Weakfish: season, lures and limits

Showing the fish for Outer Banks, NC.

Fishing region

Season in Outer Banks

JFMAMJJASOND

ASMFC: adults winter offshore between Chesapeake Bay and Cape Lookout, so some are near the Outer Banks year round. Gray trout reported by Hatteras inshore boats in August (Island Free Press). Months follow the Myrtle Beach chart. (Our inference)

Season by region

Myrtle Beach	JFMAMJJASOND
Long Island	JFMAMJJASOND
Rhode Island	JFMAMJJASOND
Connecticut	JFMAMJJASOND
North Jersey	JFMAMJJASOND
South Jersey	JFMAMJJASOND
Delmarva	JFMAMJJASOND
Virginia Beach	JFMAMJJASOND
Outer Banks	JFMAMJJASOND
Southern NC	JFMAMJJASOND
Charleston	JFMAMJJASOND
Northeast Florida	JFMAMJJASOND

Where to find them

Pier lights at night, inlets, deeper holes.

Mid-water, around piers and inlets.

What to look for

Bait under lights, swirls at the edge of the light.

What to throw

Bucktail or jighead with a 4 to 5 in paddle tail1/2 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in tail. Slow hops along the bottom: lift, drop, let it touch, repeat.

Jighead with a scented soft-plastic shrimp or mullet (Gulp style)1/4 to 1/2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Slow drag and hop on the bottom with pauses; scent does the work.

Metal casting jig (diamond, Hopkins or Stingsilver style)1 to 2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Fast steady retrieve for mackerel; let it sink and rip it up for blues; jig near bottom for weakfish.

Swimming minnow plug (Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow style)3/4 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in. Steady medium retrieve with occasional twitches and pauses.

Bait

Shrimp, Cut bait. Light bottom rig or float.

Leader

20 lb fluorocarbon.

Common mistakes

Pulling hooks: very soft mouth

Landing

Gentle, steady pressure.

Handling

Canine teeth

Use pliers.

Keep or release

Check NC rules; limits are tight.

Recipes for weakfish

Typical: About 13 in, 1 lb. Large: 5 lb and up. SC record 11 lb 13 oz (1981).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the NC limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the NC Division of Marine Fisheries before you keep a fish.

Sources

ASMFC: Weakfish (Official source)
Island Free Press: Outer Banks Angling, fishing report for Aug 19 to 24 (Rob Alderman, 2010) (Angler knowledge)
SCDNR species profile: weakfish (Official source)
FishBase species summary: Cynoscion regalis (weakfish) (Official source)
Gregg Holshouser Grand Strand fishing reports, 2019-2020 (mirror) (Angler knowledge)
SCDNR Saltwater Fishing Trends (pier operator forecasts) (Angler knowledge)

All the fish of Outer Banks

Weakfish