Area fishing report

Offshore brought mahi mahi, yellowfin tuna, bonito, albacore tuna, blackfin tuna and a few catch and release. Near shore you’ll see bluefish, Spanish mackerel and speckled trout. Bottom fishing is bringing in sea mullet and sea bass. Contact: Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, 252-441-6301, www.oregon-inlet.com.

Red Drum Tackle had a near-record 116-pound cobia from one of its charter captains. Plus the weekend saw a sheepshead come in at more than 13 pounds near the jetties. Citation pompano and sea mullet larger than 1 1/2 pounds also have been reported. Oden’s Dock said there’s good dolphin activity, plus triggers, mahi mahi, tuna, grouper and snapper. Contact: Red Drum Tackle 252-995-5414, on Facebook, plus www.reddrumtackle.com. Additionally, check out www.hatteras-island.com; offshore news, Oden’s Dock 252-986-2555, www.odensdock.com; or www.hatterasharbor.com.

Ocracoke has seen good numbers of cobia at the inlet and the sound. Trade Winds saw a 71-pound cobia over the weekend. Near shore are Spanish mackerel, especially at dawn and dusk and with some trolling. Offshore saw some dolphin and wahoo. Pompano was caught in the surf as well. A 31-pound dolphin was caught further out. Portsmouth has plenty of red drum, sea mullet and a few pompano. Contact: Tradewinds Bait & Tackle 252-928-5491, also on Facebook, and www.fishtradewinds.com; Morris Marina 252-225-4261, www.portsmouthislandfishing.com.

Striper season is almost over, but there are some biting on topwater. On the piers and in surf you’ll find sea mullet, pompano and black drum. Near shore there’s flounder, redfish and cobia. Offshore is mahi mahi, yellowfin tuna and white and blue marlin. Check out EJW Outdoors on Facebook and www.ejwoutdoors.com for their latest reports. Portside Marina 252-726-7678; www.ncoif.com, www.portsidemarina.com.

Black drum, pompano, red drum and sea mullet are at the pier and in the surf. Inlet areas report trout, sheepshead, red drum and flounder. Offshore are bluefish, bonita, grouper and sea bass. Contact: East Coast Discount Tackle 910-328-1887, www.eastcoastsports.com.

Beach areas on out are reporting cobia, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and king mackerel. Offshore are blackfin tuna, dolphin, cobia and wahoo. Contact: Tex’s Tackle 910-791-1763, www.texstackle.com.

Bluefish, king mackerel and Spanish mackerel are being caught off the piers and inshore. Mahi mahi is being caught 24 to 30 miles offshore. Contact: Dutchman Creek Bait & Tackle 910-457-1221; www.yeahrightcharters.com; or www.oifishingcenter.com.

Largemouth bass are at depths up to 15 feet on a variety of lures, most notably creature baits and spinners. Crappie can be found 10 to 12 feet deep and in brush piles. White bass are up and down the lake going after anything shiny. Water level: 251.73 Wednesday. Contact Outhouse Tackle Co. 919-847-1222; www.outhousetackle.com.

Poor conditions the past few days have kept most boaters off the water. Only a few crappie and largemouth bass have been reported at Crosswinds Marina. But Freddie Sinclair’s boats saw good numbers of crappie when the weather cooperated. Water level: 217.37 Wednesday. Contact: Sinclair Guide Services, 919-553-4547, on Facebook, and www.sinclairguideservices.com; Crosswinds Marina 919-387-7011.

High waters have kept down the usual numbers of crappie and largemouth bass, though a few bass are being caught along the shoreline. Catfish are in good supply. Water level: 305.03 Wednesday. Contact: Bobcat’s Bait & Tackle 434-374-8381; www.kerrlake.com.

Crappie can be found at depths of 8 to 12 feet using live minnows or soft plastic curly lures as bait. Largemouth bass are at varying depths, and you’ll get them with a variety of plastics. There’s good bottom fishing for catfish using nightcrawlers or cut bait. Contact: The Tackle Box 919-557-8255 and on Facebook-The Tackle Box, Inc.

This story was originally published May 18, 2016 at 11:30 PM with the headline "Area fishing report."