[piano intro] (man #1) All right.

(man #2) Feels like another sea mullet.

(man #1) On the fish bites again, red--the shrimp?

(man #2) The bloodworm.

(man #1) Bloodworm.

Oh yeah!

That's another good one.

Nice, nice.

That might be the biggest one yet, I think, Ted.

(Ted) He's pretty good.

We'll take him, won't we?

(man #1) Yeah, let me have him here.

Nice fish there.

I'm gonna try not to drop him back over.

- [male announcer]: The production of Carolina Outdoor Journal is made possible in part by: - [female announcer]: The North Carolina Wildlife Rescources Commission.

A fishing license goes a long way towards wildlife conservation in North Carolina.

Over 38,000 miles of managed streams and rivers, and 250,000 acres of lakes and reservoirs.

- [male announcer]: And by EZ Bait and Tackle, family owned and operated.

We fish from fresh to saltwater.

We provide fishing supplies and ad vice to every type of angler.

For all your fishing needs, EZ Bait and Tackle.

And by contributions from PBS NC vi ewers like you.

[light instrumental music] ♪ Hello and welcome to the Carolina Outdoor Journal .

Well, today's program's gonna take us down to Nags Head.

Joe, it is a pier experience.

It really is today.

We're gonna take you fishing, catching sea mullet and spot on the pier today.

This is a May trip, in the spring, typically a good time when you start having a lotta fish migrations along our coast.

We've covered piers the length of our coast now.

This is the first time we've covered a pier on the northern Outer Banks.

But we're on Jennette's Pier today, one of-- our newest pier here in North Carolina, um, and-- and actually, our longest pier at a thousand feet.

One of the things that makes this really an experience is the educational component of the pier now.

It's actually part of the aquarium system, so we'll talk more about it as we get into the show.

But today, we're gonna take you pier fishing, catchin' sea mullet and spot.

(John) What about "Geartime" today?

The guys will share with us how they rigged up to fish on the pier-- what they like to use, their rod-and-reel combinations.

We're fishing, uh--uh, on the bottom today.

Again, these are bottom-- bottom fish, and so they're gonna fish bottom rigs, and they'll show you how they did that.

And our recipe today, grouper.

Yeah, this is a species we catch off of our coast, real tasty grouper re cipe from Donna.

(John) All right, it's time for a pier experience today on the Carolina Outdoor Journal .

(Ted) Water's pretty today.

(man) It's beautiful, a great place to be.

(Ted) They didn't do much yesterday, but they're catchin' some sea mullet today.

Good, and if we don't catch those, maybe some blue fish?

Blue fish--they caught some early, and we can try those if we don't catch any sea mullet, yeah.

It's nice, though.

Very nice.

Seagulls are workin'.

(Ted) Yep.

(man) Well, Ted, it is a great day to be out on Jennette's Pier.

It's beautiful out here.

(Ted) Re ally, it's go rgeous today.

The water's pretty.

You're talking about Jennette's-- this is the first place I ever fished.

My dad took me out here fishing when I was a little fella, probably eight or ten-- I can't remember when, and, uh, started here and--and still come here from time to time to catch fish to eat.

I didn't grow up here, but my first experience in salt water was off a pier.

So this is déjà vu.

It really is, and a lotta people, that's where they start.

They'll come out on these piers.

They get their first experience.

It's easy; anybody can do it, doesn't take much equipment.

I've seen little small reels and large reels.

If you get it over the edge, you can catch fish.

That's right, and today they're catchin' sea mullet, some really nice sea mullet.

I've seen several, uh, really nice ones come over the side, um.

And we're gonna use these shrimp-flavored fish bites.

We are; we'll try that and see if we can't catch us a mess of fish to eat.

You know, the water temperature's been up and down too.

Yesterday, it had dropped 10 degrees.

It's already back up today.

They didn't catch much yesterday, and they're catchin' fish today, so that's a good sign.

You wanna try it?

Let's give 'em a try.

I'm gonna catch the first one.

Pretty work.

Little bit nicer one?

Ahh, it might be a sea mullet.

