DATE: Friday, August 15, 1997               TAG: 9708150733

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS

SOURCE: DAMON TATEM

                                            LENGTH:   46 lines

IT WAS A LONG DAY'S WAIT FOR PIER ANGLERS

Pier fishing along the northern beaches was fairly slow Thursday.

Anglers on Kitty Hawk Pier landed a few spot, small bluefish and little flounder.

On Avalon Pier a few bluefish were taken early in the morning. Little action was reported during the remainder of the day.

A few spot, croakers and sea mullet were caught from Nags Head Pier.

Fishermen on Jennette's Pier landed scattered spot, croakers and small gray trout off and on during the day. Quite a few small pompano, scattered bluefish, sea mullet and spot were decked on Outer Banks Pier.

South of Oregon Inlet, Rodanthe Pier reported small bottom fish and gray trout taken sporadically throughout the day.

On Avon Pier a handful of small croakers were landed.

Scattered sea mullet, croakers, and gray trout were taken from Frisco Pier.

Small bottom fish were fairly abundant in the surf from Corolla to Oregon Inlet Thursday. Spot, small croakers, tailor blues, a few trout and keeper flounder were landed by surfcasters around Oregon Inlet.

Small croakers were taken along the beach from Rodanthe to Buxton

Spanish mackerel and bluefish were caught at Cape Point early in the morning. Some pompano and flounder were landed north of the Cape during the day. Plenty of small flounder, scattered spot, croakers and some nice sea mullet were beached by surf fishermen from Ramp 55 to Hatteras Inlet.

Inshore trolling off Oregon Inlet was good with bluefish and king mackerel landed.

Blue water action off Oregon Inlet was fair with scattered dolphin, tuna and wahoo taken. A few billfish were released.

Good numbers of Spanish mackerel and bluefish were taken by boaters in the Hatteras Inlet area.

Blue water action off Hatteras was fair with dolphin and wahoo landed. Two sailfish were released by the Marlin Mania and one sailfish by the Ol Salt. After the second day of fishing Wednesday in the 14th Annual Pirates Cove Billfish Tournament, the leader was the Huntress with two blue marlin and two white marlin released. Following closely in second was the Prime Time with three white marlin and a blue marlin. In third place was the Phideaux with a blue marlin weighing 483 pounds and a white marlin release.

The water temperature was 67 degrees Thursday at the Army Corps of Engineers in Duck and 79 degrees at the Frisco Pier.

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