Cast a line on the Atlantic's oldest fishing pier

Pier fishing is a tradition along North Carolina’s coast and no spot has a longer history for anglers than the Kure Beach Fishing Pier — the oldest on the Atlantic Coast. The pier dates back to 1923 when L.C. Kure built a 120-foot-long pier made of pine. That pier did not last a year, but in 1924 he pioneered the use of reinforced concrete to build a 240-foot pier. Today, the 712-foot Kure Beach Pier is owned by L.C.’s grandson and still functions as an entertainment and meeting place for visitors and residents of Wilmington and its island beaches. One of several attractions for visitors to Kure Beach, the pier operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week from April 1 through Thanksgiving Sunday. Kure Beach is known for its great fishing, but the area also is home to dolphins and sea turtles.