THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 6, 1996 TAG: 9606060358
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: 63 lines
Billfishing was great well south of Hatteras, around the 39900 Loran line Wednesday. Virtually the entire Hatteras fleet released at least one billfish.
Releases included two blue marlin, four white marlin and a sailfish by the Connector; two blue marlin and a white marlin by the Lucky Chip; two white marlin and a blue marlin by the Top Billing; three white marlin by the Citation and a blue marlin by the Capt. B.
The Hatteras Fever, the Marlin Mania, the Harpers Folly, the Chopin and the Sea Creature released white marlin. The Wahoo and the Big Eye each released blue marlin.
Hatteras charters also landed good numbers of yellowfin tuna southeast of the Diamond Shoals Light Tower. Good catches of dolphin also were reported.
Yellowfin tuna fishing was fairly good off Oregon Inlet. The best action was around ``the point'' during the afternoon.
Charters also landed some nice dolphin and a few wahoo.
About nine billfish were released by the Oregon Inlet and Pirates Cove fleets. Included were a blue marlin, a white marlin and a spearfish by the Outer Limits, a blue marlin by the Phideaux and a white marlin by the Smoker.
Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet was slow Wednesday, with only a few Spanish mackerel and small bluefish landed.
Headboats reported a slow morning trip, but action during the afternoon improved, with plenty of pigfish landed near the Oregon Inlet bridge.
Striped bass fishing in the Manns Harbor area was excellent most of the morning.
Pier fishing was fair along the northern beaches yesterday.
A few spot, pigfish, sea mullet and Spanish mackerel were taken on Kitty Hawk Pier.
Avalon Pier reported good numbers of spot, a few blues and mixed small bottom fish landed in the morning. Fishing slowed during the afternoon.
Spot, croaker, sea mullet, small gray trout and bluefish were caught from Nags Head Pier throughout the morning and early afternoon.
Fishermen on Jennette's Pier landed a few sea mullet and sand perch off and on during the day.
Quite a few gray trout, blues and sea mullet were taken early in the day on Outer Banks Pier. During the afternoon, a few small bottom fish, gray trout and little bluefish were taken.
On Hatteras Island, Rodanthe Pier reported a slow day, with only a few gray trout, bluefish and bottom fish landed.
Avon Pier anglers caught mixed bottom fish.
Fishing was slow on Frisco Pier, with only a few small bottom fish landed.
Surf fishing was generally slow throughout Dare County on Wednesday.
Scattered small bottom fish were landed by surfcasters from Duck to Oregon Inlet.
Some small bottom fish, a few trout and small bluefish were beached around Oregon Inlet.
Scattered bottom fish were taken in the surf from Rodanthe to Buxton.
Some tailor blues were landed Tuesday evening just before dark at Cape Point. A few blues and sea mullet were landed Wednesday along the north side of Cape Point, and some flounder were taken from the south side.
Small bluefish and flounder were caught by surf fishermen from Ramp 55 to Hatteras Inlet. Boaters in Hatteras Inlet caught fair numbers of keeper flounder.
The water temperature was 65 degrees Wednesday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 68 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island. by CNB