THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 18, 1995 TAG: 9507180278
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
COLUMN: Fishing on the Outer Banks
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
Pier action was fairly good along the Dare coast over the weekend.
Good runs of tailor bluefish were reported from Kitty Hawk Pier Saturday morning. Some blues and trout were taken Sunday.
Avalon Pier anglers caught good numbers of bluefish, a few Spanish mackerel, spot and several pompano. A 17 1/2-pound cobia was taken on a jigger Saturday.
Four 15- to 16-pound king mackerel were decked on live bait Saturday on Nags Head Pier. King mackerel weighing 30 and 51 pounds, and cobia weighing 43 and 64 pounds were landed Sunday along with small bluefish and croaker.
Fishermen on Jennette's Pier caught some spot, croaker and a few triggerfish over the weekend.
Some nice-sized speckled trout, bluefish, small croaker and quite a few spot were taken on Outer Banks Pier. The blues and trout were landed on double bucktail rigs and jiggers.
On Hatteras Island, Rodanthe Pier reported a 31 1/2-pound king mackerel taken Saturday. Plenty of spot and croaker were landed Sunday.
Muddy water in the Avon area led to good catches of spot, croaker and a few gray trout from Avon Pier.
A tarpon was lost and a barracuda released Saturday on Frisco Pier. Spot, croaker and spadefish were taken Sunday.
Surf fishing from Corolla to Oregon Inlet was pretty good over the weekend. As a result of southwest winds, anglers caught spot, croaker and sea mullet from deeper sloughs on incoming tides. Bloodworms and fresh shrimp were the most productive baits.
A good run of speckled trout developed Sunday south of Kitty Hawk Pier. The fish, weighing from one to two pounds, were taken on plastic artificial lures.
Some flounder, bluefish and small bottom fish were beached around Oregon Inlet. Bottom fishing was good in the surf from Rodanthe to Buxton.
Spanish mackerel fishing has been excellent at Cape Point just before dark. Some puppy drum have been taken overnight, and during the day small blues have been landed along with some nice pompano and a few Spanish mackerel.
Tailor blues were plentiful Saturday and Sunday in the Frisco area.
Some flounder and speckled trout were taken during the day around Hatteras Inlet, and gray trout were taken at night.
Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet was slow, with both Spanish mackerel and bluefish scarce over the weekend. Headboats in the sound caught plenty of croaker and some gray trout. Ocean headboat catches of sea bass and triggerfish were fairly good.
Billfishing was good southeast of the Diamond Shoals tower over the weekend. More than a dozen fish were released Saturday by the Hatteras fleet, including a blue marlin and two white marlin aboard the Hatteras Fever.
The best action was below the 40000 Loran line in 100 fathoms or more of water. Action heated up Sunday with 35 billfish released. The boat releasing the most fish was the Citation, with five white marlin released, followed by the Fin Fantasy with three white marlin released. Sunday's action was farther north around the 40090 to the 40200 Loran lines behind ``the rock pile.'' Dolphin and wahoo fishing was scrappy over the weekend.
Scattered dolphin, tuna and a few billfish were reported off Oregon Inlet Saturday. Most charters moved south Sunday and found excellent concentrations of billfish in more than 100 fathoms of water south of the Diamond Shoals tower. As many as 20 fish were seen per boat, and anglers had plenty of hook-ups. Top producers were the Top Dog with six white marlin and two blue marlin released, and the Outer Limits, with six white and two blue marlin released. A few tuna and dolphin were taken, and fair numbers of billfish released around ``the point'' east of Oregon Inlet.
Bottom fishing on ocean piers should improve when dirty water is generated by the offshore passage of Chantal.
Water temperature at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck was 76 degrees Monday. by CNB