DATE: Saturday, August 2, 1997              TAG: 9708020323

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: Fishing on the Outer Banks 

SOURCE: Damon Tatem 

                                            LENGTH:   54 lines

BILLFISHING STILL GOING STRONG EAST OF OREGON INLET

Billfishing continued to be good off Oregon Inlet Friday, with most of the action east of the inlet.

Well over 40 fish were released, including three white marlin and a blue marlin by the Fintastic, four white marlin by the Hooker, and one white marlin each by the Right Hook and the Capt. B.C.

Scattered tuna, dolphin and a few wahoo also were taken.

Gulf Stream charters off Hatteras landed a few dolphin, tuna, wahoo and king mackerel. Blue marlin were released by the Connector and the Capt. B., and a white marlin was released by the Sea Creature.

Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet was good along the beach east of the campground, with tailor blues taken. Headboats in the sound caught croaker, sea mullet and small gray trout.

Charters trolling in the Hatteras Inlet area landed good numbers of bluefish and Spanish mackerel.

Pier fishing along the Dare coast was fairly slow.

Anglers on Kitty Hawk Pier caught a few spot and small bluefish, mainly during the early morning.

Blues and Spanish mackerel were landed Thursday evening on Avalon Pier. A few spot and an occasional bluefish and Spanish mackerel were decked Friday.

Nags Head Pier reported a handful of blues and Spanish mackerel landed at dawn. A few small bottom fish were taken during the rest of the day.

Some sea mullet and spot were landed during the afternoon on Jennette's Pier.

Outer Banks Pier reported several nice pompano weighing as much as three pounds caught during the morning. A few spot and small flounder were taken throughout the afternoon.

South of Oregon Inlet, fishermen on Rodanthe Pier caught a few spot and pigfish.

Small croaker were plentiful on Avon Pier.

Lots of pompano were landed early Friday morning on Frisco Pier, but action was slow the rest of the day.

Surfcasters landed small bottom fish, a few keeper flounder and an occasional bluefish along the northern beaches.

Croaker, spot, pigfish, gray trout and a few keeper flounder were caught around Oregon Inlet.

Spot and croaker were landed in the surf from Rodanthe to Buxton during the morning, but grass became a problem for fishermen in the afternoon.

Some puppy drum were beached early Friday at Cape Point. Some spot and croaker were taken during the day.

Spanish mackerel, bluefish and some trout were landed in the Hatteras Inlet area by surf fishermen late Thursday. Scattered Spanish mackerel and bluefish were landed in the area Friday.

The water temperature was 75 degrees Friday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck and Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

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