Waterlands

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Little tunnyPeak season

Cape · North Carolina

Horniblow Point

36.01°N · 76.57°W · Cape · Albemarle Sound

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Best score today · 8 AM · Little tunny

65/100Great
Now
5812 PM EST
Best window
12-7 PMEvening light

Data from: ECMWF · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions

Thursday, Nov 12 · 7 AM

Time7A
Score63Good
Wind3 kn WSWgusts 7 · steady
Air temp54°Cool
WeatherPartly cloudy42% cloud

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

IN EFFECT NOW

No rule for Little tunny is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with NCDMF before you keep a fish.

Source: NCDMF · synced yesterday

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Little tunny is best here

Peak season for Little tunny · 3 more weeks at peak

Little tunny season by week of the year. Peak season for Little tunny · 3 more weeks at peak.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • This week

Little tunny in North Carolina →

Spot profile

Horniblow Point

Depth
1-7 ftNearest water
Structure
Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · flat bottom
Season
Peak seasonLittle tunny

NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.

About this spot

Fishing Horniblow Point

Horniblow Point is a cape in Albemarle Sound, North Carolina. Depth in the nearest water is 1-7 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.

Waterlands scores 25 species here; the best right now are little tunny, bluefish and spotted seatrout. It is peak season now for little tunny, bluefish, spotted seatrout and red drum, and shoulder season for striped bass, king mackerel, Atlantic croaker and spot. Little tunny peak from October through November. Bluefish peak from March through April and from November through December. Spotted seatrout peak from September through November.

Tackle & technique

Little tunny
Little tunny travel fast in schools that pin bait against inlets, points, jetties and tide rips, usually within a few miles of shore and often in less than 60 feet. Stay off the school's path, wait for it to surface within range, and cast small metal or epoxy jigs with a fast retrieve. When fish stay down, troll small feathers along bait edges and color changes to find them.
Bluefish
Bluefish travel in size-sorted schools and feed where tide pushes bait past structure: inlet mouths, rips, shoal edges and the surf line, mostly in water shallower than 60 feet. Look for birds and breaking bait and cast metal or poppers into it, or soak cut bunker or mullet on the bottom from the beach. Use a short wire or heavy leader because their teeth cut light line.
Spotted seatrout
Trout hold over grass beds and sandy potholes in 2 to 8 feet of water most of the year and slide into channels, deep creek bends and canals during cold snaps. A live shrimp under a slip or popping cork, a paddle tail on a light jighead, or a topwater walked at first light covers most situations. Keep the drag light because their mouths tear easily.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Bluff Point

    Cape · 6.4 mi

    60
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 60
    • Bluefish 56
    • Spotted seatrout 56

    10 kt S

  • Cherry Point

    Cape · 2.5 mi

    58
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 58
    • Bluefish 54
    • Spotted seatrout 54

    10 kt S

  • Reedy Point

    Cape · 4.9 mi

    57
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 57
    • Red drum 53
    • Spotted seatrout 53

    8 kt S

  • Black Walnut Point

    Cape · 6.3 mi

    57
    Top: Little tunnyPeak season
    • Little tunny 57
    • Red drum 53
    • Spotted seatrout 53

    8 kt S

Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with NCDMF before you keep a fish.