THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 23, 1996 TAG: 9607230247
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: 81 lines
Piers along the northern beaches reported good fishing during the weekend.
Anglers on Kitty Hawk Pier caught sea mullet late Saturday afternoon. Several king mackerel were seen, and one was lost, just before dark. Fishing was slow Sunday morning, but a good run of Spanish mackerel developed on the end of the pier late in the day. Most of the tasty fish were caught on jiggers.
A 32-pound cobia was decked Saturday on Avalon Pier, along with a mixture of small bottom fish, snapper blues and little gray trout. Bluefish, trout and spot were landed Sunday morning, and lots of Spanish mackerel were taken on red and white jiggers from the end of the pier late Sunday afternoon.
Small bottom fish, nice-sized bluefish, a few gray trout and two 25-pound cobia were landed Saturday on Nags Head Pier. Anglers caught a few Spanish mackerel early Sunday morning. Scattered small bottom fish and snapper blues were taken during the rest of the day. Two jacks were released.
Jennette's Pier reported a 62-pound cobia landed by Michael Batten of Five Forks, W.Va., Saturday afternoon. Good numbers of bluefish and a few Spanish mackerel also were caught. Fishing was slow Sunday, with only a few small bluefish and bottom fish taken.
Bluefish, spot, pigfish and a few pompano were landed from Outer Banks Pier Saturday. A few scattered bottom fish were taken Sunday.
South of Oregon Inlet, Rodanthe Pier reported spot, croaker and a few gray trout landed Saturday morning, and a few Spanish mackerel taken just before dark. A 45-pound king mackerel was decked be 9-year-old William Belton of Gatesville, N.C., early Sunday morning. The big fish hit a live spot. A few bottom fish, bluefish and small gray trout were taken during the day.
A few bottom fish were landed Saturday on Avon Pier. Scattered Spanish mackerel, bluefish and a few bottom fish were caught Sunday.
Fishing was slow on Frisco Pier Saturday and again Sunday morning. Action improved Sunday afternoon with a few pompano, sea mullet, black drum, small bluefish and a few Spanish mackerel.Surf fishing was good along the northern beaches throughout the weekend. Small bottom fish were plentiful, and a few 7- to 10-pound puppy drum were landed. Spot, croaker, tailor blues and keeper flounder were landed around Oregon Inlet. Boaters drift-fishing in David Slough and the main channel did well Saturday, catching more keeper flounder than throwbacks.
Some nice-sized 1- to 1 1/2-pound pompano, plenty of spot, croaker and tailor bluefish were landed by surfcasters during the weekend from Rodanthe to Buxton. The best action was in the afternoon on the falling tide.
Some puppy drum and a few Spanish mackerel were landed Saturday morning at Cape Point. Bottom fish and some nice pompano were beached along the north side of Cape Point during the day. Small bluefish, spot, croaker and pompano were taken Sunday. The largest reported pompano weighed 2 pounds, 4 ounces, and was landed by Thomas Ballard of Buxton on fresh shrimp.
Croaker, sea mullet, bluefish and an occasional puppy drum were landed in the surf from Frisco to False Point Saturday. Some Spanish and small bluefish were landed by surf fishermen at Hatteras Inlet Sunday.
Bluefish trolling was good around Oregon Inlet, but Spanish mackerel action was poor throughout the weekend. Good numbers of big jacks were landed by boaters around the offshore towers and wrecks in deeper water. Some jacks also were taken around tide lines not too far outside Oregon Inlet. Cobia fishing was slow.
Blue water fishing was fair off Oregon Inlet Saturday. Yellowfin and bluefin tuna were taken by charters well northeast of Oregon Inlet around the 20880 and the 41145 Loran lines in shallow water. Some tuna also were taken between the 40380 and the 40400 Loran lines. A few dolphin were taken east of the inlet, and six white marlin was released.
Fair catches of tuna and dolphin were taken southeast of Oregon Inlet Sunday. Some yellowfin tuna catches also were reported northeast of the inlet, and scattered bluefins were landed near the 38-degree tower. The larger bluefins were taken on ballyhoo, while smaller fish were landed on spoons. Marlin fishing was slow.
Dolphin were scarce off Hatteras Saturday, and only a few tuna were taken. One or two wahoo were landed per boat. White marlin were released by the Marlin Mania and the Top Billing.
Dolphin fishing improved Sunday with good catches reported. Scattered tuna and wahoo also were taken. Sailfish were released by the Good Times and the Bullfrog, and a white marlin was released by the Release.
Spanish mackerel fishing should be good along the Outer Banks on ocean piers, provided winds remain light and the water clear.
The water temperature was 73 degrees Monday at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 79 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island. by CNB