(Ron) Nope, another spot.

Looks like a pretty nice one, though.

Something for dinner.

(Ted) Yes, I tell you what.

I haven't had any good fresh fish this year, so this'll be nice.

(Ron) All right, nice.

What'd you catch him on?

Uh... A little bit of shrimp?

A shrimp and one of those little bites.

Gotcha... all right.

Well, let's get a bigger one.

(Ted) Yessir!

Got one on there, Ronnie B!

(Ron) Well, we're due.

(Ted) Oop!

I'm havin' a bite.

I'm havin' a bite.

Have you still got him?

(Ted) Yeah, I still got him; I hope that's a sea mullet.

(Ron) All right, way to go, Ted!

What'd you catch him on?

(Ted) I got your line.

[indistinct background talking] Nah, I got his line.

(Ron) Do another one.

Lucky dog here.

(Ted, straining) There we go, Ronnie B!

Yeah!

(Ron) Way to go, Ted!

Nice!

(Ted) There's a nice one there.

That's what we've been lookin' for.

Maybe there's a group movin' in here.

We're gonna catch a few.

Yeah, that'll be good for dinner.

They're real tasty.

All right!

(Ted) Feels like another sea mullet.

(Ron) On the fish bites again, red--the shrimp?

(Ted) The bloodworm.

(Ron) Bloodworm.

Oh yeah!

That's another good one.

Nice, nice.

That might be the biggest one yet, I think, Ted.

(Ted) He's pretty good.

We'll take him, won't we?

(Ron) Yeah, let me have him right here.

Nice fish there.

I'm gonna try not to drop him back over.

Oh, oh, hold on, boy.

Hold on, boy.

There we go.

(Ted) That's a good one.

(Ron) Pretty work.

[clunking] Let's do it again.

(Ron) I'm ready.

Ted, it's the middle of May.

We've caught a couple of sea mullets, uh.

I would expect that we're probably gonna catch a mixed bag today.

We are; we've seen some little blue fish caught.

You know, on the pier, you just never know.

You could catch just anything and everything.

What makes it fun.

Right, and as the season goes on, they get bigger.

Flounder, uh, catch some puppy drum, uh, a little later.

We're startin' to catch some Spanish mackerel and-- and catch cobia and king mackerel and-- and everybody's fishin' for somethin' different, and you can see what everybody else is doin' at the same time-- makes it exciting.

Makes it a lotta fun, especially the mixed bag-- so many different kinds of fish.

Yep, you know, you need to have a little bit of bait with you and just be prepared.

(Ron) I got somethin'... finally.

I hope that's a big ole sea mullet.

He's fightin' pretty good.

And I normally only catch big fish, so-- (Ted) He h, heh!

(Ron) Yeah, nice spot.

Never know what you're gonna catch on the pier.

(Ted) We won't go hungry tonight.

(Ron) No, we won't.

Not the biggest spot, but big enough to eat and very tasty.

All right, we'll get a bigger one now.

(Ted) Got one, Ronnie.

(Ron) All right.

Bring him-- bring him in.

Feel like a sea mullet?

(Ted) Uhh...

I don't think it's-- (Ron) Catchin' mixed-- mixed bag, just like we talked about.

(Ted, straining) Yeah!

(Ron) It'll look good in the cooler.

(Ted) Yeah, they're awful good eatin'.

(Ron) Caught him on the red fish bite.

(Ted) Yeah, I did.

Caught him on that bloodworm bite.

(Ron) Let's put him in the cooler.

(Ted) Wh at do you got, Ronnie?

That's a sea mullet.

Oh, he's fight--yeah!

Heh, heh...heh!

I like this.

Good gracious alive!

Good one!

Yeah, I think he is gonna be a good one here.

I got two comin' in there.

Look at that, would you?

(Ted) Cool!

One spot and one sea mullet.

(Ron) You know, we talked about a mixed bag, didn't we?

(Ted) Actually, that's a gray trout.

(Ron) That is a gray trout.

(Ted) Well, holy smokes!

And a spot!

I think you talked about a mixed bag, didn't you?

