DATE: Tuesday, April 15, 1997               TAG: 9704150260

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS 

SOURCE: Damon Tatem

                                            LENGTH:   47 lines

WITH SOME MINOR EXCEPTIONS, PIER FISHING WAS SLOW ON WEEKEND

Pier fishing along the northern beaches was slow during the weekend.

The handful of anglers on Kitty Hawk Pier caught a few skates. Avalon Pier reported little action Saturday. Skates, several small croaker and a few sea mullet were landed Sunday.

Fishermen on Nags Head Pier and Jennette's Pier caught a few skates. Avalon Pier reported little action Saturday. Skates, several small croaker and a few sea mullet were landed Sunday.

South of Oregon Inlet, Rodanthe Pier reported only a few toadfish taken Saturday and Sunday.

A few nice mullet were landed on Avon Pier Saturday. Plenty of big mullet weighing as much as 1 1/2 pounds were taken Sunday afternoon on bloodworms from half-way out on the pier.

Fishermen on Frisco Pier caught plenty of mullet, toadfish, small gray trout and a few nice croaker Saturday morning. Afternoon fishing was slow. A strong undertow Sunday resulted in generally slow fishing.

Surf fishing from Corolla to Oregon inlet has been slow. A few croaker and small trout were landed around the inlet during the weekend.

Scattered toadfish were hauled from the surf from Rodanthe to Buxton Saturday and Sunday.

Sea mullet were caught by surfcasters along the beach south of Cape Point Saturday. A few drum were beached at Cape Point Saturday night, including a 48-pounder caught by Fleetwood Pierce of Colerain. Flounder and some sea mullet were taken south of Cape Point Sunday.

A few bluefish and puppy drum were landed at False Point Saturday. One big drum and several puppy drum were hauled in overnight. Some bluefish and croaker were caught in the surf around Hatteras Inlet Sunday.

Charters out of Oregon Inlet landed fair numbers of yellowfin tuna, a few dolphin and a couple of wahoo south of the 40400 Loran line Saturday. Lots of albacore and scattered tuna were taken by charters near the Diamond Shoals Tower Sunday.

A few yellowfin tuna and dolphin were landed by blue water anglers off Hatteras during the weekend. Choppy sea conditions kept interest and action to a minimum.

Drum fishing should be great at Cape Point during the periods of southwest winds throughout this month.

The water temperature was 52.5 degrees Monday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 63 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

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