UTERAtlantic bluefin tuna fishing in Outer Banks & Hatteras
In Outer Banks & Hatteras, Atlantic bluefin tuna peak January–February and are around December–March, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. January: Chunking and trolling off Hatteras when the fish are there.
Not in Outer Banks & Hatteras this month.
Atlantic bluefin tuna in Outer Banks & Hatteras, month by month
- JanuaryPeakChunking and trolling off Hatteras when the fish are there.
- FebruaryPeak
- MarchLeaving
- AprilNot here
- MayNot here
- JuneNot here
- JulyNot here
- AugustNot here
- SeptemberNot here
- OctoberNot here
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberArrivingSome winters the giants show off Hatteras; most of the fishery has moved down to Morehead.
Where to fish Atlantic bluefin tuna near Ocracoke, Hatteras, Buxton
A hundred and twenty miles of barrier island — Ocracoke, Hatteras, Pea Island, Bodie, the northern beaches — with Cape Point at Buxton where the Gulf Stream and the Labrador Current meet, three inlets (Ocracoke, Hatteras, Oregon), and behind them Pamlico, Croatan and Albemarle sounds and the Neuse and Pamlico rivers. The Gulf Stream runs 20 miles off Oregon Inlet.
Fish Scouter charts 267 wreck, 207 artificial reef spots in the The Outer Banks map area — the kinds Atlantic bluefin tuna hold on.
What to use for Atlantic bluefin tuna
- Menhaden (pogies)Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined or slow-trolled; cut in chunks for the bottom.
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- HerringCut-plug for salmon: head off at an angle, guts out, two hooks in tandem so it spins slow behind a flasher or a banana weight. Whole and live on a circle hook for stripers where the herring run.
- Sand eelsFree-lined or on a light jig head for stripers, fluke and bluefish; strips teased on a fluke rig.
- Leader40–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook4/0–8/0
- Braid50–100 lb
Feeds in 50–76°F water, best at 58–70°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch Atlantic bluefin tuna in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Peak season is January–February. Atlantic bluefin tuna are in Outer Banks & Hatteras December–March. January: Chunking and trolling off Hatteras when the fish are there.
Where do Atlantic bluefin tuna hold in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Look on ledge / hard bottom, wreck, artificial reef — around Ocracoke, Hatteras, Buxton, Avon, Rodanthe, Oregon Inlet.
What is the best bait for Atlantic bluefin tuna in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Live bait: menhaden (pogies), squid, herring, sand eels. Menhaden (pogies): Nose-hooked on a circle hook and free-lined or slow-trolled; cut in chunks for the bottom. Tackle: leader 40–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 4/0–8/0, braid 50–100 lb.
What are the rules for Atlantic bluefin tuna in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Size and bag limits and closed seasons are set by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and change — read the current rule at https://www.deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/marine-fisheries/rules-proclamations-and-size-and-bag-limits before you keep a fish. A licence is sold at https://www.ncwildlife.org/licensing.
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All about Atlantic bluefin tuna · The Outer Banks, the whole year