THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 18, 1995 TAG: 9506150220
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 40 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Tight Lines
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
PIER FISHING for king mackerel and cobia has been excellent along the Dare Coast recently. Anglers fishing with live bait on the five piers in the northern beach area landed 13 king mackerel weighing from 16 to 39 pounds from June 9 through June 11. At the same time nine cobia were taken, weighing from 28 1/2 pounds to 68 pounds.
Pier fishermen on Hatteras Island had similar luck from Friday through Sunday, releasing nine kings weighing from 17 to 43 pounds, and nine cobia weighing from 23 to 50 pounds. A 29-pound barracuda was released from Frisco Pier on Sunday. Water temperatures in the area have been in the mid-70s.
Jacks in the 20- to 30-pound class were also abundant.
Along the northern beaches, pier fishermen have also caught plenty of small bottom fish on bloodworms and fresh shrimp. Spanish mackerel fishing has been pretty good just after sunrise and just before sunset. Most of the fish have been taken on jiggers, although double bucktail rigs also have produced fair numbers. Some good catches of bluefish have been reported, with the average size considerably larger than fish taken previously. Plenty of gray trout have been landed, but most of the fish continue to be below the legal limit of 14 inches.
Pier anglers on Hatteras Island have caught small gray trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, spot, croaker and a few pompano, in addition to the kings and cobia.
Small bottom fish have been plentiful from the surf along the northern beaches. The usual summertime mixture of spot, croaker, pigfish and mullet have been available. Some of the sea mullet taken have been bragging size. Flounder have been unusually numerous, but most have been throwbacks.
Surfcasters on Hatteras Island have caught bottom fish and tailor bluefish. The beach south of Ramp 23 in Salvo has been very productive. Anglers at Cape Point have beached a few puppy drum, blues and Spanish mackerel. Bottom fish, tailor blues and flounder have been fairly abundant from Cape Point south to Hatteras Inlet.
Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet has been super, with profuse Spanish mackerel in the 1- to 2-pound class. Small gold Clark spoons have been the big producer. Numerous cobia have been taken around buoys and tidelines outside the inlet on live bait and bucktails. Drift fishing for flounder in the Davis Slough area has been good during periods of northeast wind.
Headboats in the Oregon Inlet area have caught croaker, sea bass, flounder and triggerfish in good numbers.
Dolphin fishing in the Gulf Stream off Oregon Inlet has been excellent; some of the best in many years. Tuna fishing has been fair, with most of the action northeast of the inlet. Billfishing has been slow, with only a few fish reported. A blue marlin weighing 546 pounds was brought to the dock at Pirate's Cove Marina by the charter boat Phideaux on June 9.
Cobia fishing around Hatteras Inlet has been good. Spanish mackerel also have been plentiful in the area. Dolphin fishing has been excellent, with big fish scattered everywhere well offshore in the Gulf Stream. Tuna fishing has been only fair, but most of the yellowfin taken have been large. Billfishing has slowed when compared to the previous week's torrid pace, but will probably improve with the arrival of a change in the weather. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Svend Fredericksen, 76, of Manteo, brings in a pair of bluefish on
old bucktails at Jeanette's Pier in Nags Head. ``It doesn't matter
what I put in; they'll eat anything,'' he said.
by CNB