DATE: Friday, October 3, 1997               TAG: 9710030680

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: Fishing on the Outer Banks

SOURCE: Damon Tatem

                                            LENGTH:   53 lines

SPOT FISHING WAS EXCELLENT, ANGLERS REPORT

Spot fishing was excellent on piers along the northern beaches Thursday.

Kitty Hawk Pier reported spot galore. A few puppy drum, including an 8-pounder, also were taken.

Anglers on Avalon Pier landed king mackerel weighing 13 1/2 and 33 pounds late Wednesday. Scattered Spanish mackerel and bluefish were taken early Thursday morning, and plenty of spot and some sea mullet were caught during the rest of the day.

Lots of spot, a few tailor blues and croaker were landed on Nags Head Pier throughout the day.

Spot fishing was great all day on Jennette's Pier. A 4 1/2-pound speckled trout was landed on cut bait by Roy Fisher of Kill Devil Hills during the morning.

Plenty of spot, some sea mullet, small puppy drum, bluefish and croaker were taken steadilyon Outer Banks Pier throughout the day.

On Hatteras Island, Rodanthe Pier fishermen caught scattered bluefish, croaker and puppy drum during the morning, and lots of 12- to 16-inch gray trout in the afternoon.

Anglers on Avon Pier landed a 17-pound drum and lost four others Thursday morning. Bluefish, spot and sea mullet were taken during the afternoon.

Albacore, small flounder and several bluefish were caught by fishermen on Frisco Pier.

A few bottom fish and bluefish were hauled from the surf along the northern beaches.

Bluefish, small bottom fish and puppy drum were landed around Oregon Inlet.

A few 2-pound croaker, scattered bluefish and some pompano were caught by surfcasters from Rodanthe to Buxton.

A few Spanish mackerel, bluefish, flounder and puppy drum were beached at Cape Point Thursday.

Trout fishing was good Wednesday night on the sound side of Hatteras Inlet. Lots of tailor blues, small puppy drum, a few flounder and some pompano were caught from Ramp 55 to Hatteras Inlet Thursday.

Inshore trolling around Oregon Inlet was good, with Spanish mackerel and bluefish taken. Headboats in the area caught bluefish.

Tuna fishing was good off Oregon Inlet.

Lots of bluefish, scattered gray trout and speckled trout were taken by boaters in Hatteras Inlet.

Seas were rough in the Gulf Stream off Hatteras Thursday. Charters caught only a few king mackerel and scattered wahoo. Billfish releases included two sailfish by the Hunter and one sailfish by the Hatteras Fever.

Spot fishing should remain great along the Dare coast this weekend if winds continue from the northeast.

The water temperature was 71 degrees Thursday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck and 73 degrees at Frisco Pier.

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