THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 19, 1995 TAG: 9505190512
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS
SOURCE: DAMON TATEM
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
Two days of 20- to 30-mph southwest winds kept pier fishing to a minimum along the Dare Coast Thursday.
Plenty of skates and a number of small spot, croaker, blues and trout were taken on Kitty Hawk Pier. Fishermen on Avalon Pier caught a few sea mullet and throw-back speckled trout.
Nags Head Pier anglers reeled in some very small spot and mullet, along with baby gray trout that were too small to keep.
Jennette's Pier and Outer Banks Pier both reported a few small bottom fish, blues and gray trout landed.
On Hatteras Island, Rodanthe Pier anglers caught an occasional trout and sea mullet. Lots of skates and a handful of mullet were taken on Avon Pier. Frisco Pier fishermen also shared in the good skate fishing.
The surf was very dirty Thursday all along the Outer Banks. Some small bottom fish were landed from Corolla to Oregon Inlet. But surf fishing action was inconsistent.
Those who braved the wind and blowing sand along the beach from Rodanthe to Buxton caught lots of pinhead croakers along with some skates and sharks.
Drum fishing at Cape Point was good Wednesday night, with around 50 fish weighing from 10 to 50 pounds each taken. A 38-pound drum, a few puppy drum and some blues of various sizes were beached during the day Thursday.
Rough seas resulting from strong southwest winds kept offshore boats in safe harbor Thursday in Oregon Inlet. A couple of charter craft went offshore from Hatteras, but catches were meager.
If strong southwest winds persist, fishing on piers will remain mediocre - but night-time drum fishing at Cape Point should be good.
A turn in the wind to a more offshore direction should clear the water and herald the return of Spanish mackerel, blues and moderate-sized trout along the beach.
The water temperature at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck was 57.5 degrees Thursday. by CNB