THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 19, 1995 TAG: 9511170879
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 28 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
OCEAN STRIPED bass action has improved substantially along the Outer Banks recently. Anglers from Rodanthe north to the state line landed scattered stripers from the surf, on piers and from boats almost every day. Fishermen are allowed to keep two bass, 28 inches or longer, per person per day in the Atlantic Ocean.
Kitty Hawk Pier reported good catches of just about everything from speckled trout to sea mullet Nov. 8. After several slow days, action resumed Nov. 13 with good catches of speckled trout reported.
Anglers on Avalon Pier also had a good day catching speckled trout Nov. 12.
Speckled trout weighing as much as 4 1/2 pounds, puppy drum weighing between 5 and 7 pounds and some black drum were landed on Nags Head Pier Nov. 11. . A 31 1/2-inch black drum was decked by Dillon Jones of Nags Head during the afternoon. Small puppy drum, sea mullet and speckled trout were taken in fair numbers Nov. 12.
Speckled trout were taken from Jennette's Pier Nov. 8, 10 and 11. Most of the fish were landed on bucktails. Some sea mullet, puppy drum, black drum and stripers also have been landed.
Fishermen on Outer Banks Pier have landed a variety of fish including speckled trout, bluefish, black drum, sea mullet, croaker and puppy drum. A good run of bluefish, measuring between 14 and 17 inches, developed Nov. 12. Most of the fish were taken on fireball rigs baited with mullet.
South of Oregon Inlet, good catches of puppy drum and some speckled trout have been reported from Rodanthe Pier. The puppy drum, weighing between 5 and 10 pounds, have been caught mainly on fresh mullet.
Avon Pier reported eight 35- to 50-pound drum released Nov. 8. Anglers on the pier have caught some puppy drum and speckled trout almost every day. Sea mullet fishing has been good, with lots of citation fish taken.
Some mullet, puppy drum, a few speckled trout and black drum have been landed from Frisco Pier. Action has been slow because of strong winds and choppy seas.
Some speckled trout, black drum and puppy drum have been landed in the surf along the northern beaches. Trout fishing has been fair north of Avalon and Kitty Hawk Piers. A 7 1/2-pound speckled trout was beached by Sean Mulligan from the slough north of Kitty Hawk Pier Nov. 10.
Striped bass also have been taken along the beach from Corolla to Oregon Inlet with regularity. Most of the bass have been landed on cut bait.
Speckled trout fishing was good from the catwalk on the south end of the Bonner Bridge Nov. 9. Fair numbers of speckled trout were taken in Green Island Slough the morning of Nov. 10. Some good striper action has been reported by anglers fishing from and around the revetment.
Puppy drum, sea mullet, speckled trout, black drum and small bluefish have been caught regularly from Rodanthe to Buxton. Quite a few citation sea mullet have been landed from Ramps 23 to 34. Lots of big drum were beached between Avon Pier and Ramp 34 overnight Nov. 8.
Anglers at Cape Point have caught puppy drum, bluefish and keeper flounder. Nice speckled trout have been landed along the beach near the lighthouse. Sea mullet fishing has been good along the beach north of Cape Point.
Puppy drum fishing has been good from Frisco to Hatteras Inlet. Surfcasters also have landed half-pound mullet, speckled trout, croaker, black drum and tailor bluefish.
Adverse weather conditions have continued to hamper blue water fishing efforts. Oregon Inlet charters were able to go offshore Nov. 10 and found excellent fishing from ``the point,'' southeast of Oregon Inlet, to the 40640 Loran line.
Most boats caught their limits of dolphin and tuna. A few wahoo also were landed, and some king mackerel taken near the 102-degree tower. A 95-pound big-eye tuna was landed by the Capt. B.C., a blue marlin was released by the Fight'N'Lady, and a sailfish was released by the Right Hook.
King mackerel action has been good on the Avon Rocks when weather has allowed Hatteras charters to fish. The fleet reported catches of king mackerel and yellowfin tuna in 70 feet of water on the 40340 Loran line Nov. 10. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Walter P. Stewart of Mechanicsville, Va., caught a 33-inch, 16-pound
plus striped bass surf fishing at Oregon Inlet last week.
by CNB