfish. The near shore reefs are holding some nice flounder and spadefish.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Fishing has been decent, considering we are in the dog days of summer. There are still some nice trout catches taking place. Oak Island/Southport area is were most of the trout are being caught. Along with the trout there are some decent flounder catches as well, with fish up to 8 pounds reported last week. Carolina Beach Inlet has produced some nice flounder over the last couple of weeks. Sheepshead and black drum are biting. The ADM dock and Snow’s cut are two good spots to try.

Piers/Shore: Fishing picked up this week. Topsail Island piers saw some spots show up along some pompano and sea mullets. They also saw some more tarpon catches last week. New Hanover and Brunswick county piers reported Spanish, blues, pompano and some keeper flounder. Until Next Week, Tight Lines! Dalton

Protecting our Deepwater Friends
The Fisheries division of the National Oceanic and Atmoshperic Association (NOAA) has recently issued an amendment for discussion and approval to its Grouper-Snapper off the South Atlantic States. Proposed will be an opening of eight new Marine Protection Area (MPA) that will prohibit fishing for Grouper and Snapper species by both recreational and commercial fisherman. One of the proposed MPA’s is 55 nautical miles southeast of Southport, NC and consists of an area 10 nautical miles by 15 nautical miles. According to NOAA, the Snapper and Grouper species are currently being overfished and measures must be taken to protect the sustainability of these species.

North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Reports
This week we are hearing lots of reports of good fishing. Offshore, trolling boats have caught and released a lot of sailfish, as well as many gaffer sized dolphin. The tuna bite has been slow, with only a few tunas boated all week. Deep dropping boats are catching a lot of big black sea bass, snapper, and grouper. Nearshore, boats have still been picking up lots of cobia and king mackeral, as well as spanish mackeral. Inshore boats have been catching small tailor blues and spanish mackeral, as well as a few flounder.

Bill from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center reported: ”
August 6, 2008 Fishing Report
Offshore some good dolphin catches. Twelve sailfish flags were displayed. Sailfish are still providing a lot of action. They also provide excellent photo oportunities. Deep bottom fishing is bringing up a lot of good size tile fish. Tiles are very mild and very good on the table. Inshore trolling is good with lots of spanish mackerel and tailor bluefish. Open boats went after a variety of fish. Some caught sharks mostly Atlantic sharp noses. Some caught spanish mackerl and flounders. One thirty two pound king mackerl was caught while live baiting for cobias. One boat caught eight cobias releasing one and spanish mackerel. Miss Oregon Inlet caught croakers in the morning and good flounders in the afternoon.

August 4, 2008 Fishing Report
Offshore some good dolphin catches. Scattered wahoo. The bigest wahoo was 43 pound the bigest dolphin 44 pounds.Five sailfish and a blue marlin were caught and released. Inshore Good tailor bluefish and spanish mackerel trolling. Open boats one fished for sharks, One open boat had a good catch of tailor bluefish.Another caught spanish mackerel and cobias. Miss Oregon Inlet caught croakers and sea mullet in the morning, flounders and croakers in the afternoon.”

TW’s Bait and Tackle reported: ”
August 7, 2008 Fishing Report
In Summary: The water temp is 85 degrees this morning. That is hot. Calm winds are NW.
Sound Fishing Report: The Little Bridge reported early morning Puppy Drum and now catching Croaker and Black Drum…
Pier Fishing Report:
Avalon: Spanish and Sea Mullet
Nags Head: Spanish and Blues early and now catching Small Croaker and small Flounder.
Outer Banks: Spanish, Blues, Spot and keeper Flounder and small Flounder.
Inshore Boats Report: Deep sea bottom anglers are catching lots of Tilefish. Trolling boats are still having good Spanish and Blues fishing. One open boat caught eight Cobia on Wednesday.
Offshore Boats Report: Gulf Stream anglers are catching many Dolphin. Yesterday was a good Sailfish.

August 5, 2008 Fishing Report
In Summary: Fishing is good everywhere this morning. It is excellent on the north end. Anglers are beaching plenty of Blues, Sea Mullet and bottom fish. There have been some Spanish caught from the surf. All piers are catching the same. Avalon pier weighed in a 17 lb Cobia on Monday.
Surf Fishing Report: Fish everywhere.
Sound Fishing Report: The little bridge reported Trout early, Black Drum, Spot and Croaker.
Pier Fishing Report:
Avalon: Sea Mullet, Spanish and Blues.
Nags Head: Spanish, Blues, and Spot.
Outer Banks: Spanish, Blues and Spades.
Inshore Boats Report: Good Spanish and Blues. Lots of Tilefish.
Offshore Boats Report: Dolphin and scattered Wahoo

