THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 11, 1995 TAG: 9507110375
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Pier fishing along the Dare coast was fairly good during the weekend, with bottom fish providing most of the action on live bait.
Kitty Hawk Pier reported spot, croaker, and gray and speckled trout taken. Cobia weighing 10 and 20 pounds were landed Saturday. Five jacks were released and two kings weighing 25 and 35 pounds were decked Sunday.
Small bottom fish, bluefish and speckled trout were taken sporadically from Avalon Pier. Anglers on Nags Head Pier caught some spot, croaker and a few gray trout Saturday morning. Fair numbers of speckled trout were taken on green plastic baits close to the beach late Saturday afternoon. Several king mackerel were landed Sunday, including a 40-pounder by Ron Erb of Nags Head. In addition, a 22-pound barracuda was taken and a couple of 25-pound jacks were released. Fair numbers of trout were landed again late in the day.
Some spot, croaker, sea mullet and a few trout were landed on Jennette's Pier both Saturday and Sunday. Fishermen on Outer Banks Pier caught some spot, mullet, small gray trout and small flounder. A jack also was released Sunday.
On Hatteras Island, fishermen on Rodanthe Pier landed three king mackerel weighing 22, 24 and 38 pounds on Sunday. A 28-pound cobia was taken along with scattered small bottom fish. Kings weighing 27.5 and 32 pounds were caught Monday morning.
Avon Pier reported small bottom fish and a few bluefish throughout the weekend. A 50-pound tarpon was taken Saturday on Frisco Pier by 10-year-old Brient Jackson of Frisco. Other fish landed included spot, croaker, blues, a few trout and a couple of pompano.
Surf fishermen from Corolla to Oregon Inlet caught bottom fish, tailor blues, a few keeper flounder and a handful of pompano during the weekend. Bottom fish were landed Saturday along the beach south from Rodanthe to Buxton.
Clear water Sunday brought a return of bluefish to the surf, along with a few Spanish mackerel. Anglers landed some mullet and small bluefish at Cape Point during the day, and some nice puppy drum weighing up to 20 pounds at night.
Some small black drum were beached in the surf behind the motels north of Cape Point. Fair numbers of spot, croaker and sea mullet were taken in the surf from Frisco to Hatteras Inlet.
Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet has been pretty slow, with a few Spanish mackerel, tailor blues and albacore taken. Headboats had productive trips Saturday, catching sea bass, triggerfish and pigfish outside the inlet.
Dolphin fishing was fairly good in the Gulf Stream off Oregon Inlet Saturday. A few yellowfin tuna and wahoo were taken. Several billfish were released, including two white marlin and a blue marlin by the Fintastic.
A 744-pound bluefin tuna taken northeast of Oregon Inlet on Friday eclipsed the old state record of 732.5 pounds held by Lyman Dickerson since 1979. The record fish was landed by Thomas Bailey aboard the Hog Wild out of Pirate's Cove Marina. No jumbo bluefin tuna were located northeast of the inlet over the weekend, however.
Some good catches of dolphin and a few tuna were reported Sunday by Oregon Inlet charters. Several billfish were released.
Inshore trolling around Hatteras Inlet was fair over the weekend. Small king mackerel have been more abundant than Spanish mackerel.
Off Hatteras Island, dolphin fishing was good Saturday. A blue marlin and a white marlin were released by The Release, and a blue marlin was released by the Hatteraser. Wahoo catches were good. But tuna action was poor. The Hatteras fleet caught scattered dolphin, a few tuna and released several sailfish on Sunday.
Sheepshead fishing should continue good around the bridge foundations throughout Dare County for the remainder of the summer.
Water temperature at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck was 78.5 degrees on Monday. by CNB