DATE: Friday, April 18, 1997                TAG: 9704180618

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS

SOURCE: DAMON TATEM

                                            LENGTH:   58 lines

ANGLERS SNAG SKATES ON OUTER BANKS PIER PIER FISHING IMPROVES SLIGHTLY; FRISCO PIER REPORTS THE BEST ACTION

Pier fishing along the northern beaches improved slightly Thursday.

Anglers on Kitty Hawk Pier caught several small spot, croaker, toadfish and one sea mullet. Most of the action was in the afternoon.

Avalon Pier reported a few bluefish, small gray trout, small croaker and lots of skates taken sporadically during the day.

Fishing was slow on Nags Head Pier, with only a few shad and toadfish taken. Skates were caught on Jennette's and Outer Banks piers.

Anglers on Rodanthe Pier caught skates and a few toadfish.

Sea mullet fishing was steady on Avon Pier for most of the morning. A few sharks and mullet were decked in the afternoon.

The best action along the Dare Coast was reported from Frisco Pier, where fishermen caught plenty of one-pound sea mullet on bloodworms and squid throughout the day.

Surf fishing along the beach from Corolla to Oregon Inlet continued to be slow, and a few toadfish and small croaker were landed by surfcasters around the inlet.

Scattered small sea mullet, toadfish and a few gray trout were beached by surf fishermen from Rodanthe to Buxton.

A few big drum were hauled from the surf at Cape Point late Wednesday night. A few flounder, sea mullet and puppy drum were landed Thursday along the beach south of Cape Point.

Scattered bluefish were taken on artificial lures and cut bait at Hatteras Inlet, but grass made fishing difficult.

Inshore trolling and casting in the Croatan Sound were productive Thursday. Good numbers of striped bass were hooked and released near the Manns Harbor bridge.

Several speckled trout were taken by anglers fishing from the Little Bridge on the Manteo/Nags Head Causeway Thursday morning.

Blue water charters off Oregon Inlet landed good catches of yellowfin tuna along with scattered dolphin and a few wahoo Thursday.

A blue marlin with an estimated weight of 450 pounds was released by the Outer Limits fishing out of Pirates Cove Marina. The best action was on the 280 Rocks.

Hatteras charters reported good catches of large yellowfin tuna taken from below the 39000 Loran line to the Rockpile. Some dolphin also were landed and a couple of billfish were released.

Sea mullet action should be good from the piers and in the surf on Hatteras Island, provided the weather remains moderate.

The water temperature was 52 degrees Thursday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 63 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos

DREW C. WILSON/The Virginian-Pilot

Steve Simmons, 42, of Brown Summit, N.C., above, returns a skate to

the sea on Nags Head Pier Thursday. Below, Joseph Klotz, 68, of

Richmond, a longtime fisherman on the Outer Banks, tolerates another

skate on Nags Head Pier Thursday afternoon.

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