NORTH CAROLINA FISHING REPORTS COVERING THE ENTIRE NORTH CAROLINA COAST

Reported from North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

From Knotts Island to Ocracoke:
Ocean: Offshore anglers saw a substantial increase in catch rates as compared to the last several weeks.  Tuna catches were slow, but anglers caught plenty of dolphin, wahoo, amberjack, king mackerel, blueline tilefish, and billfish.  Midrange action was moderate to good with striped bass and king mackerel being caught around 6 to 8-miles offshore from Duck southward to the Pea Island area.  Anglers should note that striped bass caught in the ocean beyond three miles are unlawful to possess, and those caught within the three mile range, that are legal specimens, must have a landing tag affixed and catch card filled out.  Tags and cards are available at most marinas, piers, and tackle shops.  Triggerfish, black sea bass, and a few very large sheepshead were caught around most of the artificial reefs.  Inshore anglers caught bluefish and Spanish mackerel on a fairly regular basis in the very near shore surf zone.  Access was tough, allowing anglers to catch them only when seas were calm.  Flounder catches slowed somewhat compared to last week’s high-volume action, but some nice specimens were caught, with sand fleas and shrimp being the bait of choice.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Flounder, spotted seatrout, and very large croakers made up the bulk of the catches in these waters. Anglers that fished in the early morning hours had good results, and catch rates quickly dropped off around noon.  Flounder keeper ratios were very good with well over 50% of them being legal size.  There were some good catches of red drum, kingfish, puffers, pigfish, pinfish, silver perch, spot and bluefish. Sheepshead and tautog were caught on a regular basis around the bridge structure at Oregon Inlet.
Piers/Shore: Rough seas didn’t stop pier and shore fisherman from catching plenty of bluefish and Spanish mackerel on a very consistent basis.  Spoons, jigs, and assorted lures on the surface were the best thing to catch them on when they passed by for some short-term high-volume action.  Cobia catches off of piers were very good, especially at night. Flounder catches in the near shore surf zone were moderate to good, with sand fleas being the bait of choice.  Red drum catches from Avon southward improved somewhat.
General Overview: Fishing continues to improve across the board, with anglers having moderate-good success rates in all zones.  Water temps in the surf throughout the region remain in the upper 70s.

From Portsmouth to Surf City:

Ocean:  Good catches of Spanish mackerel continue.  Spanish around two and three pounds can be hooked around the Beaufort Inlet-Shackleford Banks area. Kings are on AR 315 and AR 320. There were great catches of grouper and black sea bass reported on AR 300. Dolphin and billfish continue to be the prime catch of the charter boats.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Sheepshead continue to be caught in good numbers around all bridges in Carteret County and the bridge over the White Oak River.  Spotted sea trout and flounder are reported from the Topsail Sound area. There also are many tarpon in the Topsail area and up around Oriental. Anglers at the Turning Basin of the Morehead City port are catching flounder, Atlantic cutlassfish, small pigfish and sea mullet.
Piers/Shore:  Small spot, croaker, pigfish, bluefish ,and sharks were caught this week.

From Topsail to Sunset Beach:
Ocean: Very few reports from boats fishing offshore. Bottom fishing in the 35 to 55-mile range should be producing some grouper, mostly reds along with some scamps and gags. Closer to shore, there are some kings biting, nothing great but there are some fish around. Places that have been producing some fish are the shark hole and jungle down south, and the 23-mile rock area. There were a good many sailfish caught last week, with some fish coming as close as a couple miles off the beach. There are good numbers of tarpon being reported on the south end of Topsail Island. Near/shore reefs have been producing some decent flounder catches of late. John’s Creek has been a good spot to try.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Inshore, fishing has remained fairly good. Flounder are being caught in the river in decent numbers along some nice trout. Most trout are coming out of the southern part of the river. Sheepshead and black drum are biting well at places such as the ADM dock and Snow’s cut.
Piers/Shore: Fishing is somewhat slow. There are some keeper flounder being caught along with some sea mullets, pompano, and bluefish. Topsail Island piers saw a good many tarpon last week

Bill from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center reported: ” July 16, 2008 Fishing Report
Offshore boats found yellowfin tuna and dolphin. More tuna than dolphin. One of the dolphin weighed 35 pounds. Several boats had wahoos. Billfish included 2 sailfish and a blue marlin. Inshore one boat on an all day trip caught trigger fish, cobia, amberjacks and sea bass. There were spanish mackerel caught trolling. Open boats caught speckled trout Open boats also caught flounders.Miss Oregon Inlet caught flounders.

