DATE: Tuesday, May 13, 1997                 TAG: 9705130285

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: Fishing on the Outer Banks

SOURCE: Damon Tatem

                                            LENGTH:   64 lines

ANGLERS HAVE FAIRLY GOOD WEEKEND, WITH NICE ACTION AT JENNETTE'S PIER

Pier fishing along the northern beaches was fairly good during the weekend.

A few small mullet and small spot were landed Saturday on Kitty Hawk Pier. Sunday morning was slow, but fishing improved in the afternoon, with fair numbers of tailor bluefish and small gray trout taken.

Avalon Pier reported a few sea mullet, small blues and small gray trout taken off and on Saturday.

A good run of 12- to 14-inch bluefish developed at midmorning Sunday, but it was short-lived. A few small gray trout also were caught. Most of the bluefish were taken on jiggers or double bucktail rigs.

Anglers on Nags Head Pier caught a few skates and spot Saturday morning. Some 12- to 14-inch bluefish were decked later in the day. Lots of skates, a few small spot, gray trout and small bluefish were taken Sunday.

Fishing was good all day Saturday on Jennette's Pier. Anglers landed a mixture of spot, blues, small gray trout and some nice sea mullet about half-way out on the pier.

Fishing was slow Sunday morning, but improved in the afternoon, with quite a few spot and sea mullet taken.

Skates, spot and a few small gray trout and an occasional sea mullet were caught from Outer Banks Pier Saturday. Fair numbers of unusually large spot for so early in the season were landed throughout the day Sunday.

South of Oregon Inlet, Rodanthe Pier reported good bluefish action most of the day Saturday. A few small gray trout and scattered sea mullet also were taken. Sea mullet fishing was good Saturday night, and bluefishing was good again Sunday.

Fishing was slow on Avon Pier Saturday and Sunday, with a few scattered sea mullet and pigfish taken.

Frisco Pier reported little action Saturday, with only a few croaker and pigfish landed. Fishing showed little improvement Sunday.

Surf fishing was fair along the northern beaches, with a few bottom fish taken on the incoming tide. A few small bottom fish, gray trout and small blues were hauled in around Oregon Inlet Saturday and Sunday.

Sea mullet fishing was good in the surf from Rodanthe to Buxton throughout the weekend. Gray trout and spot also appeared in catches from the area.

A few drum were beached at Cape Point Friday evening before the wind shift. Sea mullet and a few puppy drum were landed at Cape Point Saturday, and flounder were taken along the beach south beach.

A couple of big drum were caught Saturday night at the Cape, and scattered sea mullet were taken along both the north and south beach Sunday.

Scattered bottom fish and small blues were landed by surf fishermen from Ramp 55 to Hatteras Inlet Saturday.About two dozen drum in the 25- to 30-pound class were beached at False Point Saturday night.

A few mullet and bluefish were landed Sunday along the beach in the Frisco/Hatteras Village area.

Tailor blues were landed by boaters around Oregon Inlet, and striped bass were hooked and released near the Manns Harbor bridge throughout the weekend.

No offshore trips were run out of Oregon Inlet Saturday. Blue water action resumed Sunday with a few tuna, scattered dolphin and some king mackerel landed near the point.

A few charters fished the blue water off Hatteras Saturday, catching a few dolphin, yellowfin tuna and a couple of wahoo. Sunday's fishing was similar.

Spanish mackerel should make an appearance on Hatteras beaches this week if water temperatures continue to rise.

The water temperature was 57 degrees Monday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 66 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

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