The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-11-18
HATTERAS ISLAND
SURF RED WITH
CHANNEL BASS
Hundreds of Big Fish Landed With
Rod and Reel Since tuesday
BY AYCOCK BROWN

Red drum, the coppeflSn cOloreu
channel bass of sports fishermen,
hit the surf between Cape Hat
teras and Hatteras Inlet on Tues
day afternoon and since that time
hundreds of anglers have landed
hundreds of big fish, some going
to SO pounds and practically all
scaling above 80 pounds each. Ac-
tually this piscatorial event which
happens during November each
year was no surprise to many old
time anglers on Hatteras Island,
but to many sportsfshermen from
other states who shared in the
catches it was the high spot Of
their rod and reel careers.
Since Tuesday when an estimat-
ed 200 or more channel bass were
caught in the immediate vicinity
of the point of Cape Hatteras be-
tween noon and sunset, weather
conditions have changed, but the
big fish are still in or near the surf
of Hatteras waters. Early Thurs
day, Willie Newsome, operator of
the Sportsman's Headquarters at
Hatteras, reported good catches
from Hatteras Inlet waters We'd
nesday night. One angler, Ralph
Winstead of Blackstone, Va,
caught five, each weighing over 80
pounds. Newsome predicted that
the weather change on Thursday,
an expected cold wave with north
erly winds, should make fishing
considerably better in the Halter
as Inlet sector.
In the meantime, on Wednesday
and Thursday, many anglers in the
Cape Point sector could see chan
mel bass milling in waters just be-
yond casting distance and the surf
had become soupy. Still fish were
being caught, but Tuesday was the
big day.
First reports of the fabulous
run on Tuesday came from George
Fuller of Buxton. Returning to the
Cape after attending a Tourist Blu
reau meeting in Manteo he was
told of the big run and large
catches that were being made. He
Immediately called Tourist Blu
reau's manager and news director
in Manteo who sent out stories to
newspapers and press syndicates.
Then Fuller went down to the
Point to get additional facts,
which resulted in a telephone call
later stating that more than 100
anglers were at the Point and that
already over 200 fish had been
taken.
He stated that all the fish taken
ranged in weight from 80 to SIS
pounds. The 55-pounder, accord
ing to Fuller's report, was landed
by W. W. Weber of Dundalk, Md,
who with his fishing companion,
r. G. Waller accounted for seven
big ones during the afternoon.
Others sharing in the catches (and
the list is far from completely and
the number of fish they caught
included: Kendrick Gray, 10; Ray
mond Basnett, IT; Courtney Star
mont, II; Layman Williams, 8;
Alfred Gray, three; C. G. Walker
and party of Akron, Ohio, nine;
Arthur Johnson and party, Point
Pleasant, N. j., II; N. F. Jen-
nette's party, 10; H. M. Silver,
Frank Kardes, and Wallace Rupp,
Dayton, Penna., four; G. C. Hem
ingway and Cooper Adams, Win
ston-Salem, two; Uneka Jennette,
5; ]. w. Gandee, 5; and Bernice
Balance, 9.
News of the big catches as re-
ported by Tourist Bureau through
out the country resulted in a rush
of photographers to the Outer
Banks to make pictures of the
bouts between man and fish. Two
Life magazine representatives flew
up from Atlanta to take pictures
and get the story. Sports Illus
trated magazine was planning to
send Mark Kaufman of it's Wash
ington bureau to the area this
week end. In the meantime, reports
of good surf fishing for the big
channel bass continued to reach
tho Tourist P,,roon off;oo f.o.