DATE: Friday, May 16, 1997                  TAG: 9705160695

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS 

SOURCE: Damon Tatem

                                            LENGTH:   51 lines

SLOW PIER FISHING IS BLAMED IN PART ON WIND, DIRTY WATER

Pier fishing along the northern beaches was slow Thursday.

Kitty Hawk Pier reported a few small croaker and sea mullet taken during the day.

Mullet, small gray trout and bluefish were landed occasionally by fishermen on Avalon Pier throughout the day Thursday.

Nags Head Pier anglers caught a few small gray trout and sea mullet during the morning. Fishing was slow in the afternoon.

Sea mullet were caught from the end of Jennette's Pier during the morning, and a few trout and bluefish were landed in the afternoon.

Fishermen on Outer Banks Pier caught some nice sea mullet, a few small croaker and some spot early in the day, but little action was reported in the afternoon.

South of Oregon Inlet, Rodanthe Pier reported dirty water and slow fishing, with only a few small bottom fish taken.

Windy conditions and dirty water kept action to a minimum on Avon Pier. Anglers managed to catch skates and a handful of sea mullet. Some small gray trout also were landed.

Anglers on Frisco Pier decked afew small bottom fish and a 6 1/2-pound puppy drum Thursday.

Surf fishing along the beach from Corolla to Oregon Inlet was slow.

A 57-pound drum was landed by Joseph Zelie of Chesapeake late Wednesday from the catwalk on the south end of the Bonner Bridge. Anglers fishing from the catwalk Thursday caught a few bottom fish and small bluefish.

Sea mullet and a few gray trout were hauled from the surf from Rodanthe to Buxton Thursday morning. Fishing was slow during the afternoon because of gusty winds.

A few drum were beached at Cape Point Wednesday night. A few blues and gray trout were taken Thursday.

Anglers at False Point also caught a few drum Wednesday night. Fishing was slow in the Frisco area Thursday.

Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet was good Thursday, with plenty of bluefish taken by charters and the headboat Miss Oregon Inlet.

Blue water action was slow off Oregon Inlet, with a few gaffer dolphin, tuna and wahoo taken. A sailfish was released by the Boss Lady.

No offshore charters were run out of Hatteras Thursday because of strong southwest winds. Inshore charters fishing Hatteras Inlet reported good catches of flounder and gray trout around Markers 11 and 13.

Lighter winds during the weekend should result in good pier fishing along the Dare coast.

The water temperature was 55 degrees Thursday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 66 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

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