THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 5, 1996 TAG: 9605020166
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 28 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Tight Lines
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: Long : 115 lines
PIER FISHING throughout the Dare County area has been outstanding recently.
Kitty Hawk Pier fishermen caught good numbers of sea mullet, croaker and toadfish April 26.
Plenty of sea mullet and some nice 2-pound speckled trout were taken April 27, and some school stripers were hooked and released.
Plenty of sea mullet, spot and small gray trout were decked the following day.
Good catches of tailor blues were taken on double bucktail rigs and jiggers April 28 between 3 and 5 a.m.
On Avalon Pier, sea mullet fishing was super April 25 and 26 during the morning.
Some sea mullet, toadfish, sand perch and quite a few gray trout were landed April 27.
Anglers reported good fishing throughout the day April 28, with a mixture of spot, sea mullet, tailor blues and nice-sized gray trout taken.
Plenty of croaker were caught by fishermen on Nags Head Pier April 25. Big sea mullet were landed April 27 and 28.
Quite a few speckled trout weighing as much as 2 1/2 pounds were taken April 27 during the afternoon.
Mullet, bluefish and spot were taken April 29.
Sea mullet fishing was good April 25 on the Outer Banks Pier during the morning. Anglers landed plenty of 3/4 to 1-pound mullet on bloodworms.
A good run of mullet developed again the following morning, but action slowed during the afternoon. Sea mullet fishing was great throughout the day and during the night April 28.
Some keeper spot and lots of dogfish also were taken.
Plenty of nice-sized sea mullet, some as large as 1 1/2 pounds, have been taken just about every day on Avon Pier.
Most of the sea mullet have been taken on either bloodworms or squid. Good catches of 12- to 14-inch gray trout also have been reported.
Some nice flounder, a few speckled trout, croaker and sea mullet were landed from the pier all day April 27.
With water temperatures on Frisco Pier in the mid to upper 60s, good catches of mullet have been reported almost every day.
A good run of puppy drum developed on the pier late April 25, and a 10-pound striper was taken during the puppy drum run.
Spot, small gray trout and a few keeper flounder also have been taken by pier anglers.
Surf fishing has improved along the along the northern beaches as water temperatures have begun to rise.
Small bottom fish and scattered bluefish have been taken in the Nags Head surf.
Gray trout, tailor bluefish and sea mullet have been taken around Oregon Inlet by anglers fishing from the catwalk on the bridge and from the revetment.
A few speckled trout have been taken from Green Island Slough and also from the Off Island Channel behind the Bodie Island Light.
Sea mullet fishing has been good along the beach from Rodanthe to Buxton.
Anglers have caught croaker, small bluefish, toadfish and gray trout in the area.
A 9-pound black drum was landed April 25 near Ramp 23.
Several puppy drum were beached April 27 between the Rodanthe Pier and Ramp 27.
A few big drum and plenty of smaller-sized drum have been taken from Cape Point just about every night recently.
Some big bluefish also have appeared in nighttime catches. A good drum run developed overnight April 29. About 100 30- to 50-pounders were released.
Good daytime catches of sea mullet, small bluefish and a few gray trout have been reported from Cape Point.
Some nice flounder have been taken south of Cape Point inside ``the hook.''
Bottom fishing has been good along the beach in the Frisco area.
Anglers have caught a mixture of croaker, sea mulluet, small gray trout and toadfish.
Small blues and puppy drum were landed overnight April 24 between Ramp 55 and False Point.
Several big drum were released by anglers fishing the night tide at False Point April 27.
Fishing was slow in the area April 28, 29 and 30 because of strong southwest winds.
Striped bass fishing has been excellent around the bridge at Manns Harbor when the weather has permitted.
Plenty of small fish have been schooling near the bridge. Some nice-sized fish also have been hooked and released.
Yellowfin tuna action was outstanding April 25 from the 40270 Loran line to ``the point,'' southeast of Oregon Inlet.
Most charters caught their limits of 25- to 30-pound yellowfins.
Two white marlin were released by the Hog Wild, and two spearfish were released by the Prime Time.
Fishing was slower the next several days, with fair numbers of mixed-sized yellowfin taken, along with a few dolphin and wahoo.
A few good catches were reported April 29, including a 76-pound yellowfin taken by the For-Play-N. The best action was east, southeast of ``the point.''
Hatteras charters reported plenty of 20- to 50-pound yellowfin and a few dolphin taken April 24 and 25 southeast of Diamond Shoals Light Tower. A spearfish was released April 25 by the Tom Cat.
Tuna fishing was excellent April 27, with most charters catching their limits of 15- to 25-pound yellowfin.
The action was centered on the 280 Rocks.
The following day, limits of king mackerel were landed on ``the rockpile.''
Scattered tuna were taken, including a 75-pound yellowfin aboard the Chaser.
A blue marlin was released by the Hatteras Fever, and two spearfish by the Marlin Mania. MEMO: Damon Tatem covers fishing for The Carolina Coast. Send comments and
questions to P.O. Box 10, Nags Head, N.C. 27959.
by CNB