DATE: Saturday, August 30, 1997             TAG: 9708300953

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: Fishing on the Outer Banks

SOURCE: Damon Tatem

                                            LENGTH:   53 lines

DOLPHIN FISHING EXCELLENT; TUNA FISHING RATED GOOD

Dolphin fishing was excellent east and northeast of Oregon Inlet Friday.

Tuna fishing was good around the 41000 Loran line and a fair number of billfish were released in the area.

Releases included a blue marlin and two white marlin each by the Boss Lady and the Smoker, and four white marlin by the Pelican.

Inshore trolling off Oregon Inlet was good with blues, Spanish mackerel, albacore and king mackerel taken. Headboats around the inlet caught croaker and pigfish.

Spanish mackerel, blues and some keeper flounder were taken by boaters in the Hatteras Inlet area.

Dolphin and wahoo fishing were good in the Gulf Stream off Hatteras. Scattered yellowfin tuna also were taken. A sailfish was released by the Fish Wagon.

Pier fishing along the northern beaches was fair Friday.

A few spot were taken on Kitty Hawk Pier, mostly during the morning.

Anglers on Avalon Pier landed scattered spot and sea mullet.

A few nice Spanish mackerel were caught from Nags Head Pier early in the morning. A few bluefish and small spot were taken later in the day.

Fishermen on Jennette's Pier also caught nice Spanish mackerel early in the day along with a few spot and a two-pound, five-ounce speckled trout. Afternoon action was slow.

Outer Banks Pier reported a good spot run lasting a couple of hours during the morning. A few keeper flounder and lots of small flounder were landed in the afternoon.

South of Oregon Inlet, a few Spanish mackerel, pompano, sheepshead and flounder were caught on Rodanthe Pier.

Scattered small croaker and spot were landed on Avon Pier during the morning and Spanish mackerel were caught in the afternoon.

Frisco Pier reported a few Spanish mackerel, small bluefish, pompano and a 14.75-pound king mackerel taken.

Surf fishermen landed small bottom fish, a few flounder, small blues and an occasional trout along the northern beaches and around Oregon Inlet.

Spanish mackerel were caught along the beach in several locations from Rodanthe to Buxton Friday morning. Small bottom fish and a few pompano were beached in the area during the day.

Spanish mackerel and bluefish were taken at Cape Point early Friday morning. Sea mullet, pompano and lots of small flounder were hauled in by surfcasters along the south beach.

Quite a few 12- to 14-inch blues were beached on cut bait around Hatteras Inlet Thursday evening. Scattered small flounder, bluefish and bottom fish were landed from Ramp 55 to Hatteras Inlet Friday.

The water temperature was 75 degrees Friday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 77 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

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