THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 24, 1996 TAG: 9604240536
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Pier action along the northern beaches improved Tuesday, even with cold dirty water inshore.
Some 12- to 13-inch gray trout were taken on bucktail rigs from Avalon Pier. A few mullet and skates were landed.
Small gray trout, including a few keepers 12 inches or longer, were caught near the end of Nags Head Pier on the south side during the morning. Lots of gray trout and sea mullet were landed in the afternoon.
Fishermen on Outer Banks Pier caught toadfish and sea mullet on worms and shrimp during the afternoon.
Kitty Hawk Pier reported slow fishing, but whales sighted in the area provided a diversion.
South of Oregon Inlet, Rodanthe Pier reported some sea mullet, spot, a few keeper gray trout and a couple of croaker landed.
Avon Pier reported lots of small croaker, scattered sea mullet, spot and pigfish taken.
Sea mullet fishing was good throughout the day on Frisco Pier. Most of the fish weighed around a pound and were taken on squid. A few keeper flounder and some spot also were landed.
Surf fishing was generally slow along the beach from Corolla to Oregon Inlet. The few anglers fishing landed an occasional sea mullet, small croaker and toadfish.
Surfcasters from Rodanthe to Buxton beached some nice sea mullet, spot and a few croaker.
A fair run of big drum developed at Cape Point late Monday night. Scattered bluefish were landed Tuesday morning. Sea mullet and flounder were taken along the beach south of Cape Point during the day Tuesday.
Some puppy drum and sea mullet were landed from ramp 55 to Hatteras Inlet Monday night. Sea mullet were landed in the area Tuesday.
Although conditions offshore were a little rough, some charters fished the Gulf Stream off Oregon Inlet Tuesday. Good catches of 12- to 16-pound king mackerel were taken near ``the point,'' southeast of Oregon Inlet. The fish were down deep. A few yellowfin tuna also appeared in catches.
Charters off Hatteras reported fair yellowfin tuna action and fairly rough sea conditions.
The water temperature was 47 degrees Tuesday at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 66 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.
Scattered speckled trout should begin to appear along the northern beaches when water clarity improves. by CNB