THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 3, 1994 TAG: 9410030164
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB HUTCHINSON, OUTDOORS EDITOR
LENGTH: Long : 109 lines
Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks is fabled for its fall runs of big red drum, many in excess of 50 pounds. But it has been a much smaller fish which has been making the news of late.
Pompano have been staging an almost unparalleled run along the island's beaches for the past few weeks, with scores of fish meeting the two-pound minimum for citations from the North Carolina Salt Water Fishing Tournament.
Wendy Eakes of the Red Drum tackle shop in Buxton-on-Hatteras said the number of big fish was the best she could recall. ``We've had some great pompano catches,'' she said.
The best action has been near Avon, the first village north of infamous Diamond Shoals and famous Cape Point, and right at the Point.
``I wish I could say that pompano fishing is going to stay hot,'' said Frank Folb of Frank-N-Fran's tackle shop at Avon-on-Hatteras. ``But I'm afraid it's about time for the fish to start leaving, at least from around here. They like warm water and it's starting to get cooler.''
The week's biggest reported pompano was a 2-pound, 10-ounce catch by James Fourney of Lafayette, Ga. He also had a 2-pounder.
Elsewhere, yellowfin tuna provided good action off Virginia Beach and Oregon Inlet, south of Nags Head, with some bigeye tuna boated off the North Carolina port almost every day. Most yellowfins weighed under 60 pounds, but some bigeyes topped 150 pounds.
Here's a rundown of some recent catches:
Virginia Beach: White marlin release: Bob Price, Portsmouth, and Keith Matthews, Chesapeake, both caught from the Top Notch; Michael Kent, Elmira, N.Y., Canyon Runner; Tim Wilder, Virginia Beach, Virginia Breeze; and Thomas Benns, Roanoke, K/Zam.
Wahoo: Tom Wells, Virginia Beach, 50-4, My Boy IV; Bill Bailey, Portsmouth, 46-0, Top Notch; Herbert Davis, Salem, 39-0, Outer Limits; and Patrick Foster, Virginia Beach, 36-0, Chelsea.
Dolphin: Cab Spates, Virginia Beach, 28-0 and 26-0, both Chelsea.
Spanish mackerel: Judy Hawks, Portsmouth, 5-0, Bad Debt.
King mackerel: David Trax, Virginia Beach, 26-0, Aquatrax.
Sea bass: Gerald May, Norfolk, 5-1, no name on boat.
Lower Chesapeake Bay: Flounder: George Franz, Virginia Beach, 6-8, Sales Call; Tore Skeppstrom, Virginia Beach, 6-4, Fiddler's Dream; and John Kleinknecht, Norfolk, 6-3, Miss Jennifer.
Croaker: Brian Scott, Virginia Beach, 3-2, Bay Mate.
Eastern Shore bayside: Speckled trout: Steven McSweeney, Virginia Beach, 5-0, The Herring.
Eastern Shore seaside:Red drum release: Bill Savage, Berlin, Md., caught from the surf.
Red drum: Gail Mae West, Berlin, Md., 46-8, surf; aned Kevin T. Buckman, Ocean City, Md., 40-0, surf.
Sea bass: Charles E. Privett, Highland Springs, Va., 6-2, Virnanjo.
Outer Banks inshore: Red drum release: Buddy Jeanette, Buxton, N.C., surf; Randy Williams, Portsmouth, surf; and Paul Chaney, Oakboro, N.C., surf.
Speckled trout: Johnny Ghee, Kill Devil Hills, 5-4, surf; David Dekker, Kitty Hawk, 4-4, surf; and Jay Aylett, Kill Devil Hills, 4-2, surf.
