’Cuda in
Carolina!
By ji.m iiaicihi;
Piioiot b> W. K. I>or>fx
Southeastern North Carolina sportsmen find
barracuda far offshore, haunting the wrecks
of ships that were sent to the bottom during
America's Civil War.
burking in the barnacle - covered
ruins of sunken wrecks off the South¬
eastern North Carolina Coast is a vil¬
lain of the sea which is both a menace
and a challenge to salt-water sport
fishermen. This bad boy of the deep
has been described as a cannibal, a
murderer, a tiger of the sea — and a
great fighting fish. It is. of course, the
barracuda.
Almost tireless in its pursuit of prey,
the 'cuda is a mercury-tailed speed¬
ster. streamlined like a guided missile
and boasting a "warhead” consisting
of long, pointed jaws filled with razor-
sharp teeth. Its speed, jumping ability
and readiness to strike arc appreciated
by anglers.
Unlike other sections of the coast,
where they arc found cruising the great
reefs, North Carolina baracuda gen¬
erally haunt the wreckage of ships.
Many such hulks are relics of the
Blockade runners of the Old South,
blasted into the depths by northern
gunboats during the War Between the
States. These ancient wrecks arc
anchored to the ocean floor by tons
of sand and have withstood years of
pounding by heavy seas.
Other barracuda hunting areas have
been created by more recent wrecks.
For example, the hulk of the "F.sso
Nashville," a petroleum tanker sunk
by a German U-boat during World
War II. has become a 'cuda fishing hot
spot. On a day of clear water, re¬
mains of the “Nashville" can be seen
in the shimmering depths. The wreck
pound mullet, thus exposing its back-
tube with a cut¬
ting edge at one end is then forced
over the spinal column — which is
removed in its entirety.
F.ntrails arc removed from the bait
by making a small incision in the
stomach. Then a set of double hooks
is rigged, one near the tail and one
snugged up under the belly. Finally,
a leader wire is run through the lower
lip of the mullet, through the eye of
the hook and out the top of the bait's
head. By twisting the wire, the mul¬
let's mouth is pulled shut and the bait
is ready for trolling. A barrel swivel
connects the leader to the line.
In action, this bait is skipped along
the surface, about 100 feet behind the
transom of a charter boat. Barracuda
can't seem to resist such an offering
and a rigged mullet usually draws a
strike when it's trolled over one of
those North Carolina wrecks.
A typical offshore jaunt for cuda
is an all-day affair. Take the day that
a party of bridge experts decided to
investigate the joys of angling aboard
Captain Eddy Hancman's cruiser.
"Martha Ellen.” out of Wrightsvillc
Beach. Capt. Eddy is an old hand on
the fishing grounds, having operated
from the Carolinas to the Bahamas.
The party consisted of A. M. Sobcl.
Director of the International Bridge
Matches for the past fifteen years;
Jerry Macklin. secretary and director
of the Washington, D. C, Bridge Club.
presents an eerie and ghost-like ap¬
pearance and — within its shadows bone. A small metal
live the marauders of the warm seas:
great barracuda.
Generally regarded as the most
fearless creature in the sea. this long,
slim and formidably armed fish will
attack almost anything that swims, re¬
gardless of size. In its hunger, the
'cuda often strikes blindly and fiercely.
Naturally, fishermen turn this aggres¬
siveness to their own advantage when
luring the tiger of the deep.
A rigged mullet seems to be the most
effective bait and is certainly most
widely used in the North Carolina
area. To prepare the bait, 'cuda fisher¬
men split the tail of a fresh, one-half
Mullet rigged tor 'cudo fiihing in joutheoitern
North Corolino wotcrj.
a
THE STATE. July 12. 1958
