Outer Banks North Carolina Fishing Reports

HOT FALL KING BITE

Headed out Saturday on one of the best days of fishing I've had in a while. I took four of the guys from the Outer Banks Anglers club on a King Mackerel trip. Wouldn't you know the first fish was a 31lb citation Blackfin tuna followed by several Kings, a few sharks, Amberjack's, Barracuda's and more Kings, one being a citation. What a great day on the water. The bite is only going to get better. Also now taking deposits for fall Striper trips. Still some good dates left, but don't wait until there all gone.

Tight lines, Ray END OF SUMMER FISHING ON THE OBX

Well, the summer is finally over, but the fishing hasn’t slowed down. Inside the inlet, it’s the usual catch, small flounder, a few Spots, Croaker, Trout, Sea Mullet, and Red Drum. Outside Oregon Inlet, it’s been Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel. Some of the other boats have been shark fishing, but I’ll pass on that. Just a short distance off the beach, Amberjack and Barracuda have been biting pretty good and are great fighters. I caught my first King Mackerel last week just five miles out of the inlet. It was nice to finally boat one. I haven’t been offshore in a while, but hear the Dolphin bite has been very good and the billfish bite has been the best in years. I want to thank everyone that has fished with me this summer and hope you enjoyed your trip. We’ve boated some nice fish this summer and had some trips that were almost too much fun. Don’t forget fall and winter trips are just around the corner. It’s only going to get better. Also thanks for all the compliments I’ve been receiving on the new boat. It’s a sweet ride. Give me a call and let’s go fishing. OUTER BANKS FISHING IS AS HOT AS THE WEATHER

Sorry about the lack of fishing reports, but it just seems like there is not enough hours in the day. Thanks to everyone who has come out to fish. We’ve had some great days and a few poor days, thanks to the hard southwest wind we had for over a week. In the sound, we are catching a little of everything like Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, Flounder, Sea Mullet, Croakers, and Spot. Nothing has been hot and heavy, but catches have usually been good. Around the inlet, the Bluefish have been on and off depending on the water temperature. Just outside the inlet, a few schools of Red Drum have been hanging around, but have been hammered on by the fleet. A few Cobia are still being caught, but most have move up into the Chesapeake Bay. The local near shore wrecks have had Triggers, Spadefish and nice Amberjacks on them, with a few Sea Bass too. Offshore, the tuna bite is still going on, but it’s a few here and there. The Dolphin have been a little thicker, with most being bailer size. The billfish bite has gotten better over the past week and should only get hotter. Take a day off and let’s go fishing. BETTER FISHING

June fishing is going hot and heavy on the Outer Banks. In the sound, Croakers are fat and hungry. Most are being caught around the Manteo bridge. Some Sea Mullet, Croakers, and Flounder are being boated in some of the deep holes near Oregon Inlet. Outside the inlet, Bluefish and Spanish mackerel have been fairly thick. Both are nice size and good eating. A few Cobia are still being caught, but most are lure shy. Out on the wrecks, Amberjack are always hungry if you have some live bait. Sea Bass, Spadefish, and Triggerfish are also on the wrecks, but the bite has been on and off. A few King Mackerel are starting to show up and are a blast to catch. It’s nothing for them to rip out 150 yards of line in a matter of seconds. Out near the gulfstream, nice gaffer and plenty of bailer Dolphin are showing up in good numbers. The Yellowfin tuna are still out there, but it’s been kind of hit and miss on them. Scattered billfish are showing up, but no great numbers. The overall offshore fishing has been good, if you’re in the right area. If not, it’s a long boat ride. The past several days, the heat during the day has been almost unbearable. I’ve been looking forward to the evening trips this time of year. It’s cooler, less boat traffic, and still good fishing. Email or phone me if you want to go catch some fish. I’m now working with three other captains, so we can always get you on a boat and having a great fishing adventure.

Thanks, Ray JUNE FISHING ON THE OBX

Fishing on the Outer Banks most days has been very good, but I’ll be the first to admit I’ve had a few bad days also. In the sound, the biggest news is the big Croakers and plenty of them. It’s been a few years since we had some nice size Croakers. The Trout and Flounder bite has been on and off. Capt. Marc and I fished a local tournament with 78 other fisherman for Trout, Flounder and Red Drum. Out of 80 great fishermen, one guy had a Flounder and Trout. We had two Trout out of 8 that were legal. That’s all that everyone caught in six hours of fishing. Just outside the inlet, Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel bite has been pretty steady. Most of the fish have been good eating size. I had some Bluefish last night for dinner and they were very tasty. Off the beach on some of the wrecks, Sea Bass and Amberjack are showing up. Offshore, the Tuna and Dolphin bite has been up and down. Some of the marinas say the bite is hot every day, but it’s just not so. Its fishing, some days are better than others. Fishing should only be getting better each week. Several other captains and I have joined together to make sure you can always book a fishing adventure. We have boats that cover from the sound to offshore. All captains are USCG approved, insured and experienced. Our goal is to give you a fun fishing experience. Email or call to book your trip today.

Here's a photo of Dave and the gang. It was along day of fishing with only one Tuna to show for it. Thanks guys. TUNA BITE IS TOO HOT

Last sunday, my buddies & I ventured offshore & had one of the best days of tuna fishing of my life. Slick clam conditions for our 40 mile run to the gulf stream. When we arrived, there was a nice temp change from 69 to 71, so we work that line. We started trolling two lines & by the time the third hit the water, the first two started screaming. We got one to the boat & lost the other one. A 50lb Yellowfin was a great start to the day and just then I notice the Lowrance had fish marks from 159ft to 800. I always wanted to jig a tuna up, so I put on a Williamson butterfly jig & let it drop. I'm using a 7ft All-Star Kingfish rod,Penn Torque 100,with 40lb Ugly braid. I jigged 4or 5 times and the tuna was on. We did that for about an hour until we lost all 6 jigs I had. We were just under gunned. You could tell we a Yellowfin hit and those you could handle, but when a Bluefin hit, there was NO stopping them. We never laugh so hard hearing those reel screaming. After that we went back to trolling . I happened to be looking out the back of boat when I saw a huge splash and the reel yelled like it was in high gear.Scott grabbed it & the fight was on. We are in 5500 ft of water so Scott put some drag on the fish and slows him some, but doesn't gain any ground. After an hour, his back & arms can't take it, so he passes the rod to Marc. Marc starts pumping the rod and get half the line back. After 30 minutes, the fish pops to the surface, I think just to size us up and back down he goes for another run. All Marc could do was go along for the ride. Finally he stops diving and Marc starts the whole process again. After another 30 mintues Marc get the beast beside the boat and I put a gaff in the fish. A rope goes around the tail and the three of us start pulling. Just as we clear the water, the X-tool gaff breaks. I guess its not design for the beast. I get out extra gaff and tie another rope thru the gill and out the mouth. On try two the beast is in the boat and with a little help, just squeezes in the fish box. We all high fived each other and called it a day.As we were leaving, I noticed on the plotter that we had drifted almost 10 miles fighting the fish. Moral of this story, HE TASTED DAM GOOD.