North Carolina Fishing Report 5-04-10

[Saltwater Fishing]

North Carolina State Central District
For the week of April 26 – May 2

Ocean:

Grouper season started Saturday, and a few were biting. Some nice-sized gags and black groupers were landed in small quantities. As usual for this time of the season, black sea bass, triggerfish, vermillion snapper and assorted porgy were caught. Fishermen continued to catch slot-limit red drum outside the inlets. Off Cape Lookout, anglers reeled in a few bigger drum.

Offshore, trolling fishermen reported that the best catch was bonito and false albacore. Wahoo were landed in small quantities.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays:

Sea mullet, spot, croaker and northern puffers were caught in the sounds.

Speckled trout, weakfish and flounder were caught in the Tar-Pamlico river area and catches of stripers on the Neuse and Pamlico rivers continued to be good.

Bluefish and sharks (mainly smooth and spiny dogfish) were caught in all locations.

Piers/Shore:

Pinfish, sharks and bluefish were the main catches on the piers this week. Sea mullet were caught in good numbers, as well as croakers, black drum, and hogfish.


http://www.ncdmf.net/fishreport/centdist.html

[Saltwater Fishing]

For the week of April 26 – May 2

Ocean:

Anglers who traveled offshore from the north beach marinas of Oregon Inlet, Broad Creek and Pirates Cove had stronger bluefin tuna catches last week due to resurgent tuna populations. They also traveled shorter distances to the catch area than those anglers who fished out of Hatteras marinas. Fishermen who targeted yellowfin, bigeye and blackfin tuna caught them in large volumes. Smaller quantities of dolphinfish, wahoo and blueline tilefish were hauled in. Hatteras and Ocracoke anglers who were bottom fishing caught moderate amounts of greater amberjack, almaco jack, tilefish, barrelfish, vermillion snapper and blackbelly rosefish.

Midrange activity was low. Few catches were reported, with the exception of small amounts of striped bass, which were reeled in at locations five to eight miles offshore. Fishing on artificial reefs yielded average catches of sheepshead, black drum and triggerfish.

Inshore anglers experienced calmer seas than last week and caught many small, 1- to 2-pound bluefish, along with moderate numbers of kingfish, croakers and puffers.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays:

Anglers who targeted spotted seatrout and flounder in these waters were rewarded with successful catches. Flounder catches were particularly good in the very shallow areas of the small islands at Oregon Inlet. Fishermen caught flounder in large quantities, with most of the catch coming from those locales.

More keeper-sized spotted seatrout were caught than last week. An assortment of other fish were caught in small quantities.

Piers/Shore:

A variety of fish were caught by pier and shore anglers. Pufferfish were particularly abundant. A moderate number of croakers, kingfish, bluefish, dogfish, skates, stingrays and bluefish were reeled in, as well.

Early-morning anglers had moderate success catching spotted seatrout, as well as a few striped bass. From Avon, south to Ocracoke, the regularity of catches of red drum improved from last week.

General Overview:

Favorable weather conditions and warmer water temperatures ranging into the upper 50s allowed anglers to enjoy all types of fishing with moderate-to-good success rates. Weather conditions were predicted to be unsettled this week.


http://www.ncdmf.net/fishreport/northdist.html

[Saltwater Fishing]

For the week of April 26 – May 2

Ocean:

Offshore, some very nice wahoos were caught along with some blackfin tuna. A few dolphinfish were present, but it was anticipated that after the water warms a degrees more, their numbers should increase.

Fishermen using vertical jigging around ”The Steeples” caught blackfin tuna in abundance earlier in the week. Bottom-fishing anglers caught red, gag and scamp groupers, as well as an assortment of other bottom-fish varieties.

Near-shore reefs yielded black sea bass and a few flounder. Some fisherman caught Spanish mackerel and bluefish along area beaches.


Inlets/Sounds/Bays:

In general, fishing continued to improve. The lower Cape Fear River, bays and creeks behind Bald Head Island and the Little River rock jetty provided the best fishing for trout and drum. Both artificial and live bait – such as shrimp – were most successfully used to catch fish.

In the south Brunswick area, the lower Cape Fear River and Snow's cut, flounder catches also improved. Flounder weighing up to 4 pounds were reeled in by anglers in small quantities. The best bait proved to be either live mud minnows or peanut-sized menhaden.

Sea mullet fishing remained productive around the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Anglers also caught small spot and gray trout.


Piers/Shore:

Fishing in this mode improved greatly last week. Spanish mackerel made a showing on most piers, along with a good number of bluefish. It was anticipated that king mackerel would soon arrive at Oak Island fishing piers. Bottom-fishing anglers caught sea mullet and some small spot. Surf fishers reeled in sea mullet, black drum and bluefish.


http://www.ncdmf.net/fishreport/southdist.html