DATE: Saturday, October 4, 1997             TAG: 9710040580

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: Fishing on the Outer Banks 

SOURCE: Damon Tatem 

                                            LENGTH:   50 lines

ANGLERS REPORT FAIR CATCHES

Pier fishing was fair along the northern beaches Friday.

Anglers on Kitty Hawk Pier caught a few Spanish mackerel, small pompano and bluefish, and released some small puppy drum.

Scattered Spanish mackerel, bluefish and albacore were decked on Avalon Pier.

A few spot and bluefish were landed on Nags Head Pier during the morning. A good run of spot developed in the afternoon.

Fishermen on Jennette's Pier landed a few Spanish mackerel and bluefish early in the day. A few pompano and a keeper puppy drum were taken later.

Lots of small pompano were caught on Outer Banks Pier during the morning. Afternoon fishing was slow.

South of Oregon Inlet, a few bluefish, croaker, pompano and sea mullet were landed on Rodanthe Pier.

Fishing was slow on Avon Pier, with only a few spot, small mullet and a 2 1/2-pound pompano taken.

Frisco Pier reported great Spanish mackerel fishing with 2- to 4-pound fish landed all day. Quite a few albacore were taken along with scattered pompano.

Spot, small mullet, pompano and puppy drum were hauled from the surf along the northern beaches and around Oregon Inlet Friday. Speckled trout, many weighing 5 and 6 pounds, were beached north of Kitty Hawk Pier on lures.

Pompano, some large croaker, spot, black drum and puppy drum were landed by surfcasters from Rodanthe to Buxton.

Good numbers of mixed-sized drum were beached at Cape Point Thursday night. Some nice Spanish mackerel were taken on live bait early Friday morning, and some blues and keeper flounder were landed during the day.

Mullet were caught steadily at Ramp 43.

A few bluefish, pompano and small puppy drum were landed in the surf from Ramp 55 to Hatteras Inlet.

Inshore trolling off Oregon Inlet was good with king mackerel, nice bluefish and a few Spanish mackerel taken. Headboats in the inlet caught blues, gray trout, sea bass and pigfish.

Yellowfin tuna fishing was good in the Gulf Stream off Oregon Inlet. Charters averaged 8 tuna weighing 50 to 60 pounds each between the 40700 and the 40800 Loran lines. A few dolphin also were taken.

Hatteras Harbor Marina reported good wahoo fishing off Hatteras. Scattered tuna, dolphin and some king mackerel also were caught.

Billfish releases included 2 sailfish each by the Release and the Lucky Chip, a sailfish by the Wahoo and a blue marlin by the Gecko.

The water temperature was 69 degrees Friday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck and 73 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu