THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, May 21, 1996 TAG: 9605210332
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
COLUMN: Fishing on the Outer Banks
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: 91 lines
Fishing along the Dare Coast was fairly good this past weekend.
Kitty Hawk Pier reported lots of tailor bluefish caught on bucktails early Saturday morning. A few bluefish and sea mullet were taken during the remainder of the day.
Sunday morning's catches consisted of gray trout, sea mullet and a few speckled trout. Afternoon fishing was slow.
Fishermen on Avalon Pier caught keeper gray trout and some keeper bluefish Saturday morning. Two 17-inch Spanish mackerel were landed by Howard Rall of Kill Devil Hills.
A few bluefish and mullet were decked in the afternoon. A few small blues and spot were taken Sunday.
Limits of gray trout, plenty of small blues and a few mullet were landed Saturday by fishermen on Nags Head Pier. Fishing was slower later in the day. A few sea mullet, speckled trout and small blues were taken Sunday.
Small gray trout, small spot and one Spanish mackerel were caught Saturday morning on Outer Banks Pier. Fishing was slow the rest of the day.
A couple of speckled trout, small blues and a few sea mullet were taken Sunday. Several Spanish mackerel were landed from the end of the pier late in the afternoon.
On Hatteras Island, Rodanthe Pier reported catches of bluefish, sea mullet, gray trout and a couple of Spanish mackerel Saturday. Fishing was slow Sunday.
A few spot, sea mullet and a 39-pound drum were landed from Avon Pier Saturday. A 287-pound sand tiger shark was caught by Wren Nichols of Manassas, Va., Saturday night.
Scattered gray trout and small bottom fish were decked Sunday.
Anglers of Frisco Pier caught lots of 2- to 3-pound Spanish mackerel on jiggers Saturday morning, along with a few bluefish. A 70-pound cobia was taken by David Carangi of Buxton during the day.
Action was slower Sunday, with a few Spanish mackerel, bluefish and mullet landed.
Pier fishing along the Outer Banks was generally slow Monday morning. The only exception was Frisco Pier, where a good run of Spanish mackerel was reported.
Surf fishing from Corolla to Oregon Inlet was fair during the weekend. Scattered small bottom fish and tailor blues were taken on the incoming tide in theearly morning hours and at dusk.
Small bottom fish, blues and gray trout were landed around Oregon Inlet from the revetment and the catwalk on the Bonner Bridge.
Some speckled trout were landed from the Off Island Channel behind Bodie Island Lighthouse Saturday and Sunday morning.
Sea mullet, small gray trout, a few croaker and an occasional bluefish were taken by surf fishermen from Rodanthe to Buxton.
Southwest winds usually produce good drum action at Cape Point. Saturday and Sunday nights were no exception. Drum of mixed sizes were caught, and a 60-inch cobia also was landed Sunday night.
A few puppy drum, small bluefish and bottom fish were landed during the day throughout the weekend. Flounder were taken along the beach south of Cape Point.
Scattered Spanish mackerel were landed along the beach from Frisco to Hatteras Inlet Saturday. Boaters in Hatteras Inlet caught some tailor blues, Spanish mackerel and trout.
Small bluefish were landed Sunday by surf fishermen in the Frisco area, and Spanish mackerel were taken in the inlet.
Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet was good during the weekend. Small bluefish were plentiful. Some Spanish mackerel were landed Sunday.
Headboats fishing a short distance outside Oregon Inlet caught lots of small gray trout and pigfish. Some good flounder fishing was reported by boaters in the inlet.
Blue water action off Oregon Inlet was good Saturday. Charters fishing from the 40480 to the 40570 Loran lines caught plenty of yellowfin tuna ranging from 15 to 60 pounds. Some scattered dolphin also were taken. The Gannet released two blue marlin and the Marlin Fever released one blue marlin.
Offshore action slowed Sunday, with charters averaging 5 to 10 yellowfins. A few dolphins also were taken. Blue marlin were released by the Sea Breeze, the Carolinean, the Capt. BC, the Sea Witch and the Surfside. A white marlin was released by the Marlin Fever. Two large big-eyes were taken by the Mad Hatter.
Hatteras charters landed a few dolphin, tuna and wahoo Saturday. Blue marlin were released by the Wahoo, the Bullfrog and the Sea Creature. A sailfish was released by the Big Eye.
Tuna fishing was fair off Hatteras Sunday. Dolphin fishing was good, with gaffers plentiful. Blue marlin were released by the Wahoo, the Top Billing and the Bullfrog. White marlin were released by the Connector and the Chaser.
Fishing should be fairly good on ocean piers early in the morning, but slow during the day as long as high temperatures and southwest winds persist.
The water temperature was 59 degrees Monday at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 66 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by DREW C. WILSON, The Virginian-Pilot
Aaron Kelly, 21, left, and Lynwood Evans, 22, both of Southern
Shores, hoist a 61-pound cobia caught at Cape Point Monday. by CNB