Cape Hatteras Fishing Charters, Hatteras Sport Fishing

After striper season in Virginia Beach, Matador moves to south each spring to warm our bones fishing the waters of the Gulf Stream in Hatteras, N.C. Spring time brings the some of the hottest fishing of the year to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Cape Hatteras is a small fishing village, part of the Outer Banks barrier island chain off the mainland of North Carolina. Just a two and a half hour drive from Virginia Beach, Hatteras offers a quiet island retreat close enough from home to drive to for a quick getaway. At 20-30 miles, the ride to the warm waters of the gulf stream from Hatteras is the shortest of anywhere on the east coast shy of the Florida Keys. Even on the coldest of days on land, the warm waters heat the air and while everyone at home is freezing, you could be fishing comfortably in a t-shirt. Hatteras is full of natural beauty and the fishing alone is worth the trip.

Starting in March,100-250# bluefin tunas will arrive in huge schools off the coast of Cape Hatteras and they show up hungry. These fish can be caught in many different ways from manhandling them on bent butt 80# class rods to ultra light jigging with the newest in high tech tackle. This year we even plan to experiment on these bruisers using fly fishing gear! When the bluefins are around double digit numbers of fish captured is the norm. Most days of spring there are several different species of tuna that can be caught off Hatteras including yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, blackfin tuna, false albacore, and bonitas. March and april tend to be the hottest action for the bluefins, but the other tuna species can make appearances at any time.

As the water warms in April we will see the arrival of more gulf stream warm water species including mahi mahi, wahoo, and marlins. In april and may the dolphin get so thick off Hatteras that they are referred to as "the green death" and at times it literally gets hard to keep a line in the water without catching a mahi. We enjoy catching dolphin a number of different ways, whether it be trolling ballyhoos or using light tackle to bail large numbers of schooled mahi. Blue Marlin, white marlin, and sailfish are always a possibility in the spring as well.

Hatteras also offers a kind of fishing unique to the area because of its reefs. The edge of the gulf stream in Hatteras has reefs along the bottom and these areas are loaded with many different species of fish including amberjacks, king mackerel, cobia, barracuda, various snappers and groupers, sea bass, tilefish, and BIG sharks. Bottom fishing in Hatteras can be fun and very productive. Jigging over these reefs can tire even the most experienced angler from all the cranking, and the big sharks (hammerheads, duskies, makos, threshers, etc- they all live in Hatteras) can get so thick you will beg to catch something else. Jigging and bottom fishing trips are becoming more and more popular and each year we recieve more requests to go jigging. Anglers enjoy the hands on approach to jigging as well as the huge variety of fish that are willing to eat a jig. Book a jigging or bottom fishing trip and experience it for yourself!

In 2010 we will be fishing Hatteras, North Carolina out of Teach's Lair Marina from March 1 until June 1. There are several hotels and restraunts located within walking distance of Teachs Lair. Our offshore daily (6am-roughly 4pm) rate from Hatteras is $1200 (with cash or check, $1250 with credit card) per group of up to six anglers. Give me a call at 757-749-6008 if you have any questions or to get your date booked and let's go catch some fish!. We look forward seeing you and thanks for choosing Matador Charters.