DATE: Saturday, July 26, 1997               TAG: 9707260469

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS 

SOURCE: Damon Tatem

                                            LENGTH:   39 lines

CATCHES BY ANGLERS FROM DARE PIERS GETTING A BIT BETTER

Pier fishing along the Dare Coast improved Friday.

Good numbers of bluefish and spot were landed on Kitty Hawk Pier. A pompano with an estimated weight of 2 pounds also was taken.

Lots of 10- to 14-inch bluefish, a few Spanish mackerel and plenty of spot were caught from Avalon Pier. Anglers on Nags Head Pier caught scattered bluefish, pigfish, spot and a few keeper gray trout.

Jennette's Pier reported good spot and croaker action throughout the day. Nice spot and sea mullet were taken steadily on Outer Banks Pier.

On Hatteras Island, Rodanthe Pier reported good spot and croaker fishing. Small croaker were landed on Avalon Pier, and lots of small bottom fish were taken from Frisco Pier during most of the day.

Surfcasters beached scattered small bottom fish, a few tailor blues and a handful of keeper flounder Friday along the northern beaches and around Oregon Inlet.

Plenty of croaker were landed by surf fishermen from Rodanthe to Buxton.

Some puppy drum were hauled from the surf at Cape Point on Thursday evening. Nice pompano were landed along the south beach Friday morning, and small bottom fish were taken around Cape Point during the day.

Lots of bluefish and good numbers of flounder were caught by surfcasters and boaters around Hatteras Inlet on Friday.

Headboats around Oregon Inlet landed small croaker, pigfish, spot and small gray trout. Inshore trolling was slow.

Scattered yellowfin tuna were taken by the Oregon Inlet and Pirate's Cove fleets at the point. Fair numbers of dolphin and a few wahoo also were landed. Billfishing was slow.

Blue water charters off Hatteras caught scattered dolphin, wahoo and king mackerel. A sailfish was released by the Chapin.

The water temperature was 70 degrees Friday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck and 79 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

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