Weekly Column - May 22, 2006

A long held tradition on our coast is the public fishing pier. Usually the piers are privately-owned but available for all to enjoy. The ocean piers on Topsail Island provide easy access to deeper water and a wider variety of fish.

And, to be honest, they just plain make fishing easier.

Like many of the youths growing up in this area, I learned to ocean fish on our piers. It wasn’t until much later that I had the opportunity to fish from a boat. We would show up in the early afternoon, plunk down our money for a ticket and some bait and proceed to fish to our hearts’ content. Often we fished through the night into the wee hours of the morning.

In a recent conversation with a friend, we were trying to remember all the names of the piers from over the years. We counted at least seven that have made a home on Topsail Island at various times. I think I have fished on most of them at one time or another.

The recent boom in beach development has left many of North Carolina’s beach communities without a public fishing pier. The land is often "worth" more when developed for residential use than it is for commercial purposes.

We are very fortunate on Topsail Island to still have three ocean piers, one in each of the three townships.

Located in North Topsail Beach, Seaview Pier is the newest pier on Topsail Island. With a length of 1,000 feet, it is also the longest pier on the island. Their fully-stocked tackle shop offers fresh bait for sale and rod rental. A unique feature among the island’s piers is that the restaurant at Seaview will cook your catch for you on the spot for a small charge. They charge $7 per rod for fishing and offer a discount for military personnel.

The Surf City Ocean Pier is located just over the bridge and slightly to the right. Originally built in 1948, it was the first pier on Topsail Island. The structure was completely rebuilt after Hurricane Fran destroyed it in 1997. The 937-foot long fishing pier is owned and operated by the Lore family, and it features a 40-foot octagon with a live well tank at the end for King Mackerel fishing. The pier house is well-stocked with tackle and bait. They have a grill with screened-in dining and a game room for children of all ages. The fishing fee is $6 per rod for a 24-hour period.

Topsail Beach is home to the Jolly Roger Fishing Pier. Built around 1954 and currently owned and operated by the Orr family, this pier is also a landmark among fisherman. The pier is about 880-feet long and offers a grill for hot food as well as plenty of snacks and drinks. They have a well-stocked tackle shop and carry a variety of baits. The cost to fish is $10 per person, with each angler allowed two poles.

Now for the catching report: The fishing is really picking up with the warmer weather. Sound side fishing is producing plenty of red drum near the docks along the ICW with a good number of flounder now being caught as well. Near the beaches, the Spanish and bluefish bites have been very strong. There also have been a few nice cobia caught this past week.

In the surf, some pompano and drum are being caught with an occasional flounder. The piers report a nice spring mix of Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and mullet.

Off shore fisherman are reporting king mackerel being caught from 10 miles out. They are also picking up some nice mahi. Reports from the gulf stream include catches of yellowfin tuna, wahoo and a few billfish.

Happy Memorial Day, and tight lines to all!