THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, June 18, 1996 TAG: 9606180337
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
COLUMN: Fishing on the Outer Banks
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: 97 lines
Pier action along the Dare Coast was mediocre during the weekend.
Kitty Hawk Pier anglers caught skates, a few small bluefish, triggerfish and a couple of flounder Saturday. A few tailor bluefish, small gray trout and a handful of sea mullet were taken Sunday. Several small cobia were seen Sunday afternoon.
Avalon Pier reported slow fishing Saturday, with only a few small gray trout taken. Scattered nice blues were caught early Sunday morning on jiggers and double bucktail rigs. Fishing was slow the rest of the day.
Small speckled trout were decked early Saturday morning on Nags Head Pier. A few small bluefish and gray trout were landed later in the day.
Small blues and an occasional flounder were taken from Nags Head Pier Sunday. A run of blues developed during the early afternoon, but action was short-lived.
Plenty of skates, a few sand perch and some tailor blues were caught by anglers on Jennette's Pier Saturday. Scattered triggerfish were landed Sunday morning, and small bluefish were caught on jiggers for about an hour mid-afternoon.
Fishermen on Outer Banks Pier caught spot, small gray trout and some fair-sized mullet Saturday. Some cod, mullet, and skates were taken Sunday morning.
Pretty good numbers of bluefish were caught on jiggers from the end of Outer Banks Pier during the late afternoon.
South of Oregon Inlet, Rodanthe Pier reported a good run of Spanish mackerel weighing as much as three pounds just before dark Friday. A few spot, trout, croaker and Spanish mackerel were landed Saturday and Sunday.
Spot fishing was good on the rising tide Saturday morning on Avon Pier. Some pigfish and sea mullet also were taken.
A 42-pound cobia was landed from Avon Pier by Allen Harrelson of Richmond. Fishing slowed Sunday, with only a few small blues and flounder taken.
Small bottom fish and a few bluefish were landed from Frisco Pier during the weekend. The best bluefish action was late Sunday afternoon.
Piers along the northern beaches caught a few bottom fish and bluefish Monday. Pier anglers south of Oregon Inlet landed scattered croaker, spot and a few blues.
Sea mullet, skates, a few small spot, and a few small bluefish were hauled from deeper sloughs along the beach from Corolla to Oregon Inlet on the incoming tide throughout the weekend.
Small bottom fish and a few trout were taken from the south side of Oregon Inlet. Trout fishing was slow in the Off Island Channel.
Fishing was slow along the beach from Rodanthe to Buxton Saturday. Action improved Sunday with quite a few spot, some croaker and sea mullet landed.
Some Spanish mackerel were landed at Cape Point Friday evening. A few Spanish mackerel and bluefish were beached Saturday and Sunday.
A few puppy drum also were taken Sunday at Cape Point, and some keeper flounder were landed along the south beach.
Small spot, croaker and sea mullet were landed in the surf from the Billy Mitchell Motel to Ramp 55 during the weekend. Some Spanish mackerel and blues were taken around around Hatteras Inlet along with some keeper flounder.
Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet was excellent, with plenty of Spanish mackerel and bluefish taken. Intermediate charters landed some nice cobia a fairly short distance south of Oregon Inlet.
The headboat Crystal Dawn, fishing in the Oregon Inlet area, caught plenty of Spanish mackerel and bluefish Saturday.
Dolphin fishing was outstanding and tuna fishing was good off Oregon Inlet Saturday. The action was scattered from the 40400 Loran line to the point. White marlin were released by the Obsession, the Osprey, and the For-Play-N.
Dolphin fishing was fairly good Sunday, and tuna action was slow.
Four sailfish were released by the Fishing Frenzy, a blue marlin by the Obsession, a white marlin by the Gannet and a sailfish by the Right Hook. Most of the billfish action was around the 40380 Loran line.
Charters out of Hatteras caught plenty of dolphin Saturday. Two white marlin were released by the Hatteras Fever II, a sailfish by the Top Billing, and white marlin by the Sea Creature, the Release, the Sea Angel, the Gambler and the Cuz.
Dolphin fishing was good again Sunday. A few tuna also were taken in fairly shallow water. Blue marlin were released by the Citation and the Release, and a sailfish by the Miss Edie III.
Pier fishing for cobia should improve along the northern beaches if wind conditions allow a warming of inshore water.
The water temperature was 65.5 degrees Monday at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 79 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.
The Girl Next Door, out of Boca Raton, Fla., won the 38th Annual Big Rock Marlin Tournament at Morehead City Saturday with a 535-pound blue marlin. The winning purse was $350,350.
The Forty-Something, home-ported in Morehead City, was in second place with a 527-pounder. It was followed by the Bullfrog of Hatteras with a 479-pound blue marlin.
El's Joy of Morehead City followed in fourth place with a 460-pounder. The Sea Creature was in fifth place with a 445-pounder.
108 fish were released during the tournament. Total cash prizes were in excess of $743,000. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by DREW C. WILSON, The Virginian-Pilot
Angling in the currents of Oregon Inlet near the Herbert C. Bonner
Bridge, Lucky Jones, Butch Carraway, Tripp Carraway, Lee Jones and
Larry Abernathy, all of Hopewell, Va., tried for spot and trout
Monday morning. by CNB