Highlight Reels: Offshore anglers feast on ‘smorgasbord’

Published 2:28 pm Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Offshore fishing in the Gulf Stream was phenomenal out of Hatteras Harbor Marina Sunday and anglers enjoyed catching all sorts of species.

There was gaffer dolphin, blackfin tuna, a few groupers with tilefish rounding things out. Big congrats to Sea Creature for being one sailfish short of a Double Grand Slam, the marina reported online. They got two blue marlin, two white marlin and one sailfish.

That’s a lot of reeling for sure. The billfish bite heated up just in time for the Big Rock Tournament that began Monday.

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Check out all of the citations that were awarded Sunday: Kenneth Lardie of Fredericksburg, VA released a sailfish; Dirk Meacham of Rockford, MI released a blue marlin. Aboard the Carolina Girl, Kenneth Ritz of Spotswood, N.J. caught a 35-pound dolphin.

On the Sea Creature: Brett Van Warner of Chuluota, Fla. caught a 13-pound tilefish and released a blue marlin; Jason Corbett of Clearwater, Fla. caught a 10-pound tilefish and released a blue marlin; Kyle Corbett of Deltona, Fla. caught an 11-pound tilefish and released a white marlin and “Coach” Corbett of Yulee, Fla. released a white marlin.

Fishing on Predator, Brian Miller of Robesonia, Pa. caught a 36-pound dolphin. Inshore boats were finding good bluefish and speckled trout.

Charter vessels running out of the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center also reported a “smorgasbord” Sunday because such a variety of fish was caught – white and blue marlin, big eye and yellowfin tuna, dolphin, Spanish and king mackerel, triggerfish, amberjack, black sea bass, cobia, false albacore, and, of course, bluefish!

At the ocean piers in Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills, there were plenty of blues and Spanish. Sheepshead and triggerfish were hanging around pier pilings. At Jennette’s, they had around 80 people fish their annual tournament.

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David from Winchester, Va. caught this nice 16-inch sheepshead this weekend while fishing on Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head. Courtesy Jennette’s Pier

There were some happy kids and adults who received a rod and reel combo along with a trophy for catching the longest fishing in one of 11 categories. Perhaps the happiest one of them all was little Hunter English, who took first in the pinfish and spot categories.

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Hunter English holds his rod and reel combo, one of two he won in the 9th Annual Family Fishing Tournament. Tournament director Daryl Law is also pictured. Courtesy Susan Dotterer Dixon

He was all smiles when he came up front to grab his loot.

Editor’s Note: We are always looking for great fishing stories, so please send yours with any photos to obxfishnews@gmail.com.

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