Nags Head Pier report

[mango]

Grabbed my 12 yr old son and made a quick trip to the pier. Arrived Sat. morning by 830 and fish were already coming on deck. From my usual breakfast spot inside the pier house, they appeared to be Blues. Pier wasn't crowded at all and the weather was about as good as it gets. Blues were the main stay and almost all ranged in size from 12- 16". NC allows 15 per person now with no size limit. We love Blues, my mom would roll around on the beach fighting a seagull for a Blue (greenies as some boay captains call them).

Puffer fish were coming up as well. We caught 3 on bottom rigs. Some mullet and 0 spanish. No spot or croaker that i saw. Not sure what a box fish is??? Going to look that one up. Looks like a puffer without the teeth but has hard spikes all over. Apparently not good to eat?? Several of these were landed. Some skate came up but not as many as I usually see.

Proud of my son, casting his gotcha straight out, not crossing anybody up. Several times early on before he had caught any fish, I had hook-ups and offered the rod over to let him to reel one in. "Nope dad", those are yours and I will be catching my own this trip. He caught plenty by the days end.

We did grab a room for the night thinking the weather man could be wrong about the rain. For once, they were right, Rained all the way home.

Ended up with a big Blue-fish fry tonight and we tried those puffers. Man those are good. Grilled a few of the Blues, ok, I preferred them fried.

Does anyone else fish the pier or yak out in the back sounds? Thinking of taking the yak down next trip and paddle the sound. Also, does anyone have a good brine recipe for smoking the blues?? Never tried it before, heard the blues are good smoked?

[OBX_RAT]

I use to fish the soundside down in Avon, or Oregon inlet at the Bonner bridge

[mango]

I use to fish the soundside down in Avon, or Oregon inlet at the Bonner bridge

What species do you target by the bridge? years past I have seen guys at night out there just off the launch at the bridge with lights down in the water. I think they were gigging flounder?

[mmanolis2001]

I have not fished the sound behind the nags head area but did spend some time last year messing around in Oregon inlet. Word of caution. Don’t find your self on the ocean side of the bridge on an outgoing tide. We barely made it back to our launch site.

We caught our fill of blues and lizardfish on the sound side of Oregon inlet. Also caught a few nice sized hound fish that put on quite the Arial show.

I’m heading down again this year for a week and will be launching from the surf more if the conditions allow me. I only got out-front once last year and in the few hours spent their i hooked and lost several nice sized spinner sharks. Of course the camera was off when one went ballistic and jumped 5 ft out of the water spinning like a gyro. I’m going to at least get one on tape this year.

[ComeOnFish]

The recipe

The best Bluefish Recipe:

1. Wet a 12” X 18” cedar plank
2. Put a couple of bluefish fillet on the cedar plank
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the fillet and the plank
4. Pour some white French wine on the fillet and the plank
5. Cover the fillet with chopped onion and green bell pepper.
   
6. Smoke the whole thing. Low heat required.
7. Or put the wet cedar plank on the grill and close the grill cover. Low heat required
   
8. Once cooked, carefully remove the bluefish because the plank is now very fragile.
9. Serve the cedar plank with fine white wine

Seriously, New Yorkers knows how to cook bluefish. My nice cook bluefish well and it is goooood.

Google ” long island bluefish recipes” and pick one.

Joe

[mango]

The best Bluefish Recipe:

1. Wet a 12” X 18” cedar plank
2. Put a couple of bluefish fillet on the cedar plank
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the fillet and the plank
4. Pour some white French wine on the fillet and the plank
5. Cover the fillet with chopped onion and green bell pepper.
   
6. Smoke the whole thing. Low heat required.
7. Or put the wet cedar plank on the grill and close the grill cover. Low heat required
   
8. Once cooked, carefully remove the bluefish because the plank is now very fragile.
9. Serve the cedar plank with fine white wine

Seriously, New Yorkers knows how to cook bluefish. My nice cook bluefish well and it is goooood.

Google ” long island bluefish recipes” and pick one.

Joe

now that was funny, I will have to give it a try, thanks

[OBX_RAT]

What species do you target by the bridge? years past I have seen guys at night out there just off the launch at the bridge with lights down in the water. I think they were gigging flounder?

The lights are used to bring up a bait ball, anything from blues, trout, stripers, etc. will come up to feed on the bait.