THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, May 23, 1996                TAG: 9605230503
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 
COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS 
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
                                            LENGTH:   45 lines

APPARENTLY FISH DON'T KNOW WHAT A GOOD FISHING SPOT IS

Pier fishing along the northern beaches was slow again yesterday.

Kitty Hawk Pier reported almost no action throughout the day.

On Avalon Pier a few spot, croaker and sea mullet were taken during the morning. Little was landed during the afternoon.

Anglers on Nags Head Pier caught a few small bottom fish, gray trout and little bluefish off and on during the day.

A few small bottom fish were taken from Outer Banks Pier during the morning and some tailor blues later in the afternoon.

On Hatteras Island, Rodanthe Pier reported slow fishing with a few sea mullet, pigfish, gray trout and small blues landed.

Small bottom fish, gray trout and lots of skates were taken by fishermen on Avon Pier.

Spanish mackerel action was good on Frisco Pier. A few bluefish, pigfish, flounder and sea mullet were also taken.

A few bottom fish were taken from deeper sloughs along the northern beaches Wednesday.

Scattered bottom fish, trout and bluefish were beached by surf fishermen from Oregon Inlet to Buxton.

Plenty of drum were landed Tuesday night at Cape Point. A few big drum, puppy drum, Spanish mackerel, sea mullet and tailor blues were landed Wednesday.

Quite a few drum and big bluefish were beached in the Hatteras Inlet area Tuesday evening. Tailor blues, flounder and some keeper Spanish mackerel were landed along the beach from Ramp 55 to False Point Wednesday.

Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet was fairly good Wednesday with a mixture of small blues and Spanish mackerel taken.

In the Gulf Stream off Oregon Inlet yellowfin tuna fishing was good. A few scattered dolphin were also taken.

Blue water charters off Hatteras reported slow fishing. The Charter fleet caught a few yellowfin tuna and dolphin. A blue marlin and a white marlin were released.

The water temperature was 57.5 degrees Wednesday at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 72 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

Wednesday's wind shift should cause an improvement in pier fishing along the northern beaches during the remainder of the week. by CNB