N.C. fishing report

By From staff reports
Published in Sports on November 13, 2009 1:46 PM

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Northern Region

Ocean: Offshore anglers had good results with plenty of yellow and blackfin tuna hitting the docks this week. They also landed wahoo, king mackerel, dolphin, little tunny, black seabass and blueline tilefish. Fishermen using Hatteras marinas caught Vermillion snapper and blue runners. There were very few billfish catches.

Midrange anglers saw improvements with the arrival of striped bass in high numbers around 8 to 10 miles offshore. Anglers should note that striped bass caught in this region are unlawful to possess and must not be kept. A few red drum and a large bluefish were also caught. Artificial reef catches were down with low amounts of assorted species including tautog, sheepshead, triggerfish, black drum and blueline tilefish.

Inshore anglers are still catching red drum in the near shore surf zone, but with less frequency than the previous few weeks high-volume catches. Bluefish and Spanish mackerel were caught in moderate amounts in a few short term cases.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Anglers targeting red drum just inside the Oregon Inlet Bridge had moderate success rates, but catches slowed compared to the previous few weeks. Striped bass catches improved throughout the area with more favorable keeper ratios than previously. Roanoke and Croatan Sound locations yielded the bulk of them with a few spotted seatrout mixed in. Swan Quarter and Rose Bay anglers caught very high numbers of spotted seatrout, but most specimens were under size.

Piers/shore: Anglers had results similar to the inshore boaters. Red drum catches slowed, but nice catches of bluefish and Spanish mackerel kept anglers busy this week. Early-morning anglers caught some nice spotted seatrout in the near shore surf zone.

Assorted others were caught in low amounts including flounder, kingfish, croakers, puffers, black drum, sheepshead, skates, rays and assorted sharks.

Central Region

Ocean: The wahoo bite this week was great. Every charter boat from the Morehead City waterfront that went out this weekend came back with a handful or two of them, a few weighing in over 50 pounds. Those trolling for wahoo came back with a few blackfin tuna in the mix, also.

Bottom fishing this past week was pretty spectacular, also. Anglers caught lots of triggerfish, large black sea bass and some huge white grunts.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays: The White Oak River turned out a number of good-sized speckled trout and red drum this week. For anglers who were flounder fishing, it was much like other weeks with about one out of every five flounder caught being of legal size.

Anglers casting a line in the Bay River area and in the waters around Bath had good luck with speckled trout again this week. The Virginia mullet (whiting) were sparse this week just about everywhere, but in and around the Beaufort inlet. Not only was that the only place that the whiting were caught, but many of those caught from that area were of good size.

Piers/shore: The surf and pier fishing continues to be hit or miss just as it has been over the past weeks. Those who there at the right time caught a mixed bag of pompano, spadefish, lots of large puffers, blues and a few whiting here and there.

The spot haven't really been showing up at the piers or in the surf this week as they were previously.

Southern Region

Ocean: Offshore, boats are catching some wahoo along with blackfin tuna ... no real big numbers but they are catching a few fish. Bottom fishing in the 20- to 30-mile range has been excellent for gags and some red snapper.

Closer to shore, the fairway ledge got really good again last week for king mackerel. There were some big fish caught there along with good numbers of fish. The shark hole, light house rock and the jungle had good catches of kings as well. Near/shore reefs are holding a few flounder and good numbers of gray trout.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Fishing has been good. Large flounder are still coming out of Snow's Cut and Carolina Beach Inlet. Trout are starting to show up in their wintertime spots. The rock jetty at Wrightsville Beach and the Little River rock jetty are both starting to produce some fish. Carolina Beach Inlet also had some good trout catches last week as well.

There still are fish being caught in the river as well as the creeks and bays behind Bald Head Island. Drum are also being caught in good numbers in the same general location.

Piers/shore: Fishing is still pretty good, but for the most part the spot run is over. There are very good numbers of sea mullets being caught along with some bluefish, black drum and some keeper flounder.

Surf fishermen report some really big sea mullets, blues, flounder and some red and black drum.