DATE: Wednesday, June 25, 1997              TAG: 9706250513

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS 

SOURCE: Damon Tatem

                                            LENGTH:   59 lines

GOOD FISHING FROM PIERS

Morning pier fishing was good along the northern beaches Tuesday.

Spanish mackerel and tailor bluefish were landed on jiggers and bucktail rigs throughout most of the morning on Kitty Hawk Pier. Scattered blues were taken in the afternoon.

Avalon Pier reported bluefish, Spanish mackerel and some gray trout decked off and on throughout the day.

Lots of bluefish and some Spanish mackerel were caught from Nags Head Pier Tuesday morning. Plenty of Spanish mackerel and a few blues were landed in the afternoon.

Fishermen on Jennette's Pier caught quite a few Spanish mackerel and fair numbers of bluefish early in the day, but found afternoon fishing to be slow.

Outer Banks Pier reported limits of Spanish mackerel, some 12-inch speckled trout and scattered bluefish taken during the morning, but fishing was slow in the afternoon.

South of Oregon Inlet, anglers on Rodanthe Pier caught a few Spanish mackerel during the morning and scattered small blues andspot in the afternoon.

Fishing was slow on Avon Pier, with only a few small gray trout taken.

Frisco Pier reported 51-pound king mackerel decked and several lost late Monday afternoon. A few gray trout and a small bluefish were landed early Tuesday morning and some spadefish were caught in the afternoon.

Surf fishing from Corolla to Oregon Inlet was fair with a few blues and small bottom fish taken. The best action was early in the morning.

Small bottom fish, scattered bluefish, a few gray trout and keeper flounder were landed around Oregon Inlet.

Small bluefish and a few gray trout were beached by surfcasters from Rodanthe to Buxton. A 50-pound cobia was caught at Ramp 27 on cut mullet and a 30-pounder was hauled from the surf at Ramp 20.

Scattered sea mullet, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and gray trout were landed at Cape Point Tuesday.

A few small sea mullet, small bluefish and a handful of keeper flounder were caught by surfcasters from Ramp 55 to Hatteras Inlet.

Inshore trolling for Spanish mackerel was good outside Oregon Inlet. Quite a few drum also were hooked and released by charter craft in the area. A few trout, blueish, pigfish and keeper flounder were taken by headboats around the inlet.

Blue water action was good off Oregon Inlet. Yellowfin tuna were landed northeast of the inlet around the 40900 Loran line. Limits of king mackerel were taken northeast of the 70-degree tower.

Some good catches of dolphin were reported well southeast of the inlet. Marlin fishing also was good, with blue marlin released by the Candlewick Lady, the First Crack and the Outer Limits.

Dolphin fishing was excellent off Hatteras. Marlin fishing also was super near the rockpile. Releases include a white marlin and a blue marlin by the Wahoo, two white marlin by the Albatross and blue marlin by the Hatteras Blue, the Top Billing and the Creature. White marlin were released by the Chaser, the Big Eye and the Hunter.

The water temperature was 72 degrees Tuesday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 73 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu