DATE: Thursday, June 12, 1997               TAG: 9706120501

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS 

SOURCE: Damon Tatem

                                            LENGTH:   61 lines

BLUEFISH ARE THE CATCH OF THE DAY ALONG OUTER BANKS PIERS

Bluefishing was good on piers along the northern beaches Wednesday.

Kitty Hawk Pier reported plenty of 1- to 1 1/2-pound bluefish and one Spanish mackerel taken during the morning. Fishing was fair in the afternoon, with scattered blues taken.

Avalon Pier anglers caught lots of tailor bluefish on bucktail rigs and jiggers throughout the day.

Scattered bluefish, a few flounder and some gray trout were landed early in the morning on Nags Head Pier. Fishing was generally slow the remainder of the day.

Jennette's Pier reported a few bluefish landed from the end of the pier during the morning. Fishing improved in the afternoon, with tailor blues, flounder and a few Spanish mackerel decked.

Fishermen on Outer Banks Pier caught scattered blues, a few spot, several gray trout and a pompano before noon. A good run of bluefish developed in the mid-afternoon and continued until dark. A few Spanish mackerel also were taken. South of Oregon Inlet, anglers on Rodanthe Pier landed some tailor blues, a few keeper flounder and a pompano during the morning. Afternoon fishing was slow.

Scattered bluefish and pigfish were landed on Avon Pier sporadically during the day.

Frisco Pier reported a good run of bluefish just after sunrise. A nice 4-pound Spanish mackerel also was taken. Fishing was slow the rest of the day.

Surf fishing along the beach from Corolla to Oregon Inlet was fair Wednesday, with small bottom fish and a few bluefish landed on the rising tide. Bluefish, small bottom fish and a few gray trout were taken by surf fishermen around Oregon Inlet.

Small bluefish were caught on cut bait by surfcasters from Rodanthe to Buxton.

Fair numbers of pompano were beached in the surf near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Some tailor blues were taken at Cape Point and small blues were landed along the south beach.

Small boat action was good off the point, with some nice cobia taken.

A few Spanish mackerel and small bluefish were landed by surfcasters in the Hatteras Inlet area.

Inshore trolling for bluefish was good around Oregon Inlet Wednesday. Good catches of bluefish also were reported by headboats in the area. The Poacher out of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center landed a 46-pound cobia just outside the inlet.

Blue water action was good off Oregon Inlet, with plenty of dolphin and fair numbers of tuna taken between the 40480 and the 40630 Loran lines.

Two white marlin were released by the Fishing Fishermen. White marlin also were released by the Miss Boo, the Fish 'N' Frenzy, the Surfside, the Sea Breeze and the Bounty Hunter.

Dolphin fishing was excellent off Hatteras. Tuna fishing was fair and a few wahoo were landed.

The water temperature was 65 degrees Wednesday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 66 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

After the third day of fishing in the 39th Annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, standings are as follows: first place, Sea Striker, 431-pound blue marlin; second place, Hatteras Blue, 401-pound blue marlin; third place, Winner's World, 394-pound blue marlin; fourth place, Outer Limits, 312-pound blue marlin. There were 17 billfish taken and 16 released in today's fishing.

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