THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 26, 1996 TAG: 9609260309
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS
SOURCE: DAMON TATEM
LENGTH: 46 lines
Pier fishing was excellent along the northern beaches on Wednesday.
Anglers on Kitty Hawk Pier started the day catching Spanish mackerel. Later in the morning a run of spots and sea mullets developed, which lasted the rest of the day.
Avalon Pier fishermen also caught some Spanish mackerel early in the morning along with some pompano and sea mullet. Spot, bluefish and Spanish mackerel were landed during the afternoon.
Nags Head Pier reported spot, sea mullet, pigfish, bluefish and a few Spanish taken throughout the day. Additionally some 2-2 1/2 pound speckle trout were landed near the shore.
Fishing was slow on Jennette's Pier during the morning but improved in the afternoon, with spot, croakers, mullets, small blues, scattered Spanish mackerel and false albacore taken.
A few Spanish mackerel, pompano, spot and several albacore were landed from Outer Banks Pier during the day.
South of Oregon Banks Inlet, fishermen on Rodanthe Pier caught scattered spot, sea mullet, little bluefish and puppy drum.
Spot, sea mullet, small gray trout and puppy drum weighing up to seven pounds were landed from Avon Pier. Anglers on Frisco Pier caught small bottomfish, pompano and flounder in fair numbers off and on all day. Several 25-pound jacks were released.
In the surf, a mixture of small bottom fish and some tailor blues were landed along the northern beaches and around Oregon Inlet.
A few small blues, spot, sea mullet and puppy drum were beached by surfcasters from Rodanthe to Buxton.
At Cape Point, lots of small flounder, some small bottom fish, a few bluefish and 19- to 25-inch puppy drum were landed. A few bluefish and small gray trout were taken by surfcasters Tuesday night and Wednesday from Frisco to Hatteras Inlet. Charters out of Oregon Inlet reported good catches of yellowfin tuna weighing from 25 to 80 pounds from the Point to the 480 Loran line. A few white marlin were released.
Wahoo fishing was spectacular off Hatteras on Wednesday. Charters averaged 25 wahoo weighing from 20 to 30 pounds per boat. Tuna fishing was also good between the 300 and 400 Loran line. Most of the yellowfin taken weighed between 30 and 40 pounds.
The water temperature was 73 degrees Wednesday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck and at the Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island. by CNB