March 30,2000

I put this off until later in the week trying to see what the weather was going to be like over the coming weekend. Right now it looks like April 1 will be a good day and April 2 will be fair. Unfortunately, the wind has blown all week, so the forecast is based on reports that are a bit old.

Offshore

The tuna should be biting like mad. They were very consistent last weekend, all the way from Georgetown Hole to The Point. In the middle and southern end of NC, there were a fair number of wahoo in the mix. The largest wahoo, that I heard of, was the 92 pounder that Doug Armstrong and friends caught at the Blackjack Hole. The Morehead City boats that went down to the area of the Swansboro Hole had a good number of wahoo, while the predominant catch up on the Big Rock was yellowfin tuna. Out of Hatteras, the Rock Pile up to the 230 rocks had a good number of yellowfin, with some wahoo and large king mackerel mixed in.

Mid-Depths

The smaller early spring king mackerel should be feeding heavily around Frying Pan Tower. They may even be spread up the coast a ways. Last weekend, several fishermen reported limits and releases in this general area. Cigar minnows, both frozen and jigged up, were the bait of choice.
Sea bass have been feeding ravenously on most of the mid-depth rocks, wrecks, reefs, and artificial reefs. They have been biting like mad for several weeks and shouldn't stop this weekend.

Nearshore

Many of the nearshore rocks and artificial reefs are loading up with bluefish. Sea mullet are in the Morehead City area and it is about time for gray trout to show up. True bonito are off Wrightsville Beach. They can be loads of fun to catch and even more fun to eat.

Surf and Pier

The water has not quite yet warmed back up enough to be consistent. Sharks, skates, blowfish, bluefish, and sea mullet are all that are consistent here. At Hatteras there are some red drum, from 18 to 40 inches in the surf, as well as a scattering of flounder and sea mullet. If the wind doesn't bother you, you can fish the ocean piers around the clock.

Inshore

This fishing has slowed quite a bit. A little bit of warm weather should do wonders for the fishing activity.
Right now, a few adventuresome drum and speckled trout are about all that you should expect to catch. The dedicated fishermen are catching some numbers of trout, but when you ask them where they caught them, the patent answer is, "Right in the corner of the mouth."

Summary

If we could get a few warm sunny day in a row, the fishing would go from mild to wild. After the cold snap, of a few weeks ago, everything has gotten a little behind schedule. Everyone needs to be prepared at this time of year. The water is warming and a bite can light off at any time. If you pay attention and keep an ear to the ground, you might get a chance at one of those special days.

Good Fishing
Capt. Jerry Dilsaver