DATE: Thursday, October 9, 1997             TAG: 9710090807
SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C8   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BOB HUTCHINSON

                                            LENGTH:   34 lines

FISHING FORECAST

While many area residents have enjoyed the summer-like weather of the past few days, legions of saltwater anglers are hoping the weather will cool a bit and heat up the fishing.

They know that a temperature in the mid-80s or above is not the kind of fall weather to get fish on the move and into a feeding mood. Instead, it can render them lethargic.

However, cold fronts at this season can chase fish into one area and out of another, with some of the best action often occurring when a front is approaching and the barometer is falling.

Eventually, that's going to happen. Local anglers will be among the prime beneficiaries.

If the unusual warmth were not enough, the flow of tidal waters along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and other striped bass haunts has been weak.

As a result, overall striper action has been below expectations, a situation which should improve steadily once weather patterns get back to normal. Stripers like it cool.

Sooner or later, a cooling trend is going to develop. When it does, some of the year's finest action should be on the menu. Normally, October is one of the year's most productive angling months.

Cooler weather should produce an influx of stripers throughout the area, at the same time chasing more big red drum into range of beach fishermen on Hatteras Island.

What would really benefit the freshwater set immensely is a good rainfall, lasting several days. That would get local rivers, ponds and lakes started back toward normal pool levels. Some are down as much as 10 feet.

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