THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, July 30, 1996 TAG: 9607300253
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: 95 lines
Piers along the northern beaches reported a variety of fish landed during the weekend.
Spanish mackerel fishing was good on the end of Kitty Hawk Pier as the sun set Friday, and again early Saturday morning. Fishing was slow Saturday afternoon. A few pompano and small bottom fish were taken Sunday.
Avalon Pier reported a good run of Spanish mackerel Saturday morning, but the rest of the day was slow, with only a few Spanish mackerel landed late in the afternoon.
Plenty of pompano were landed Sunday morning, including a 2-pound, 6-ounce fish by Romeo Milano of Currituck. The only action reported in the afternoon was the loss of a king mackerel.
Lots of spot, scattered croaker and a 20-pound cobia were caught by anglers on Nags Head Pier Saturday. Scattered spot, croaker, small bluefish, sea mullet and a few pompano were landed Sunday. A 23-pound cobia was docked in the afternoon.
Fishermen on Jennette's Pier caught many three-to-the-pound spot Saturday morning. Small croaker also were landed fairly regularly. A few spot and croaker were taken Sunday.
Outer Banks Pier reported plenty of small spot and croaker landed Saturday morning, even though the water was clear. Action slowed in the afternoon.
Small croaker, spot and sea mullet were taken most of Sunday morning. A 21-pound cobia also was landed. Fishing was slow after 1 p.m., but some small bottom fish started biting after 5 p.m.
South of Oregon Inlet, Rodanthe Pier anglers caught a few Spanish mackerel and bluefish just after first light Saturday morning. Spot were landed in the afternoon. Scattered bluefish, spot, gray trout and a 34-pound cobia were taken Sunday.
Avon Pier reported a few bluefish and small croaker landed Saturday. Fishing was slow Sunday.
A few pompano, small gray trout and a few Spanish mackerel were caught Saturday morning on Frisco Pier. A 21-pound barracuda was decked in the afternoon.
Bad weather kept fishing to a minimum Sunday morning. A king mackerel was lost and a few croaker and Spanish mackerel were taken Sunday afternoon.
Piers along the Dare Coast reported small bottom fish, a few bluefish and some pompano taken Monday.
Surf fishing was fairly good from Corolla to Oregon Inlet during the weekend.
Spanish mackerel werelanded in the surf in Kill Devils Hills Saturday morning. Small bottom fish were taken by surfcasters along the northern beaches throughout the day.
A mixture of bottom fish and some nice pompano were beached Sunday.
Lots of flounder were landed around Oregon Inlet. Most were released because of their small size.
Quite a few gray trout were caught by anglers fishing from the catwalk on the south end of the bridge during the night.
Spot, croaker and pompano were landed by surf fishermen from Rodanthe to Buxton. Lost of small striped bass were hooked and released in the Salvo area Sunday afternoon.
A few puppy drum were hauled from the surf at Cape Point Friday night. Bluefish and some pompano were caught Saturday along the beach north of Cape Point.
A few Spanish mackerel were taken late in the afternoon. Scattered pompano and sea mullet were landed along the north beach Sunday.
A 35-pound cobia was landed from the beach in the Frisco area Saturday. Bottom fish were fairly abundant during the day from Frisco to Hatteras Inlet. Some Spanish mackerel and bluefish were beached around Hatteras Inlet.
Scattered Spanish mackerel, bluefish and a few pompano were landed in the surf from Frisco to False Point Sunday. Flounder fishing was good in Hatteras Inlet.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish were taken by anglers trolling around Oregon Inlet Saturday. Headboats working the inlet area caught plenty of croaker and some keeper flounder.
Scattered Spanish mackerel and bluefish were landed Sunday. Several cobia were taken by charters fishing a short distance offshore between Jennette's Pier and Nags Head Pier. Lots of cobia were sighted in the area.
Oregon Inlet charters landed plenty of dolphin around the 40300 Loran line Saturday.
Tuna fishing was slow, although a few jumbo big-eye tuna were landed by the Hooker and the Dare Devil. Eighteen billfish were released by the Oregon Inlet and Pirates Cove fleets.
Blue water action was slow Sunday. A few dolphin and tuna were landed and three billfish were released, including a blue marlin with an estimated weight of 400 pounds by the Marlin Fever.
Charters off Hatteras reported some limits of dolphin taken Saturday. A few wahoo and tuna also were landed. Billfish releases included two sailfish by the Hatteras Blue and a blue marlin by the Tuna Duck.
Dolphin fishing slowed and tuna fishing improved Sunday, with quite a few 30-pound yellowfins landed. A white marlin was released by the headboat Miss Hatteras.
Since lots of cobia were seen a short distance offshore in the northern beach area during the weekend, they should provide action for boaters and pier anglers during the next few days if water conditions remain favorable.
The water temperature was 75.5 degrees Monday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 79 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island. by CNB