DATE: Thursday, October 9, 1997             TAG: 9710090517

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS

SOURCE: DAMON TATEM

                                            LENGTH:   56 lines

NICE CATCHES FOR SURF FISHERMEN, BUT PIER ANGLERS HIT A SLOW DAY

Small bottom fish, a few keeper flounder and an occasional pompano were hauled from the surf Wednesday along the northern beaches and around Oregon Inlet. A few trout were caught in sloughs in the morning north of Kitty Hawk Pier.

A few sea mullet, spot, bluefish, small puppy drum and several pompano were landed in the surf from Rodanthe to Buxton.

Spanish mackerel were landed sporadically at Cape Point during most of the day. Some nice-sized croaker were caught in the surf near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

Bluefish and gray trout were landed by surf fisherman in the Hatteras Inlet area on live bait Tuesday night. Some nice flounder were caught from the Hatteras Inlet beach Wednesday.

Pier fishing along the northern beach area was slow Wednesday.

Kitty Hawk Pier reported a few Spanish mackerel and bluefish landed from the end of the pier and a handful of spot and sea mullet taken inshore.

Some gray trout and bluefish were caught early in the day on Avalon Pier. A few speckled trout, Spanish mackerel and small blues were landed in the afternoon.

Small blues were taken from the end of Nags Head Pier during the morning. Afternoon fishing was slow.

Anglers on Jennette's Pier caught small bluefish during the morning and small pompano in the afternoon.

Small bluefish were landed on the end of the Outer Banks Pier off and on most of the morning. A few sea mullet were landed later in the day.

South of Oregon Inlet, Rodanthe Pier reported a 19-pound king mackerel decked late Tuesday afternoon. Three more king mackerel weighing 9, 11, and 19 pounds were taken Wednesday, along with some bluefish, Spanish mackerel and nice flounder.

Fishing was slow on Avon Pier, with only a few small bottom fish and keeper flounder taken.

Fishing was slow on Frisco Pier during the morning. A few Spanish mackerel, flounder and false albacore were landed in the afternoon.

Charters trolling a short distance offshore from Oregon Inlet caught king mackerel and albacore. Headboats in the Oregon Inlet area landed hogfish and sea bass.

Fair numbers of yellowfin tuna, weighing as much as 60 pounds, were landed in the Gulf Stream off Oregon Inlet, along with scattered dolphin.

Bluefish, speckled trout, gray trout and a few flounder were taken by boaters in Hatteras Inlet.

Hatteras offshore charters landed good catches of wahoo and king mackerel. A few dolphin and scattered tuna also were taken. A sailfish was released by the Big Eye.

The water temperature was 73 degrees at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 75 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

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