THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 16, 1995 TAG: 9504130202
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 30 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Inshore fishing improved dramatically along the Dare coast over the past week, particularly in the Hatteras area.
Pier anglers on Hatteras Island have had good luck landing a variety of fish. Fishermen on Avon Pier have been catching sea mullet weighing from 3/4- to 1 1/2 pounds on shrimp and bloodworms. In addition, some nice flounder weighing up to 5 pounds were taken on Cape Hatteras Pier in Frisco. Toadfish, sea mullet, small croakers, and puppy drum have been plentiful.
Along the northern beaches, piers reported fair numbers of toadfish, plenty of skates, speckled and gray trout and scattered small bottom fish. Commercial seine catches of trout and sea mullet along the Nags Head beach have been excellent, but these fish have been reluctant to bite due to cold inshore water temperatures.
Surf fishing around Oregon Inlet, and north along the beach to Corolla, has improved with some small bottom fish, flounder and toadfish taken.
Beach fishing on Hatteras Island has been exellent. Surf fishermen in the Avon area have landed some sea mullet, croaker and toadfish. The best action overall has been in the Buxton area. Gray and speckled trout, puppy drum, and some nice flounder have been hauled from the surf near the Hatteras lighthouse. A run of drum developed late in the afternoon April 6, but was short-lived with only a half-dozen fish taken. Action improved the following night with 25 to 30 fish weighing up to 57 pounds beached. The fish hit the beach again the next night with even greater intensity, and anglers accounted for more than 40. The majority of fish landed have been released alive.
Along the beach from Cape Point south to Frisco, anglers have taken plenty of toadfish, small puppy drum, sea mullet and a few tailor blues.
Sound fishing has improved as water temperatures have gradually risen. Some trout have been reported landed in Roanoke and Pamlico sounds on artificial lures. Fair numbers of croaker have also appeared in catches from Croatan Sound.
Offshore fishing around ``The Point,'' southeast of Oregon Inlet, has been consistent. Yellowfin tuna have been plentiful, with fish as large as 74 pounds reported over the past week. Some scattered dolphin and wahoo also have been taken by blue water anglers. Charters out of Hatteras have reported excellent catches of yellowfin tuna southeast of the Diamond Shoals light tower. The first sailfish of the season was landed by the Marlin Mania out of Hatteras on April 7. The headboat, Miss Hatteras, reported plenty of jumbo bluefish landed over this past weekend. Anglers aboard fought and released nine bluefin tuna on Sunday.
Concerns about hook and release mortality of bluefin tuna have been laid to rest following an investigation by divers of the National Marine Fisheries service last week. Surveys of the ocean floor in the heavily fished area turned up no evidence of any bluefin carcasses.
Fishing over the upcoming week should improve, with an abundance of small bottom fish available along the entire Dare coast. Southwesterly winds will produce nightly runs of big drum at Cape Point. Yellowfin tuna fishing should remain steady, while dolphin fishing begins to build toward a seasonal peak. by CNB