THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 5, 1995 TAG: 9509050110
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
Good weather over the Labor Day weekend helped pier anglers produce good catches of bottom fish along the Dare Coast.
Kitty Hawk Pier reported good spot fishing Saturday and Sunday. A handful of bluefish and Spanish mackerel was taken from the end of the pier just before dark Saturday.
Fishermen on Avalon Pier caught scattered spot, croaker, sea mullet and pompano. The mullet and pompano were taken close to the beach.
Spot were landed fairly steadily throughout the weekend on Nags Head Pier. The best action was Saturday afternoon.
Spot, small bluefish, croaker and sand perch were taken on Jennette's Pier.
Good numbers of pompano were caught in the wash from Outer Banks Pier. A few nice spot, croaker and sand perch also were landed, and a few puppy drum released.
On Hatteras Island, Rodanthe Pier reported good spot fishing Saturday afternoon. Spot, croaker and scattered puppy drum weighing as much as 6 3/4 pounds were taken Sunday.
Spot and croaker were caught from Avon Pier throughout the weekend. Fisherman on Frisco Pier landed lots of spot, along with some small blues, croaker and sea mullet Saturday and Sunday.
Some good catches of small bottom fish from the surf were reported along the northern beaches, even though sea conditions were a little rough.
Around Oregon Inlet, some good catches of croaker were landed by surfcasters fishing near the wreck of the Lois Joyce. Anglers fishing from the catwalk on the south end of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge at the inlet caught small bottom fish and puppy drum.
Spot, sea mullet, croaker and a few puppy drum were beached from Rodanthe to Buxton.
At Cape Point some 10- to 15-pound puppy drum were landed early Sunday morning. During the day some bottom fish and small blues were taken.
South of Cape Point, surf fishermen caught plenty of spot, small bluefish and puppy drum along the beach in the Frisco area. Bottom fish and some puppy drum were landed in the Hatteras Inlet area.
Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet was slow during the weekend, with only a handful of blues, Spanish mackerel and small king mackerel taken.
Headboats landed a few croaker around Oregon Inlet and in the Croatan Sound Saturday. The headboats don't run on Sundays. Headboat fishing resumed Monday but was slow.
A few dolphin and scattered tuna were caught in the Gulf Stream off Oregon Inlet Saturday. The best yellowfin tuna action was well northeast of Oregon Inlet. Several billfish were released, including a blue marlin, by the Marlin Fever.
Only a few charter craft went offshore Sunday because of choppy seas. They found fishing to be slow, with only a few tuna and dolphin taken.
Plenty of wahoo and a few dolphin were taken by the Hatteras charter fleet Saturday. Sailfish were released by the Nancy K. and the Hatteras Fever. A few dolphin, wahoo and king mackerel were landed Sunday by boats fishing out of Hatteras.
Bottom fishing should continue to be good on ocean piers as long as winds remain onshore, and inshore water continues to be a little cloudy.
The water temperature at Nags Head Fishing Pier was 76 degrees Monday. by CNB