THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 24, 1995 TAG: 9509210209
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 32 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Tight Lines
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
Northeasterly winds have produced some excellent spot fishing on ocean piers along the Outer Banks recently.
Anglers on Kitty Hawk Pier consistently caught spot weighing between 1/2 and 1 pound for more than a week.
Quite a few of the fish have golden-colored bellies, which is a common occurrence during the latter part of the spot migration south. Sea mullet, croaker and tailor bluefish also have been reported landed on the pier.
Nice-sized spot, croaker weighing as much as 2 3/4 pounds, sea mullet and pompano have been caught from Avalon Pier. Some speckled trout were taken on live finger mullet Sept. 14.
Fishermen on Nags Head Pier landed Spanish mackerel and bluefish on jiggers late in the afternoon Sept. 13. The largest Spanish mackerel reported, weighing 4 1/4 pounds, was taken by Peter Dunlop of North Jackson, Ohio. Fair numbers of spot, tailor blues, Spanish mackerel and a few speckled trout were decked last weekend.
Jennette's Pier reported good spot fishing from Sept. 16 to Sept. 18. Nice pompano, croaker, bluefish and an 8-pound cobia were landed from the pier Sept. 17. A good run of Spanish mackerel developed on the end of the pier just before dark that evening.
Spot fishing was good on Outer Banks Pier from Sept. 14 through Sept. 18. Pompano fishing also has been good, with a 2-pound-5-ounce fish taken from the pier Sept. 17. A good run of Spanish mackerel and bluefish was reported from the end of the pier late that afternoon. A 4-pound puppy drum and an 8-pound-2-ounce black drum were landed Sept. 16.
South of Oregon Inlet, fishermen on Rodanthe Pier have caught lots of spot and some nice croaker. Bluefish, pompano and a few sea mullet were taken on Avon Pier. Big spot were plentiful on Frisco Pier Sept. 17 and 18.
Surf fishing for bottom feeders has been pretty good from Corolla to Oregon Inlet. Anglers have caught spot, mullet and croaker on the incoming tide on bloodworms and shrimp. Some good catches of pompano have been reported by fishermen using sand fleas for bait. Surf fishing for speckled trout has been unusually slow. Warm water temperatures have probably delayed the migration of speckled trout out of the Chesapeake Bay area.
Good numbers of spot and croaker have been landed from the catwalk on the south end of the Bonner Bridge across Oregon Inlet. Puppy drum have been taken from the revetment and also along the east beach on the inlet's south side. Action has been the best at night.
Pompano, puppy drum and some sea mullet weighing more than 2 pounds have been landed along the beach from Rodanthe to Buxton.
Puppy drum fishing has been good at night at Cape Point. Tailor bluefish have been plentiful during the day, along with pompano, small bottom fish and a few flounder.
Bottom fish and small bluefish have been landed in the Frisco area. Bluefish, Spanish mackerel and nice-sized puppy drum have been caught by anglers around Hatteras Inlet.
Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet has improved, with plenty of bluefish landed by half-day charters from Sept. 13 to 18. Some nice-sized Spanish mackerel also have been taken.
Good catches of jumbo croaker have been reported by headboats bottom fishing around the Oregon Inlet bridge at low tide.
Billfishing improved off Oregon Inlet Sept. 30, with around 30 fish released by offshore charters. The action was centered 42 miles northeast of the inlet.
Twenty-five billfish were freed the following day in the same general area. The top boat was the Sea Toy, releasing four white marlin and one blue marlin. Dolphin and tuna fishing have been fair. Recent rough seas have kept many boats in port.
Good wahoo fishing was reported by bluewater charters off Hatteras recently. Twenty wahoo were landed by the Fin Quest on Sept. 14. Dolphin fishing has been fair, but billfishing has been a little slow. A few blackfin and yellowfin tuna have been taken.
Tuna fishing should improve offshore as waters cool with the arrival of the first strong cold front of the fall. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Anglers along a rock revetment on the northern tip of Hatteras
Island at Oregon Inlet try their luck Wednesday. by CNB