THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 9, 1996 TAG: 9606070225
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 36 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Tight Lines
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: 92 lines
BOTTOM FISHING has been good on piers along the northern beaches recently.
Anglers on Kitty Hawk Pier caught plenty of spot, small sea mullet and a few gray trout May 31 and June 1-2. Afternoon fishing was best, with most of the fish hitting bloodworms.
Fair numbers of spot, sea mullet and croaker have been landed regularly on Avalon Pier.
Gray trout and tailor blues were taken from the pier May 31 early in the morning. Plenty of gray trout were caught early June 2, but most were under the legal 12-inch minimum size limit.
Fishermen on Nags Head Pier have reported a mixture of small gray trout, sea mullet, croaker, pigfish and bluefish taken.
Some speckled trout were landed from the pier well inshore close to the surf line June 2. Several cobia have been seen by pier fishermen, but the anglers have had little luck hooking them.
Anglers on Jennette's Pier have caught mainly small bottom fish, a few gray trout and triggerfish recently. Some Spanish mackerel and small bluefish were landed from the pier on jiggers May 31.
Outer Banks Pier reported plenty of spot and scattered sea mullet landed May 31 during the afternoon. An 8-pound, 5-ounce bluefish also was landed on live bait by Alice Adams of Nags Head.
A good run of spot lasting several hours developed the following day during the early afternoon. Pier anglers also have caught some small bluefish, gray trout and small croaker.
South of Oregon Inlet, Spanish mackerel and bluefish were landed from Rodanthe Pier May 29.
Most of the action since then has been provided by sea mullet, spot, croaker and gray trout. Some cobia have been seen, but none had been landed by early last week.
A few sea mullet, croaker, pigfish and spot have been taken daily from Avon Pier. Some Spanish mackerel were landed May 31, but since then the water has been muddy, and no substantial catches of these aggressive gamefish have been reported.
Several outstanding catches have been reported from Frisco Pier.
A 5 1/4 pound Spanish mackerel was taken June 1 by Yolan Lee of Springfield, Va. The fish hit a jigger.
Keith Trewick of Virginia Beach decked a 67 1/2 pound cobia later the same day while using a live bluefish for bait.
Overall, however, action on Frisco Pier has been slow, with only a few small bluefish, bottom fish and flounder taken.
Surf fishing along the northern beaches has been fairly slow. Northeast winds have kept seas stirred up and have made fishing difficult. Anglers using enough lead to hold bottom have managed to catch a few bottom fish.
Some trout, small blues and bottom fish have been landed around Oregon Inlet. A few sheepshead have been caught by anglers using sandfleas for bait around the Bonner Bridge pilings.
Fishing has been slow along the beach from Rodanthe to Buxton. Some small bottom fish, a few gray trout, small blues and a few flounder have been taken.
A few puppy drum, Spanish mackerel and tailor blues were landed at Cape Point May 31. Sea mullet and a few nice flounder have been landed regularly along the beach south of Cape Point.
Good numbers of gray trout were taken on Sting Silver lures on the ocean side of Hatteras Inlet on May 31. Flounder fishing was good from Ramp 55 to Hatteras Inlet June 1 and 2. Unfortunately, most of the flounder were too small to keep.
Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet has been fair to good.
Charters have landed small bluefish and some Spanish mackerel in the ocean east of the Bonner Bridge, and also in the sound.
Some good catches of keeper flounder have been reported in the Davis Slough area and along the channel east of the Bonner Bridge.
Good numbers of striped bass have been hooked and released by boat fishermen in Croatan Sound.
Although stripers in the Albemarle Sound Management Area must be released because of a seasonal closure, fish taken south of a line between Roanoke Marshes Point and Eagle Nest Bay on Pea Island may be retained.
Anglers can possess three striped bass 18 inches or larger per person per day while fishing in these internal coastal waters.
Yellowfin tuna action was good off Oregon Inlet on May 31. Some limits of tuna weighing as much as 80 pounds were taken.
Some wahoo and dolphin were landed. A blue marlin was released by the Sea Witch, and a sailfish by the Phideaux.
Tuna fishing was fair during the next several days, with charters averaging six to eight fish per boat. Blue marlin were released by the Rebait and the Smoker on June 1.
Blue water fishing off Hatteras has been fair. A few dolphin, wahoo and yellowfin tuna have been taken.
The headboat Miss Hatteras has reported good catches of triggerfish and B-liners.
Several billfish have been released, including sailfish by the Sea Creature and the Citation, white marlin by the Nancy K and the Fin Fantasy and a blue marlin by the Marlin Mania.
The big catch of the week was a grand slam consisting of a white marlin, a blue marlin and two sailfish released by the Bullfrog June 1. by CNB