DATE: Tuesday, September 9, 1997            TAG: 9709090270

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS 

SOURCE: Damon Tatem

                                            LENGTH:   68 lines

FOR ANGLERS, THE WEEKEND WAS ONE OF GOOD CATCHES

Pier fishing along the northern beaches was good during the weekend, particularly on Saturday.

Kitty Hawk Pier reported lots of spot landed Saturday afternoon, Saturday night and Sunday. Most of the fish were three-to-the-pound, but a few half-pounders were reported.

Scattered spot were taken Saturday on Avalon Pier. Some 2- to 3-pound speckled trout were landed on artificial lures Sunday morning. A few spot, small bluefish and gray trout were landed during the rest of the day.

Anglers on Nags Head Pier caught spot, some nice croaker, small flounder, scattered pompano and a few bluefish throughout the weekend.

Good numbers of spot were decked on Jennette's Pier Saturday afternoon, but action was slow Sunday.

Fishermen on Outer Banks Pier released under-sized puppy drum and flounder and caught plenty of spot, some bluefish, and croaker Saturday. A handful of spot, croaker and blues were landed Sunday.

Rodanthe Pier on Hatteras Island reported a few Spanish mackerel and pompano caught in very clear water Saturday. Little action was reported Sunday.

A few spot and croaker were taken during the weekend on Avon Pier.

Frisco Pier reported good fishing Saturday with Spanish mackerel, 2-pound bluefish, albacore, some keeper flounder and lots of pompano landed. Action slowed dramatically Sunday with only a few Spanish mackerel and bluefish taken. Spot, croaker, sea mullet, small bluefish and a few pompano were landed in the surf along the northern beaches and in the Oregon Inlet area throughout the weekend.

Spot, nice sea mullet, 1-pound pompano and tailor bluefish were caught during the weekend by surf fishermen from Rodanthe to Buxton.

Albacore were landed along the south beach at Cape Point Saturday morning, and flounder were taken on both the north and south beach during the day.

Spanish mackerel, bluefish and albacore were landed at Cape Point late Saturday afternoon. Sea mullet and flounder were caught in the area Sunday.

Plenty of tailor blues were landed in the Hatteras Inlet surf Friday night. Small bottom fish were taken by surfcasters from Ramp 55 to Hatteras Inlet Saturday and Sunday.

Spanish mackerel, bluefish and plenty of albacore were landed by charters fishing a few miles outside Oregon Inlet during the weekend. Headboats around the inletcaught scattered croaker and pigfish.

Blue water action was good northeast of Oregon Inlet Saturday with lots of billfish released between the 40950 and 41030 Loran lines.

Releases included 10 white marlin by the Smoker, five white marlin by the Sea Toy and three white marlin by the Sea Witch. Some limits of dolphin and fair numbers of yellowfin tuna were taken.

Billfish action continued to be good Sunday, with more than 90 fish releases well northeast of Oregon Inlet. Dolphin fishing in the same area was good.

Releases included six white marlin by the Prime Time, five white marlin each by the Sea Witch and the Sea Toy, four white marlin and a blue marlin by the Hooker and four white marlin by the Fast Lane.

Gulf Stream charters off Hatteras landed plenty of dolphin, a few wahoo and scattered yellowfin tuna Saturday. Billfish releases included two sailfish by the Wahoo, one sailfish each by the Cap'n B and the Top Billing and a white marlin by the Nancy K.

Good numbers of dolphin and a few wahoo were taken by Hatteras offshore charters Sunday. A white marlin was released by the Hatteras Blue.

Spot fishing should be good this week on ocean piers if the water is dirty and seas aren't too rough.

The water temperature was 74 degrees Monday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck.

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