THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 3, 1995 TAG: 9511300179
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Tight Lines
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines
CATCHES OF striped bass and speckled trout have been outstanding along the Outer Banks recently. Pier fishing along the northern beaches has been unusually good.
Kitty Hawk Pier fishermen caught plenty of trout and lots of 1- to 2-pound bluefish Nov. 24. Although winds were rough and seas were high the following day, more than 20 striped bass were taken from the pier and many more were lost.
Some speckled trout, bluefish and a few puppy drum were landed from Avalon Pier Nov. 23 and 24. A 14-pound striper was taken Nov. 25, along with some small bluefish. A few stripers were decked Nov. 26.
Nags Head Pier reported super striper fishing Nov. 25. More than 100, 15-to-20 pound fish were landed throughout the day on everything from bucktails to fresh bait. Several hundred fish were lost because of rough seas. This was probably the best striped bass catch ever landed on a pier along the Carolina coast.
Jennette's Pier also reported good striper action Nov. 25, with seven fish decked and many lost. Anglers caught good numbers of speckled trout and small bluefish on bucktails the previous afternoon. Several stripers were lost, a 31-incher was landed and a 4-pound gray trout was taken Nov. 26.
A 14-pound striped bass and some speckled trout were landed from Outer Banks Pier during the morning Nov. 24. Some nice bluefish were taken on cut mullet later in the day. A 30-inch striper was landed from the pier Nov. 26.
South of Oregon Inlet, pier anglers have landed a variety of fish, including small bottom dwellers.
Anglers on Rodanthe Pier caught plenty of 12- to 15-inch speckled trout on bucktails and cut bait Nov. 23. Some sea mullet, gray trout, bluefish and flounder were taken later in the week. Medium-sized stripers were landed Nov. 23 and 25.
Avon Pier reported black drum, sea mullet, small trout, skates and sharks recently. Drum weighing 45 and 47 pounds were released Nov. 24.
Some sea mullet, black drum, speckled trout and small gray trout were taken by Frisco Pier fishermen Thanksgiving morning and again late in the afternoon. A good run of speckled trout hit the pier early in the morning Nov. 26 and continued until noon. Some keeper gray trout were mixed with the speckled trout.
Speckled trout fishing has been good at various locations in the surf from Corolla to Oregon Inlet.
A good run of 2-to-4 pound fish north of Kitty Hawk Pier lasted most of the day Nov. 23. Plenty of citation trout were taken from numerous sloughs north of Nags Head Pier Nov. 24.
Rough seas curtailed action Nov. 25 and 26, but action resumed when conditions improved Nov. 27. Excellent catches were taken from numerous sloughs along the beach, including the area behind the Nags Head Inn. The largest fish landed from that area weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce, and was taken by Dennis Hutchison of Virginia Beach.
Speckled trout fishing was good again along the beach the following day.
Striped bass also have made regular appearances along the beach daily. Most of the fish landed have ranged in weight from 12 to 25 pounds, with only a few large stripers taken. The largest reported recently weighed 45 pounds, and was taken on cut bait by Bill Harris while fishing Thanksgiving Day in Southern Shores.
Some trout, striped bass, sea mullet and tailor bluefish have been landed around Oregon Inlet. A particularly good run of stripers developed on the north side of Oregon Inlet during the late afternoon Nov. 26.
Boaters trolling bucktails in the inlet area have scored well on stripers east of the Oregon Inlet bridge around shoals. Trolling catches in the Manns Harbor area were excellent Nov. 24 and 25, but action dropped off Nov. 26.
Striper fishing has been pretty good along the beach from Rodanthe to Buxton with several fish landed every day. Speckled trout fishing also has been good in deeper sloughs, particularly those north of Rodanthe Pier. Scattered puppy drum, tailor bluefish, black drum and some nice sea mullet also have been beached in the area.
Anglers fishing Cape Point have caught some stripers, black drum, scattered big sea mullet and tailor bluefish. Some good runs of speckled trout have been reported along the beach behind the motels in Buxton and behind the Cape Hatteras lighthouse. A 48 1/2-inch drum was landed from Cape Point by John Griffin of Suffolk Nov. 25.
Sea mullet fishing has been pretty good along the beach from Frisco to Hatteras Inlet.
Yellowfin tuna fishing has been productive off Oregon Inlet. Charters have produced good catches of 30- to 60-pound yellowfins along with a few dolphin and wahoo.
Hatteras charters have caught plenty of king mackerel around offshore wrecks. The bigger fish have been taken on live bait. A few blackfin and yellowfin tuna also have appeared in catches.
The best of the striped bass fishing along the Outer Banks may be yet to come as northern water temperatures drop, forcing fish farther south on their annual migration. MEMO: Damon Tatem covers Outer Banks fishing for The Carolina Coast. Send
comments and questions to him at P.O. Box 10, Nags Head, N.C. 27959.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Ron Wiltfong, 47, of Kansas City, Mo., bites a line to sever it
after a striped bass swallowed the lure at Kitty Hawk Pier Nov. 29.
by CNB