THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 10, 1996 TAG: 9603070253
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Tight Lines
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Charters fishing off Oregon Inlet have had fair luck recently, landing 10 to 12 yellowfin tuna per boat. The fish have weighed between 20 and 50 pounds and have been taken around ``the point,'' southeast of Oregon Inlet.
Striped bass action has been good in the Manns Harbor area. Plenty of 5- to 10-pound fish were landed along the west end of the Manns Harbor Bridge on Saturday.
Green hairy worm-type bucktails have been the top producers. Anglers have caught fish by slowly trolling parallel to the bridge or by casting among the pilings. Some fish also were landed Saturday evening by anglers casting from the bank on the west shore beside the bridge.
Striped bass season for recreational fishing will open in the Albemarle Sound Management Area Saturday, March 16, at sunrise. Striped bass may be retained by hook-and-line on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday of each week. The size limit is 18 inches in total length, and the creel limit is three per person per day.
With water temperatures falling to below 40 degrees along the northern beaches, there has been little sign of any surf fishing action. Reports from along the southern beaches of falling inshore temperatures also have put an end to hopes for an immediate improvement in inshore action.
Bluefin tuna action off Hatteras has been consistently good recently. Fish have been abundant every day that the weather has allowed charter and private boats to go offshore. The best of the fishing continues to be 30 to 35 miles south of Hatteras Inlet.
Fair weather Feb. 28 through March 1 provided anglers out of Hatteras with good conditions and plenty of bluefin of mixed sizes. Very few fish have been reported weighing less than 150 pounds.
Although weather conditions deteriorated March 2, a few boats did make it through rough seas to the fishing grounds. They were rewarded with good concentrations of bluefins. No fishing was attempted March 3 because of gusty winds and rough seas. Action resumed when conditions moderated the following day.
In addition to bluefin tuna, offshore fishermen in the Hatteras area have caught a few king mackerel, yellowfin tuna and wahoo.
The intense fishing pressure in the Hatteras area has resulted in the closure of the angling category fishery for large-medium and giant Atlantic bluefin tuna, and an adjustment in the daily catch limit for school, large school and small-medium bluefin.
Vessels in the angling category cannot retain, possess or land a large-medium or giant bluefin tuna. Anglers can continue to tag and release these fish. Effective March 11, 1996, at 11:30 p.m., no more than one bluefin tuna may be retained each day, per angling category vessel, which may be from the school, large school or small-medium size class.
Charter headboat and general category vessels, engaged in recreational fishing for school bluefin tuna, are subject to the same rules as angling category vessels. by CNB