(Ted) He h, heh!

(Ron) A gray trout and a spot, that's pretty cool.

I feel sorry wh en I catch those.

I put him ri ght back over.

I'm putting this over soon as I get the hook out.

That's a nice spot.

Yep, I'm gonna let him go.

He'll be all right.

mmh Perfect dive; he took off.

Put him the cooler.

All right, things are pickin' up a little bit, Ted.

Yes, sir, caught a double there.

[mellow acoustic guitar leads soft rock arrangement] ♪ ♪ (Ron) Ted, one of the fun things about fishin' on a thousand-foot pier is all the different types of zones where you can fish.

(Ted) It is.

You get the sloughs up close and come up on the bar, and then it drops off again, and you come up on another little bar, and then it eases on out.

The depth on the end of this pier is 20, 25 feet.

That is interestin', and you catch fish in all those different zones at different times and different fish in different spots.

Right, right.

(Ron) I got somethin'.

(Ted) Li ttle spot?

I think it's probably a spot.

Nice Virginia mullet.

That's a nice one too.

Finally.

That's a nice mullet.

Yeah, very good eating too.

I did catch him right beside the pier.

All right, look at that.

He's a pretty fish.

Let's get another one now.

(Ted) I don't know what it is, but I've got a fish on.

(Ron) Always good to have a fish on.

(Ted) Yes it is.

(Ron) Ooh!

You've got a shark.

(Ted) A little shark--heh!

(Ron) I got one; I've got somethin' too.

(male bystander) Oh yeah!

Wow!

(Ted) He re you go, Ronnie; you talk about variety.

[chuckling] We've got variety!

Got a little shark.

(Ron) I'm bringin' a little variety in myself.

(Ted) Yep.

A little--I don't know what kind it is.

Little variety, you think?

(both) Ha, ha...ha!

You never know what you're gonna pull up here.

Chuck him back.

This one's fightin' like a sea mullet.

I don't know if it is.

I had a bite at the same time.

(Ted) It's a bigger spot.

(Ron) Li ttle nicer spot-- pr etty work.

I had a bite on both poles at the same time yo u caught that one.

You can't eat a bite.

They move in and out.

It's hard to eat a bite.

It is that.

You want him?

Yes, sir.

Eat him; thank you, sir.

Oop!

There's a bite.

Oh, I got one!

There we go.

(Ted) Please be a sea mullet.

Oop!

I got one on this other rod.

(Ron) Moved into our-- our zone here.

Well, looks like another spot.

Yep, another little spot.

(Ted) Yo u got him, an other spot?

(Ron) Just--just big enough to keep and eat.

That was almost a double, wasn't it?

(Ted) Almost.

This one feels a little bit nicer.

Not that I've caught any small ones, but he feels even-- (Ted) Sea mullet maybe?

(Ron) I'm gonna guess yes, that it is a sea mullet.

Got two blow toads.

I mean, that's-- you never know what you're gonna catch out here.

(Ted) They might be blow toads.

Can't tell from here.

(Ron) Yes, they are!

(Ted) Put both of those in the cooler--heh, heh...heh!

That's a really good eatin' there, I tell you what.

(Ron) Wow.

(Ted) Ni ce.

I'm gonna scratch their belly too.

Huh?

I'm gonna scratch their belly.

Come on, boy.

Those things are-- th ey are really-- Look at the teeth on that.

They're really go od eatin' though.

Let's do it in the cooler then.

I'll show you a trick for cleanin' those things.

Yeah, I wanna see that.

He's caught two blow toads there.

Man, pretty work.

Things are pickin' up a little bit here.

(Ted) Yeah, I want another nice sea mullet.

That's another spot.

(Ron) Another spot.

That's a nice on e, too, though.

(Ted) Ye ah.

Foul-hooked him.

Probably a big spot-- big spot.

(Ted) He hit it good, though.

(Ron) Yeah, he did.

They fight very well for their size.

(Ted) They sure do.

(Ron) They give a good account of themselves.

