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

DATE: Saturday, November 25, 1995            TAG: 9511250328
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 
COLUMN: Fishing on the Outer Banks
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   59 lines

FRIDAY'S FINE FISHING IS EARLY GIFT FOR ANGLERS

Pier fishing improved dramatically along the northern beaches Friday.

Anglers on Kitty Hawk Pier caught plenty of speckled trout and tailor blues during the morning, and tailor blues during the afternoon after the wind increased.

Speckled trout and puppy drum were landed on Avalon Pier most of the morning. Tailor bluefish were taken on cut bait and bucktails throughout the afternoon.

A few speckled trout, tailor blues and small bottom fish were taken from Nags Head Pier during the day. Several striped bass were hooked and lost.

Speckled trout and tailor blues were taken steadily from Jennette's Pier on bucktails from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The largest taken from the pier weighed 4 pounds, 10 ounces, and was landed by Henry Link of Copperhill, Va.

Fishermen on Outer Banks Pier caught speckled trout and nice-sized bluefish. A 14-pound striped bass was taken by Sam Apperson of Manteo while trout fishing.

A few sea mullet, gray trout and small bluefish were landed on Rodanthe Pier.

Avon Pier reported sea mullet, sharks and skates taken. Two drum weighing 45 pounds and 47 pounds were caught and released in the morning.

Speckled trout, puppy drum, black drum and sea mullet were taken sporadically during the day on Frisco Pier.

In the surf, speckled-trout fishing was good at a number of locations from Corolla to Oregon Inlet. Citation-sized fish were beached north of Kitty Hawk and Avalon piers. A substantial run occurred north of Nags Head Pier and lasted from daybreak until 8 a.m. Fish were taken on a variety of soft plastic lures and Mirrolures.

A few striped bass, puppy drum and lots of bluefish were taken by surfcasters along the northern beaches, along with speckled trout. The beach from Rodanthe to Buxton yielded a few striped bass, nice speckled trout and plenty of black drum.

Several stripers and tailor blues were landed by surfcasters around Oregon Inlet. Boaters trolling shoals east of the Bonner Bridge caught their limits of striped bass.

Black drum and scattered striped bass were landed at Cape Point. Speckled trout fishing was good during the morning along the beach adjacent to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

Anglers fishing in Hatteras Inlet reported good catches of speckled trout. Black drum were abundant in the surf from Frisco to Hatteras Inlet.

Yellowfin tuna fishing was good in the Gulf Stream off Oregon Inlet. The best action was between the "point" southeast of the inlet and the 40630 Loran line. A couple of big-eye tuna were landed, including a 165-pounder aboard the Outer Limits.

The Hatteras fleet reported fairly good king mackerel action.

The water temperature at the Corps of Engineers Pier in Dick was 58 degrees Friday. by CNB