DATE: Sunday, July 27, 1997                 TAG: 9707250278

SECTION: CAROLINA COAST          PAGE: 46   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: Damon Tatem 

                                            LENGTH:  100 lines

ANGLERS SHOULD CATCH CROAKER, MULLET AND SPOT THIS WEEK

Surf fishing along the Dare coast should be good this week, with a variety of small bottom fish taken.

Surfcasters using bloodworms for bait should catch spot from deeper sloughs on the rising tide along the beach from Corolla to Oregon Inlet.

Good numbers of small croaker also should be landed on just about any type of bait. Sea mullet should be landed by anglers using fresh shrimp or soft sand fleas. Some of the sea mullet taken could weigh well over a pound.

Scattered bluefish should be taken by surf fishermen using fireballs baited with fresh cut bait if the water is dirty, and artificial baits such as Hopkins lures or Stingsilvers if the water is clear.

It's a little early in the season for consistent pompano action along the northern beaches.

Fishermen around Oregon Inlet should land croaker, spot, sea mullet, bluefish and scattered black drum. Some nice gray trout should be taken from the Bonner Bridge catwalk at night along with a few speckled trout.

A few nice flounder should be caught by anglers fishing squid strips or live bait from the inlet's south and north sides during periods of onshore winds.

Sheepshead and black drum should be hauled from around the Bonner Bridge pilings by fishermen using heavy rigs baited with crab or sand fleas.

Some speckled trout should be caught in the Green Island Slough area. Speckled trout also should be caught in the Off Island Channel behind the Bodie Island Lighthouse and around Duck Island.

Bottom fish should be generally abundant in the surf from Rodanthe to Buxton. Small croaker should dominate the picture. But good numbers of nice sea mullet also should be taken.

Keeper gray trout probably will appear in catches of anglers using cut bait.

Bluefish should be fairly plentiful in the area. And an occasional Spanish mackerel should be taken. Pompano action in the area should be good, providing the water remains warm and fairly clear.

Small striped bass are a possibility in the surf between Oregon Inlet and Rodanthe. Good hook and release action was reported from the area last year.

Spanish mackerel and bluefish action should be good at Cape Point in the early mornings and just before sunset.

Spot, croaker, sea mullet, nice pompano and keeper flounder should be caught regularly along the beach north of Cape Point.

Fair numbers of bottom fish should be beached by surfcasters south of the Cape.

Small bluefish and small bottom fish should be landed by surf fishermen from Ramp 55 to Hatteras Inlet.

Some nice catches of Spanish mackerel should be taken from the beach around False Point by anglers using pink Stingsilvers.

Blues and trout probably will be landed nightly in the surf around Hatteras Inlet.

Scattered small fish and a few big fish should be decked on piers along the Outer Banks this week.

Bluefish and Spanish mackerel should be taken in the early mornings and late afternoons from northern beach piers, provided the water is clear and moderately warm.

If the water is dirty, small croaker should be plentiful at most locations and fairly good numbers of small spot should be landed.

Some sea mullet probably will be taken and a few nice pompano should be caught. Flounder fishermen should be rewarded with a few keepers caught primarily from around pier pilings.

An occasional cobia or king mackerel should be landed by live bait fishermen on northern beach piers. Jacks should be fairly plentiful during periods of light onshore breezes and clear water.

South of Oregon Inlet, pier jockeys should land plenty of small croaker, scattered gray trout, small spot and some nice sea mullet.

Some bluefish and Spanish mackerel should be landed by anglers from the ends of piers on clear water days. Most of these fish will be taken on double bucktail rigs or jiggers.

Hatteras Island pier fishermen also should catch some nice pompano and a few keeper flounder.

King mackerel and cobia should be landed periodically by live bait fishermen. Hooked and released tarpon are a possibility, particularly from Frisco Pier on the south end of Hatteras Island.

Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet should be fair for bluefish and Spanish mackerel. A few cobia should be taken on tidelines outside the inlet. Small kings should be landed a few miles off the beach south of the inlet.

Drift fishing for flounder in the inlet should be fair during periods of east and northeast winds. Croaker fishing should be good in the Manns Harbor area.

Headboats around Oregon Inlet should catch lots of small croaker and pigfish. Sea bass and triggerfish should be taken outside the inlet.

Blue water action off Oregon Inlet should be fairly good. Some yellowfin tuna should be landed at the point along with a few wahoo.

Dolphin will be taken almost anywhere around grass beds. Scattered billfish will be hooked and released anywhere from south of the point to above the northern triple zeros.

Inshore trolling around Hatteras Inlet should be good for Spanish mackerel.

Hatteras offshore charters should catch plenty of dolphin, fair numbers of wahoo and a few tuna. Action off Hatteras will spread from the tower to the southern triple zeros. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON

The Miss Oregon Inlet leads sportsfishing boats back to the Oregon

Inlet fishing center after a day of fishing. Headboats around Oregon

Inlet should catch lots of small croaker and pigfish. Sea bass and

triggerfish should be taken outside the inlet.

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