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

DATE: Friday, November 24, 1995              TAG: 9511240080
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 
COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS 
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   52 lines

SURF FISH DIDN'T GET THE WORD THAT IT WAS A HOLIDAY

Pier fishing along the northern beaches was slow Thursday, but surf fishing was good during the morning.

Anglers on Kitty Hawk Pier caught a few speckled trout. Avalon Pier reported a handful of small speckled trout and tiny bluefish.

A few nice speckled trout were landed from Nags Head Pier during the morning. Small bluefish were decked during the afternoon.

Fishing on Jennette's Pier was slow throughout the day, but lots of small bluefish were taken by fishermen on Outer Banks Pier.

South of Oregon Inlet, Rodanthe Pier reported lots of 12 to 15 inch speckled trout and some small flounder landed. A 34-inch striped bass was taken on out bait.

Anglers on Avon Pier caught black drum, sea mullet and a few keeper trout.

Frisco Pier reported plenty of gray trout, sea mullet and speckled trout taken early in the morning. Some puppy drum, mullet and speckled trout were landed later in the afternoon.

Speckled trout fishing was good early Thursday morning in deeper sloughs along the beach north of Kitty Hawk Pier, Avalon Pier and Nags Head Pier. Some keeper striped bass were taken by surfcasters from Corolla to Oregon Inlet, including a 45-pounder beached north of Kitty Hawk Pier.

A few stripers, puppy drum and lots of small bluefish were taken around Oregon Inlet. Boaters in the area caught fair numbers of striped bass on shoals east of the Bonner Bridge. Speckled trout were landed from sloughs along Pea Island on artificial baits.

Scattered striped bass and speckled trout were landed on bait along the beach from Rodanthe to Buxton.

Lots of black drum and some puppy drum were taken at Cape Point.

Black drum were abundant from Frisco to Hatteras Inlet. Some small puppy drum, sea mullet and small speckled trout also were beached.

The few boats that fished offshore east northeast of Oregon Inlet landed plenty of yellowfin tuna weighting between 30 and 60 pounds. The best action was near the 40780 Loran line.

King mackerel fishing was good around wrecks southeast of Hatteras. Gulf Stream anglers in the area caught fair numbers of backfin and yellowfin tuna.

Striped bass fishing should be excellent in the Manns Harbor area and on shoals around Oregon Inlet this weekend.

The water temperature along the beach in Nags Head was 54.5 degrees Thursday. by CNB