THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 19, 1996 TAG: 9604190523
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
Pier fishing along the northern beaches improved Thursday, with some bottom fish taken.
Sea mullet, toadfish and skates were taken on Kitty Hawk Pier off and on throughout the day. Lots of 12- to 15-inch gray trout were landed under the pier lights Wednesday night.
Avalon Pier also reported gray trout taken overnight, and a 26-inch striped bass released. Sea mullet, skates and toadfish were landed Thursday, and two 18-inch stripers were released. The stripers hit jigger plugs.
A few sea mullet, toadfish and skates were caught from Nags Head Pier by anglers using bloodworms.
Fishing was slow on Outer Banks Pier, where only a few toadfish and one sea mullet were landed.
On Hatteras Island, Rodanthe Pier reported fair numbers of toadfish and sea mullet taken during the afternoon.
Anglers on Avon Pier caught some big sea mullet weighing as much as 1 1/2 pounds. Toadfish and some nice flounder also were taken. Some jumbo bluefish were seen in the area during the morning, but none was taken.
Toadfish, sea mullet and tailor blues were landed by fishermen on Frisco Pier.
Surf fishing along the northern beaches was slow.
Some toadfish, sea mullet and a few blues were taken along the beach south of Oregon Inlet to Buxton.
Tailor blues were landed on cut bait at Cape Point early in the morning. Some bottom fish were taken during the day.
Surfcasters in the Frisco area caught some big toadfish, small bluefish, a few keeper puppy drum and several nice flounder.
Yellowfin tuna fishing was fair to good well southeast of Oregon Inlet between the 40380 and 40480 Loran lines. Most of the fish were taken down deep on spoons or ballyhoo pulled behind planers.
Charters off Hatteras caught good numbers of 20- to 50-pound yellowfin tuna. The fish were scattered. A few dolphin and wahoo also were landed. The Sea Creature released a spearfish.
The water temperature at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck was 49 degrees Thursday. The water temperature at the Frisco Pier was 61 degrees.
The warm weather that is forecast for the next few days should elevate the inshore water temperatures and improve fishing. by CNB