(Above picture was taken from the Hoo Dini charter boat out of Nags Head, NC)

July 15, 2008 Fishing Report
Offshore it was dolphin, wahoo and tuna. There were two 55 pounders a dolphin and a wahoo. Three sailfish were caught and released.The big wahoo came charging out of the water for the bait. It is an exciting fish. Inshore Tailor bluefish and spanish mackerel in the morning, croakers and sharks in the afternoon. Two open boats caught cobias and sharks, one caught speckled trout both morning and afternoon. Miss Oregon Inlet had good flounder fishing keeping 10. One flounder measured 17 inches. They also had good spot and croaker fishing.

July 14, 2008 Fishing Report
This was a dolphin day. Some big gaffer dolphin amongst the school size fish. One boat had a 45 pound dolphin and a 47 pounder. Another boat had a 38 pound dolphin. Several wahoo in the catches.One of the wahoo weighed 46 pounds. One white marlin and two sailfish were caught and released. Inshore boats caught tailor bluefish and spanish mackerel trolling. At the same time a 73 pound cobia was caught perhaps by sight casting. Bottom fishing inshore boats caught triggerfish and sea bass both excellent on the table. Open boats depending on the type of fishing each did caught sheepsheads and black drum. One of the sheepesheads weighed 10 pounds. Two boats caught a cobia each and sharks. Most of these sharks were black tips. Two boats caught speckled trout. For variety one boat caught flounders, bluefish and sharks.”

TW’s Bait and Tackle reported: “July 17, 2008 Fishing Report
The weather is really nice. Wind out of N at 14 kts. A clear day. Take advantage.
Surf Fishing Report: Bottom fish and Blues.
Sound Fishing Report: The Little Bridge on the Nags head/Manteo causeway  reported Trout, Black Drum, Spot and Croaker.
Pier Fishing Report: Avalon: Blues, Spanish and Flounder.
Nags Head: Blues, Flounder and Spot.
Outer Banks: Croaker, Sea Mullet Blues and Flounder.
Inshore Boats Report: Trolling boats are still having good Spanish and Blues. Open boats are catching Trout and Flounder.
Offshore Boats Report: Tuna, Dolphin, Wahoo, Sailfish and Marlin.

July 15, 2008 Fishing Report
In Summary: Justin Stewart caught a 19 lb Red Snapper fishing from the Miss Hatteras charter boat. Miss Hatteras Captain stated the 19 lb Snapper was the biggest his boat has ever caught. Citation size is 10 lb.
Surf Fishing Report: Maybe a few Blues.
Sound Fishing Report: Black Drum, Flounder and Spot reported by the Little Bridge on the causeway.
Pier Fishing Report: Avalon: Few Blues.
Nags Head: Few Blues and small flounder.
Outer Banks: Blues, Small flounder, Spot and Croaker.
Inshore Boats Report: Trolling boats are catching Bluefish and Spanish. Deep water anglers are decking Triggerfish and Sea bass. Open boats are catching Cobia, Sheepshead, Black Drum, Trout and Flounder. There was a 73 lb Cobia caught on Monday.
Offshore Boats Report: There was a big Dolphin bite on Monday. Also catching Wahoo and Billfish.

July 14, 2008 Fishing Report
In Summary: The wind has switched to WSW today and there is grass. David Rohde caught a nice Trout. Citation size for Trout changed this year from 4 lb to 5 lb.  Matthew from Moyock caught a nice size 3 lb Spanish.
Surf Fishing Report: A few Blues and bottom fish.
Sound Fishing Report: The Little Bridge reported slow. A few Croaker and Spot have been caught and 2 Flounder.
Pier Fishing Report: Avalon: All the grass you can catch.
Nags Head: A few Blues and bottom fish.
Outer Banks: Spot, Croaker and 2 Flounder.
Inshore Boats Report: Open boats should be catching a few Blues and bottom fish. Trolling boats will catch Spanish and Blues today.
Offshore Boats Report: Dolphin and Tuna”

NORTH CAROLINA FISHING REPORTS COVERING THE ENTIRE NORTH CAROLINA COAST

Reported from North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

From Knotts Island to Ocracoke:
Ocean: Offshore catches improved from last week’s slow activity.  Blackfin, yellowfin, bigeye, and even a few bluefin tuna were caught this week, along with a few dolphin and wahoo. Billfish catches were very good, with sailfish, blue and white marlin being caught on a regular basis.  Midrange anglers caught triggerfish, black seabass, amberjack, and increasing numbers of striped bass.  Cobia and king mackerel are still being caught about 8-10 miles offshore by anglers returning from gulfstream trips.  Inshore action included bluefish and Spanish mackerel in the near shore surf zone when seas were calm enough to access them.  There were some nice catches of flounder.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Anglers were happy with the good flounder keeper ratios of 50% or more throughout the area.  Spotted seatrout and red drum were caught by early morning anglers at the Melvin Daniels bridge  and underneath the Washington Baum bridge opposite Pirates Cove marina.  Green Island slough at Oregon Inlet produced weakfish  and spotted seatrout at dawn and dusk.

