"A lot of communities are looking 

 down on piers," says Robertson. "Now that 

 communities are maturing, they don't want 

 to put up with blue-collar guys. A lot of 

 professional people just want to stand 

 behind a plate glass window at a motel and 

 drink Scotch." 



Despite the stereotypical image of a 

 fisher, piers draw a cross section of people 

 — from professionals and blue-collar 

 workers to students and young children. 



"You always notice the diversity of 

 people," says Mintor. "It is like going in a 

 Wal-Mart." 



Many anglers are regulars who arrive 

 when the sun begins to rise — and just as 

 the fish are starting to bite. They cart the 

 fishing gear in a variety of a ways — from 

 little red wagons usually used for kids' play 

 to luggage carts. 



Six days a week, the Rev. Brad 

 Bradshaw, the minister of Kitty Hawk 

 Methodist Church in Kitty Hawk, rolls his 

 cooler down the pier. He usually fishes near 

 the front of the pier and uses plastic grub to 

 fish for trout or other bottom fish. 



"I come for the people more than the 

 fish," says Bradshaw. "Fishing is some- 

 times the only quiet that I get. It is a great 

 place to drop your blood pressure." 



For the larger fish, including kingfish 

 or king mackerel and Spanish mackerel, 

 regular anglers like Mintor gather at the end 

 of the pier. 



Mintor works hard to catch fish. He 

 practices a special technique called 

 plugging in which he is constantly casting 

 and retrieving his line. 



"We twitch the line and try to make it 

 dance," he says. "We are trying to duplicate 

 the way a living fish tries to find food." 



Some regulars, like Skip Coup of 

 Knightdale who is fishing for king 

 mackerel, have two fishing rods dangling in 

 the water. One of Coup's rods has an anchor. 

 The other has live bait. The two lines are 

 attached with a special handmade rig. 



"The rig gives me visiblity," says 

 Coup. "I use a 10-gauge wire and bobber 

 weight for my rig. It is stronger than a 

 clothespin. When the fish takes the bait, the 

 two lines unsnap." 



Shark Fishing 



On summer nights, shark 

 fishers also congregate at piers. 

 Although shark fishing is legal in 

 North Carolina, only a few piers 

 allow it, usually from after dusk 

 to dawn. 



"Shark fishing is almost a 

 thing of the past," says Avon Pier 

 manager Billy Hawkins as he 

 points to a shark's head on the 

 wall. "It is a lot of trouble getting 

 the head out of the water. We 

 have one fisherman who comes 

 down once a year and tags 

 sharks." 



Once a week, David Wolfe 

 of Grandy fishes for sharks off 

 the end of Jennette's Ocean Pier 

 in Nags Head. 



"It is an inexpensive way to 

 catch big fish without going out 

 in a boat," says Wolfe. "I have 

 caught sharks up to 500 or 600 

 pounds." 



Wolfe learned the art of 

 shark fishing many years ago from a friend. 

 "It is like deer hunting," he says. "Fifty will 

 try it, and only one will stick with it. It 

 requires a lot of patience." 



To catch sharks, Wolfe uses special 

 equipment and bait. As the waves rock 



Top: Fishing is a summer and fall ritual at 

 the Iron Steamer Resort and Pier at Pine 

 Knoll Shores. 



Above: Customers call Billy Hawkins for 

 updates at Avon Pier. 



8 AUTUMN 2000 



