Many species currently biting at the Outer Banks

OBX

Hot summer fishing action continues along OBX

The summer continues to bless the Outer Banks with warm weather and good fishing. A variety of species continues to provide hot action for anglers. And even within each species, anglers are catching a mix of sizes, from keepers to trophies.

The diversity of species biting along the Outer Banks will continue to grow as the summer gets close to fall, so the current fishing trend should hold true for some time. And as good as it is now, it’s only going to get even better.

This fishing report comes from Capt. Pete Cruger with Sneaky Pete OBX Fishing Charters:

Fishing this week has been great. We are seeing a lot  more schools of the big red drum in the ocean as they stage up around Oregon Inlet preparing to make their spawning run in to the Pamlico Sound. Sight casting is the trick for these 40 to 50-inch fish with bucktail jigs. We are also catching a few 26 to 35-inch reds while fishing the sound. Very few have been small enough to keep, since all red drum over 27 inches must be released.

OBX
Plenty of redfish are being caught at the Outer Banks right now.

Gator trout are showing up

Speckled trout fishing has been good in the hot water with most fish being very shallow down to 2 1/2 feet of water. The larger trout are also making a good showing, with a lot more fish in the 19 to 24-inch range. And a few true gators are mixed in with them.

The Spanish mackerel bite has been strong in the ocean. Ribbonfish, false albacore, king mackerel are also biting. A few cobia are starting to show back up north of Oregon Inlet. Over the next few weeks, the cobia numbers should get stronger around structure, and they’ll also be swimming with the big drum schools.

OBX
Sneaky Pete’s anglers are catching some true trophy fish, like this bull redfish.

Lots of striped bass are in the marinas, but we are trying to discourage people from fishing for them in this summer heat. Stripers are cold water fish. They have an extremely high mortality rate when pulled out of the water this time of year. The harvest season is closed until Oct. 1. And while catch and release fishing can be fun, we are seeing them floating dead in marinas every day. Studies show they have a low chance of survival when released on hot summer days. 

-Capt Pete Cruger (252-573-9185) runs Sneaky Pete OBX Fishing Charters out of Nags Head, N.C. and specializes in providing the most productive and enjoyable fishing experience possible. Whether you’re new to the fishing world or are an experienced angler, Sneaky Pete can give you the fishing trip of a lifetime.

Click here to read about the reopening of Oak Island Pier.

About Brian Cope 2726 Articles
Brian Cope is the editor of Carolina Sportsman. He has won numerous awards for his writing, photography, and videography. He is a retired Air Force combat communications technician, and has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at brianc@sportsmannetwork.com.