Pompano: Barbara Fest, Charlotte, 2-6, surf; Jimmy Atkinson, Richmond, 2-6, surf; Jeff Hoyle, Lenoir, N.C., 2-5, surf; Will Moody, Portsmouth, 2-4 and 2-0, surf; Audrey Weese, Buxton, 2-4, surf; Harriett Kerr, Punxsutawney, Pa., 2-4, surf; Eddie Williams Jr., Buxton, 2-3, surf; Harry Weese, Buxton, 2-3, surf; Ray Hardy, Virginia Beach, 2-2, surf; Carl Overman, Elizabeth City, 2-2, surf; Michael Ruiz, Chester, Va., 2-2, surf; Allen Bennett, Hopewell, 2-2, surf; Marc Williams, Huntersville, N.C., 2-2, surf; and Joe Honeycutt, Huntersville, N.C., 2-2, surf.
Jack crevalle: Joseph Kemp, West Jefferson, N.C., 25-0, surf; David Wilson, Gretna, Va., 24-5, surf; George Rogan, Franklin Square, N.Y., 23-8, surf; Roger Gravatt, Frederica, Del., 20-6, surf; and Ronald Halsey, Jefferson, N.C., 20-0, surf.
Flounder: Maurice Edmundson, Cary, N.C., 8-0 and 6-0, surf; and Walt Buhler, Buxton, 5-15, surf.
Spanish mackerel: Devin Hall, Brodnax, Va., 7-1, surf; Mike Ferrell, Buxton, 6-11, surf; George Rieke, Hampton, N.J., 6-8, surf; and Joseph Kemp, West Jefferson, N.C., 6-0, surf.
Sea mullet: Jimmy Atkinson, Richmond, 1-13, surf.
Outer Banks offshore: Blue marlin release: John Tillman, Crimora, Va., Right Hook.
White marlin release: James Charles, Heathsville, Va., Connector; Pat Schollaert, Powhatan, Va., First Crack; and Floyd Allen, High Point, N.C., High Roller.
Sailfish release: Basil Conner, Salem, Va., Fight-N-Lady; Robert Renner, Fort Defiance, Va., Right Hook; Walter Flora, Waynesboro, Va., Connector; Barry Hogan, Roanoke, Va., Larry Scott, Roanoke, and Oscar Thornsbury, Roanoke, all Sea Creature; and John Todd, Charlotte, N.C., Gambler.
Bigeye tuna: Mike Lewis, Mechanicsville, Va., 163-0, Fintastic; Denn Riddell, Kill Devil Hills, 162-0, Candlewick Lady; Bill Schull, Lincolnton, N.C., 161-0, Fast Lane; David Alexander, Yorktown, Va., 153-0, Dream Girl; Jeffrey Rose, Norfolk, 142-0, Phideaux; Jerry Elledge, Jacksonville, N.C., 125-0, Temptress; and John Wood, Aldie, Va., 124-0, Sea Jay IV.
Wahoo: Stanley Solds, Stafford, Va., 56-0, and David Boothe, Stafford, 40-0, both Sizzler; and Robert Hughes, Norfolk, 40-0, no name.
King mackerel: Charles Munden, Elizabeth City, N.C., 34-8, no name.
Spanish mackerel: James Taylor, Roanoke Rapids, N.C., 6-0, no name.
Fresh water: Largemouth bass: Michael Rosenthal, Chesapeake, 6-2, caught at Northwest River.
Bream: Frank Worrell, Suffolk, 1-2, Lake Prince.
Shellcracker: Roland Yates, Suffolk, 1-4 and 1-0, Western Branch Reservoir; Willie Pete, Suffolk, 1-4, Western Branch; Harold Cook, Sedley, Va., 1-3, Western Branch; and E.J. Smith, Holland, 1-2, Western Branch.
Tournaments: Results of a flounder tournament staged Saturday by the Tidewater Anglers Club of Norfolk:
Heaviest fish: 1. Bob Hartsell, Chesapeake, 4-6; 2. Kenny Taylor, Virginia Beach, 3-5. Heaviest stringer: 1. Spencer Hayes, Norfolk, 9-8; 2. Jim Brilley, Virginia Beach, 8-4. by CNB