March is tuna time out of Ocean Isle

Trolling is the key

Anglers in the Ocean Isle, NC area have a lot to look forward to as the calendar turns to March, including fishing for tuna.

Capt. Riley Adkins of Salt Fever Guide Service (910-250-3021) said the tuna action gets an uptick because of the influx of bait.

“March is when you start seeing a lot of the bait show up, and that sets the stage for spring. Things really start coming together for a lot of different species, including tuna,” he said.

Adkins and the rest of the Salt Fever Guide Service crew spend most of their tuna-fishing time trolling this month, and they primarily catch blackfin and yellowfin tuna.

“During the early part of March, we catch a lot more blackfin. But the yellowfin bite gets going really strong as we get later into the month,” he said.

A typical day for them includes making a run to the offshore fishing grounds, then settling in to troll.

Hit the Break

“We head to the Break in the Gulf Stream, which we can get to in short order in all of our Freeman Boatworks catamarans, which are perfect for this type of fishing,” he said.

Trolling isn’t the only method that works, but Adkins said it’s the most reliable this month.

“We’ll do a little bit of jigging this time of year, and we’ll start catching them on live bait pretty good this month,” he said. “But mainly, we’re trolling for them.”

Ballyhoo, hard baits and teasers all play big roles in trolling.

“For our typical spread, we use five to seven rods,” he said. “We pull ballyhoo and some hard baits, which will get those fish to come up to the surface.”

Adkins finds tuna-holding water through a number of methods, including using his full array of RayMarine electronics, as well as his Freeman’s full tower, which offers him a strategic advantage to scan water from up high, an essential element of spotting schools of fish.

Other species in play

While tuna make up the bulk of their catch, Adkins said other species show up that can be targeted by anglers, and are also often caught as bonus bycatches for those chasing tuna.

“This time of year, mahi begin to trickle in, so we’ll see some of them on some days. And the bite for them can all of a sudden get really hot.

King mackerel push in and show up in big numbers in March also, and they bite strong right off the beach, he said.

Wahoo will also keep anglers plenty busy this month, Adkins said.

“Wahoo numbers drop heavily throughout the winter months. But once the weather begins warming back up, they come on strong,” he said.

Finding temperature breaks is the key to catching any of these fish, and Adkins said trolling is the main way to hook them all.

With premium fishing equipment and multiple boats with plenty of fishing room, The Salt Fever Guide Service crew can accomodate any size fishing party. Call them at 910-250-3021 to schedule your trip.