(Ted) Sea mullet, those things will really smack it, especially a big one... put him-- (Ron) I'm gonna put him in the box.

(Ted) All right.

(Ron) Pretty work.

Got one comin' in, Ted.

Whatcha got, Ronnie?

I don't know.

He's fightin', uh,-- fightin' pretty good.

Actually, fighting a little better than the rest of 'em.

(Ron) I think it is a sea mullet.

(Ted) Ye s!

A decent on e too!

Sea mullet!

Come on to papa, here.

Come on up, baby-- oop.

Oh!

A little tangle action.

(Ted) heh, heh, heh That's a nice fish, Ron.

(Ron) I'll take him.

(Ted) Ye ah, he's pretty.

(Ron) I'll take him.

He has taken both hooks in his mouth.

Did he really?

He ate 'em both.

Look, look.

He was serious ab out it.

He was hungry.

He wanted 'em both; bless his heart.

Most of these sea mullets shortly will pass by here.

Then there's a few that hang around all summer.

(Ron) Good eatin' there.

The big schools go on by us.

All right, all right.

I like that.

Joe, simply put, it's always an experience fishin' off a pier.

It really is, John, 'cause you never know what you're gonna catch, and when we have fish migrations in the spring, especially, you know-- today, we were catchin' sea mullet, spot.

Earlier in the morning, different tide, they had bluefish up close to the beach, some pretty-- pretty nice bluefish, two-to-three-pound bluefish, but later in the spring, they'll have Spanish mackerel.

They catch a variety of fish off this pier.

In fact, a year or so ago, they had a real strong run of big red drum that they caught off the pier.

And so you really never know, fishing off-- and to a lotta people, as our guys said today, that's where they got their start saltwater fishing back in the day.

So a great starter, uh, location if you've never caught saltwater fish to experience that, and had a lotta fun.

Talk about experience.

Let's see what we can learn in "Geartime" today.

♪ Ted, we've really had a fun day out here on the pier-- Jennette's Pier-- and one of the really cool things was seein' all the different-- little kids and adults and all types of different long rods and short rods and surf rods and trout rods, just a lotta different equipment.

Didn't seem to make a whole lotta difference.

Seemed like everybody was catchin' some fish.

They were, and that's the beauty of the fishing pier.

You don't have to have anything special.

You can have a simple, little 6-foot rod like I was using today, uh.

A simple two-drop bottom rig, some cut bait, and you're fishing.

You know, it's easy and inexpensive to take a child fishin' or anybody that would like to go.

And I was usin' a little bit longer rod.

I got a 7-foot rod, li ke I might use to catch trout, um, wi th a 12-pound braid, and, you know, sometimes you would throw it out as far as we could throw it, and sometimes it would be just a drop-down, and fish seemed to be all over the place.

That's right, and today, we were catchin' sea mullet and-- and spot and just used small hooks.

And, uh, we-- you know, this mornin', they caught bluefish here, two-pounders, some of 'em two to three pounds.

And if we were ready for 'em, if we had had an opportunity, we would probably use these Got-Chas.

That's a pier lure there.

And they catch Spanish mackerel on 'em, you know, bluefish galore in multiple colors, but we didn't get that opportunity today.

As far as the bait's concerned, we were usin' shrimp with those fish bites, and that seemed-- the combination seemed to work good for us.

Those fish bites were real effective too.

You can cut just a little piece.

It stays on a long time and doesn't go bad.

We caught a nice va riety of fish too.

I mean, a real nice variety.

That was neat.

(Ted) We caught a nice mess for supper.

I look forward to it.

Thank you very much; always fun to be with you.

We always have a good time, and I'm lookin' forward to the next trip.

We hope you can use some of that information as you prepare for your next fishin' trip off a pier.

Now, Donna's standin' by in the kitchen.

She's got a recipe today using grouper.

♪ ♪ ♪ Hi, today in the kitchen, we're makin' a honey lime grouper.

It's a great recipe I think you'll really enjoy.

It's got lots of great flavors, and you can grill this.

I'm gonna show you how you bread and fry it, but you can also, um, marinate the fish and grill it if you'd like to do that.