Piers/Shore: Spanish mackerel catches were very good for both pier and shore anglers. Bluefish offered some short term/high volume action for anglers.  A few kingfish, croakers, puffers, burrfish, spot, skates, and assorted sharks were caught. Red drum catches from Avon southward to Ocracoke improved considerably.  Anglers caught cobia while fishing at night from piers.

From Portsmouth to Surf City:
Ocean:  Summertime slows fishing down. The heat is here along with the wind. Gaffer dolphin and nice-sized wahoo are still being hooked and billfish are prevalent. Sunday a boat came in with a grand slam - two blue marlin, three white marlin and a sailfish. Other than that, the waterfront has been quiet. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are along the beaches and around both Bogue and Beaufort inlets. Kings were reported at the sea buoy - about 8 miles out.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays: A few redfish were reported in the Topsail Beach area and the Bogue Sound-Newport River and large numbers at Bogue Inlet.  Many undersized flounder were reported caught and released this past week from all waters. Pigfish can be caught around the Beaufort drawbridge and the turning basin of the state port. Anglers are catching many undersized black sea bass. Anglers are reporting many sharks.

Piers/Shore:  Piers have a mixed bag of croakers, spot, undersized flounder, pigfish and pinfish.   Bluefish and Spanish are keeping the fishing active.

From Topsail to Sunset Beach:
Ocean: Bottom fishing remains a good option this time year. Red, gag, and scamp groupers are biting on most ledges in the 30 to 50-mile range along with a host of other reef fish. King mackerel fishing was good last week at the shark hole and the dredge wreck. Slow trolling live bait such as cigar minnows and menhaden is the most productive method. Flounder fishing on the near/shore reefs typically picks up this time of year. The reefs just off the beaches of Brunswick and New Hanover are great places to try. Live bait such as mullet or menhaden fished on a Carolina rig is the ticket. There should be spadefish on most of the near/shore reefs as well. Tarpon fishing around Bald Head and on the shoals is another option this time of year.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Flounder fishing has been fair. I haven’t seen any outstanding catches, but most people are catching a few up to 8 pounds. The near/shore reefs and the Cape Fear River have been producing some fish of late. Trout are still biting in the lower Cape Fear around Southport, and in the waterway around Sunset Beach. Sight fishing for drum in the creeks and bays has been good from Topsail to Bald Head when conditions are right. Sheepshead and black drum are biting well at the ADM dock and Snow’s cut.

Piers/Shore: Typical summertime fishing. Topsail Island piers reported pompano, sea mullet, and a few keeper flounder. There were a few king mackerel landed last week. New Hanover piers saw much the same, with one pier doing outstanding on the king mackerel. Brunswick County piers had a good week on trout and pompano. There were a few king mackerel landed as well.

North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Reports
Bill from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center reported: “July 10, 2008 Fishing Report

Some nice big bigeye tunas showed up in the catches today. They ranged in weight from 97 pounds to 187 pounds. More yellowfin catches, one nice one had 10 all running from 40 to 50 pounds a peice. Best dolphin catch recorded was 8 they also had a 177 pound bigeye and 2 yellowfins. Inshore boats caught tailor bluefish trolling in the morning, trigger fish and sea bass bottom fishing in the afternoon. Open boats on all day trips caught cobias. A half day trip caught speckled trout amd flounders. Miss Oregon Inlet caught croakers morning and afternoon.

July 9, 2008 Fishing Report

Offshore dolphin and yellowfin tuna, scattered wahoo. One wahoo weighed 31 pounds. two sailfish and a blue marlin were caught and released. Weather a propblem. Thunder storms throughout the afternoon curtailed some fishing activities. Inshore boats caught tailor bluefish and spanish mackerel trolling. Bottom fishing landed good size triggerfish. An all day inshore trip combined both trolling and bottom fishing with good results on each. Open boats had good speckled trout fishing. An all day trip caught two cobias weighing 35 and 45 pounds. An AM trip caught and released 5 sharks. I missed getting pictures by not getting out there early enough.

July 8, 2008 Fishing Report

Good day’s fishing all around both offshore, inshore and open boat charters. Offshore there were a lot of dolphin caught, some wahoos, blackfin tunas and billfish. The dolphin had a good quantity of gaffer sized amongst the school sized fish. There was a 40 pounder and a 35 pounder. One boat had 55 another 25 dolphin. Billfish- there were 7 sailfish and several white marlins. Inshore good trolling for spanish mackerel and tailor bluefish. Open boats targeted different species. Speckled trout, black drum, flounders and several cobia were caught. Some spanish mackerel and tailor bluefish were caught by Continue Reading »