THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 12, 1996 TAG: 9606120672
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
COLUMN: Fishing on the Outer Banks
SOURCE: Damon Tatem
LENGTH: 53 lines
Pier fishing action was mixed along the northern beaches Tuesday.
Anglers on Kitty Hawk Pier landed some small spot and lots of skates throughout most of the day.
A few mullet, croaker and small gray trout were taken on Avalon Pier.
Plenty of skates, a few mullet and small gray trout were caught by fishermen on Nags Head Pier.
Jennette's Pier anglers landed small croaker, sea mullet and bluefish.
Outer Banks Pier fishermen reported good catches of spot, along with some mullet, small gray trout and bluefish Tuesday morning. Some small bottom fish were landed between rain showers during the afternoon.
On Hatteras Island, Rodanthe Pier reported good spot fishing. Some sea mullet, pigfish and croaker also were taken.
Good numbers of spot, a few sea mullet and a couple of speckled trout were caught from Avon Pier.
Spot fishing was good on Frisco Pier throughout the day. A few keeper flounder, some Spanish mackerel and a 10-pound bluefish also were taken. A 20-pound king mackerel was decked by Jesse James of Dayton, Ohio, and a 77 1/2- pound cobia was landed by Lester Hamrick of Buxton.
Spot, croaker and small sea mullet were landed by surfcasters along the northern beaches Tuesday, during the afternoon's incoming tide.
Some small bottom fish were taken around Oregon Inlet. A few sheepshead were hauled from around the Bonner Bridge pilings.
Spot and other small bottom fish were landed in the surf from Rodanthe to Buxton.
Some drum, including a 50-pounder, were taken at Cape Point Monday night. A few puppy drum, small bluefish, an occasional flounder and a few pompano were beached Tuesday.
Small bluefish and a few keeper flounder were landed by surf fishermen from Ramp 55 to False Point off and on Tuesday.
Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet was slow. Headboats in the area caught some ling cod and pigfish east of the bridge in the chilly ocean water, and small croaker and gray trout in the sound.
Blue water charters off Oregon Inlet caught good numbers of dolphin. Tuna fishing was fairly good during the morning. The yellowfins weighed between 20 and 80 pounds.
Charters off Hatteras landed good catches of dolphin and a few tuna. Several billfish were released, including a blue marlin by the Fin Fantasy.
The water temperature was 59 degrees Tuesday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 75 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.
One hundred forty-seven boats fished the second day of the 38th Annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in Morehead City. Blue marlin were landed today by the Sea Holly and the Sea-Note. No standings were available at presstime. The cash purse for this tournament is $736,300. by CNB