THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, August 31, 1995              TAG: 9508310543
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 
COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS 
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   55 lines

IF YOU WANTED SPOT, THEY WERE THERE AT THE PIERS

Spot fishing was good on most piers along the Outer Banks Wednesday. Spot, a few trout and small puppy drum were landed on Kitty Hawk Pier during the morning. A good run of large spot developed around noon and continued into the afternoon.

Anglers on Avalon Pier caught lots of spot and nice croaker. Spot, small speckled trout and small flounder were taken on Nags Head Pier. A few spot and sea mullet were decked on Jennette's Pier.

Outer Banks Pier reported a handful of spot, sand perch, bluefish, and small flounder landed during the day.

South of Oregon Inlet, fishermen on Rodanthe Pier caught large spot and croaker during the afternoon. Some big spot and tailor bluefish were taken on the Avon Pier.

Croaker were plentiful on Frisco Pier. Several false albacore, a 24-inch puppy drum and a few Spanish mackerel also were landed. Surf fishermen landed scattered small bottom fish along the northern beaches Wednesday. The best action was during the morning on the incoming tide.

A mixture of bottom fish was caught by anglers fishing from the catwalk on the south end of the Bonner Bridge across Oregon Inlet.

Although the surf was still a little stirred up from Rodanthe to Buxton, surfcasters along the beach caught some large spot, croaker and a few nice puppy drum.

Dirty water at Cape Point kept action to a minimum. Only a few bottom fish were beached Wednesday. A few bluefish and small flounder were taken around Hatteras Inlet.

Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet was fair, with half-day charters catching Spanish mackerel and bluefish.

Headboat fishing was good, with big croaker plentiful on the incoming tide around the Oregon Inlet bridge and also in the Croatan Sound around Manns Harbor bridge.

Dolphin fishing was good in the Gulf Stream off Oregon Inlet Wednesday. A few tuna, billfish and wahoo also were taken. The best action was between the 40850 and the 40950 Loran lines. Two white marlin and a sailfish were released by the Sea Witch.

Bluewater fishing was good off Hatteras, with plenty of wahoo, some nice dolphin and scattered yellowfin tuna taken. Billfishing was also good. The Release landed eight wahoo and released a blue marlin and a sailfish. The Hatteras Fever decked six wahoo and released two sailfish.

Spot fishing along the Dare Coast should continue to be good, provided the water doesn't get too clear. The water temperature at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck was 76.5 degrees Wednesday. by CNB