Cape Fear fishing
Hooking up with the big one
By the first of April excitement was in
the air — a spring run of spots. A gen
uine spring run! On the Oak Island
piers, panfishermen were loading their
coolers, and in the tackle shops there
was talk — Would this be a' spring like
1991, when both spots and kings beset
the piers in fall-like runs?
Could this be a spring like 1994, when
lunker kings took over the artificial
_ reefs in late April?
Might this be another spring when
bluefish inundate Jaybird Shoal and
large, heavy-hitting blues bite off small
er ones, then go feeding in the Bald
Head surf?
Perhaps.
There is nothing like a bad season to
heighten anticipation of the next, and by
virtually every measure last saltwater
season here was dreadful — battered by
storms, flooded brown by upstate rains,
freshened finally by nothing more than
winter chill.
So as the beachwater temperature (ask
the piers, not the radio) works into the
upper 60s, pier anglers will be on keen
lookout for their kings, and their
Spanish; offshore trailers will be searchr
ing for schooling kings at the Fairway;
and inshore live-liners will be towing
pogies over the reefs for truly big king
fish.
Blues could be hitting by then on the
piers, as well as in the inlet surf, and
black drum, sheepshead and flounder
should be pleasing specialists in the
ocean shallows, and then (in larger
sizes) in the rivers.
Trout, whose name is whispered in
every month, could be off the piers in
June, in the holes off Bald Head, and
finally in the creeks and along the grass
banks of Oak Island, Battery Island and
Bald Head.
Bluewater trailers will be teasing yel
lowfin tuna, wahoo and dolphin, and
deepwater specialists with a dual pur
pose will be looking for reef fish and
light-lining for big kings and barracuda.
In the surf pompano will be shredding
mole crabs, and on the inner Frying Pan
Shoals, and in the creeks behind Bald
Head, big tarpon will thrash in the shal
lows and roll enticingly in the deeps.
Finally the season, given an even
chance which last year’s weather pre
cluded, will be ready to make its own
record.
As good as’91? Equal to ’94?
Perhaps not.
Maybe it’ll be much better.
Southport-Oak Island ishing is good whether from boats, pier or surf
FREE DELIVERY
•BOTTLED IN WILMINGTON
•FRESH TO YOUR HOME or OFFICE
•5-GALLON BOTTLE DRINKING WATER
•NEW 1/2 LITER BOTTLES
•MEMBER CHAMBER of COMMERCE
•20 YEARS EXPERIENCE
INSPECTED BY STATE & FEDERAL AGENCIES & IBWA