What we're gonna do, we're gonna start with our marinade.

We're going to squeeze some limes, and limes usually don't have as much juice as a lemon does, so we're gonna-- whoo, these are a little dry.

There you go.

So we're gonna use our lime juice.

We're gonna add a little zest to this as well.

And I use a zester, um-- a Microplane zester for mine, but you can also use a, um-- a lemon peeler or a, you know-- a vegetable peeler, too, if you want.

Just make sure you try not to get the white part of your, um-- your fruit 'cause that's called the pith where it's a little bit bitter.

Then we're gonna add some honey... and some black pepper.

[grinding] Some salt... and some garlic.

So, try to get a little more lime outta this.

So we're gonna, um, mix this together.

And then we're going to marinate our fish.

This is some beautiful grouper that we have that I've just cut into, um, fillets.

We're just going to marinate that, and then once it's marinated for about an hour-- you don't want to marinate it too long 'cause you don't want the, um, skin of your fish to get soft and kinda mushy or, um, mealy that we call it.

So, um, we're going to then make our dredge mixture, which is just some flour and some seasoned bread crumbs.

And we're just gonna toss that together, take our marinated grouper... and dredge it in our flour... till it's all covered.

I like to use my wax paper 'cause then I can just toss that in the trash.

I don't have a whole lot to clean up.

Then we're going to make sure our oil is warm enough in our pan.

And I just used some canola oil, um, in my cast iron skillet.

We're just gonna put that in there, and we're gonna let that cook for about five minutes on each side until your grouper is cooked throughout, and it depends on how thick your fill--you know, your cut is of your grouper-- whether it cooks a little bit longer or little bit less-- just watch it.

So we're gonna cook that, turn it, and you're ready to go.

This is what it looks like when it's done.

You have this nice, great flavoring and, um, crunch on the outside.

It's gonna darken up a little bit because of the honey, but it's gonna crystallize and have some great flavor.

I served it with a tossed salad, and you're ready to go.

Quick and easy, so I hope you enjoy the honey lime grouper, and I look forward to seeing you next time here on "Simple Cooking."

Donna, we thank you for that recipe.

You've always got something good.

There are more recipes waiting in the Carolina Outdoor Journal cookbook.

You can find it online at CarolinaOutdoorJournal.com.

Joe, the, uh, educational component of this pier has a great influence in North Carolina.

Well, it has.

It--yeah, they, as we mentioned earlier, are part of the aquarium system, and so when they rebuilt this pier-- it had--it was damaged in the earlier hurricane, in the original one, so they tore it down-- built a brand new pier house, which is... really a small version of our aquarium.

You can go into the pier house and see, uh, small aquariums with-- with fish, um.

They have school groups coming in now.

That's building more and more each year, and-- and, uh, school groups coming in learning more about the coast, about the marine life that's out there.

When you walk out on the pier, even the small pier houses they have along the way as you go out, it's a 1,000-foot pier, uh.

They have boards with fish identification.

They have information about turtles, um, porpoises.

So when--when you go to that pier now, it's more than the fishing, uh-- it's a fishing pier; don't get me wrong.

People utilize it for that, but it's-- it's more than that.

It's an educational, um, spot on our coast that people need to check out and enjoy.

(John) Make it a destination.

Absolutely.

For Joe Albea, I'm John Moore.

Thanks for joining us on the Carolina Outdoor Journal .

- [male announcer]: And make sure to visit our website for more information.

- [male announcer]: The production of Carolina Outdoor Journal is made possible in part by: - [female announcer]: The North Carolina Wildlife Rescources Commission.

A fishing license goes a long way towards wildlife conservation in North Carolina.

Over 38,000 miles of managed streams and rivers, and 250,000 acres of lakes and reservoirs.

- [male announcer]: And by EZ Bait and Tackle, family owned and operated.

We fish from fresh to saltwater.

We provide fishing supplies and ad vice to every type of angler.

For all your fishing needs, EZ Bait and Tackle.

And by contributions from PBS NC vi ewers like you.

[light instrumental music] ♪