UTERLittle tunny fishing in Outer Banks & Hatteras
In Outer Banks & Hatteras, little tunny peak October and are around May–November, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. October: Albies off Hatteras Inlet and the Cape Point shoals.
Albies off Hatteras Inlet and the Cape Point shoals.
Little tunny in Outer Banks & Hatteras, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilNot here
- MayArriving
- JuneAround
- JulyAround
- AugustAround
- SeptemberArriving
- OctoberPeakAlbies off Hatteras Inlet and the Cape Point shoals.
- NovemberLeaving
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish little tunny 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 little tunny hold on.
What to use for little tunny
- Glass minnows (bay anchovies)Thrown by the handful as chum for Spanish, trout and ladyfish, or several on a tiny hook.
- Pilchards (whitebait)Free-lined or under a cork, hooked through the nose on a #1 to 2/0 circle hook. The one bait that catches everything inshore.
- Leader40–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook4/0–8/0
- Braid50–100 lb
Feeds in 66–86°F water, best at 70–82°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch little tunny in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Peak season is October. Little tunny are in Outer Banks & Hatteras May–November. October: Albies off Hatteras Inlet and the Cape Point shoals.
Where do little tunny hold in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Look on artificial reef, pass / inlet, beach / surf, wreck — around Ocracoke, Hatteras, Buxton, Avon, Rodanthe, Oregon Inlet.
What is the best bait for little tunny in Outer Banks & Hatteras?
Live bait: glass minnows (bay anchovies), pilchards (whitebait). Glass minnows (bay anchovies): Thrown by the handful as chum for Spanish, trout and ladyfish, or several on a tiny hook. Tackle: leader 40–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 4/0–8/0, braid 50–100 lb.
What are the rules for little tunny 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 little tunny · The Outer Banks, the whole year