DATE: Friday, July 11, 1997                 TAG: 9707110663

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 
COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS

SOURCE: DAMON TATEM

                                            LENGTH:   62 lines

FINE BILLFISHING KEEPS HATTERAS FLEET BUSY, WITH ABOUT 45 RELEASED

Billfishing was excellent off Hatteras Thursday. More than 45 fish were released by the Hatteras fleet. Most of the action was well south of Hatteras below the 40000 Loran line.

Releases included two blue marlin, two white marlin and a sailfish by the Good Times, two blue marlin and one white marlin by the Chaser, and one blue marlin and one white marlin by the Sea Creature.

Also released were four white marlin each by the Citation and the Hatteras Fever, two white marlin and one sailfish each by the Release and the Top Billing, and one white marlin and two sailfish by the Ole Salt.

A white marlin and a blue marlin were released by the Temptation, two white marlin each were released by the Hustler, the Albatross III and the Hunter, and one white marlin each was released by the Harpers Folly and the Fin Quest.

Plenty of dolphin and scattered tuna and wahoo also were taken.

Pier fishing along the northern beaches was slow overall Thursday.

Kitty Hawk Pier reported mixed-sized bluefish taken onbucktail rigs during the morning. Fishing was slow later in the day. A 43-pound cobia was taken by a canoeist nearby, and later weighed at the pier.

Anglers on Avalon Pier caught a few bluefish, small gray trout and sea mullet during the day.

A handful of bluefish and sea mullet were landed on Nags Head Pier during the morning, and some keeper gray trout were taken on green grubs in the afternoon.

Fishing was unusually slow on Jennette's Pier all day.

Outer Banks Pier also reported slow fishing, with only scattered bottom fish taken.

South of Oregon Inlet, fishermen on Rodanthe Pier caught plenty of spot Wednesday night. Spot, a few flounder, small bluefish and a 13-pound king mackerel were landed Thursday

Lots of small croaker were taken throughout the day on Avon Pier.

Frisco Pier reported good spot and croaker action during most of the day. A few sea mullet also were taken.

Surfcasters along the northern beaches caught scattered sea mullet on fresh shrimp Thursday. Spot and small croaker also appeared in catches.

Some keeper flounder, bottom fish and bluefish were taken around Oregon Inlet.

Small bottom fish and scattered bluefish were hauled from the surf from Rodanthe to Buxton.

Plenty of Spanish mackerel were caught at Cape Point Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. Lots of small croaker were landed Thursday at the Cape, and pompano were beached in the surf from the lighthouse to Cape Point.

Some decent-sized blues, keeper flounder and a few Spanish mackerel were landed at Hatteras Inlet Wednesday night. Fishing was slow in the area Thursday.

King mackerel, bluefish and Spanish mackerel were taken by inshore charters trolling in the ocean outside Oregon Inlet.

Dolphin fishing was good in the Gulf Stream off Oregon Inlet. Tuna fishing was fair. Billfish releases included a blue marlin and a white marlin by the Fish'N'Frenzy.

Spanish mackerel and bluefish action should be good along the Dare Coast this weekend if winds are onshore.

The water temperature was 67 degrees Thursday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 77 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

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