DATE: Friday, October 10, 1997              TAG: 9710100663

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: Fishing on the Outer Banks

SOURCE: Damon Tatem

                                            LENGTH:   49 lines

OUTER BANKS SURF YIELDS A VARIETY FOR FISHERMEN

Large sea mullet, small pompano and lots of small blues were taken in the surf along the beach from Rodanthe to Buxton on Thursday.

Some nice Spanish mackerel were taken at Cape Point at sunrise. Scattered bluefish, a few flounder and an occasional Spanish mackerel were beached during the day.

Trout and bluefish were hauled from the surf in the Hatteras Inlet area Wednesday evening. Sea mullet and small flounder were taken in the surf from Ramp 55 to Hatteras Inlet on Thursday.

Surf fishing was slow along the northern beaches and around Oregon Inlet, with only a few bottom fish, small bluefish and pompano landed.

Bluefish, albacore and king mackerel were caught by inshore charters outside Oregon Inlet. Fair numbers of sea bass and pigfish were landed by headboats in the area.

Yellowfin tuna fishing was fair off Oregon Inlet. Scattered wahoo also were taken. A big-eye tuna was landed by the Sizzler.Dolphin and wahoo fishing was good in the Gulf Stream off Hatteras. A few blackfin and yellowfin tuna also appeared in catches.

Pier fishing was slow along the northern beaches Thursday.

A few Spanish mackerel, bluefish and spot were landed on Kitty Hawk Pier during the morning. Little afternoon action was reported.

A handful of bluefish, Spanish mackerel and spot were decked on Avalon Pier.

Nags Head Pier reported slow fishing, with only a few bluefish, small Spanish mackerel and small flounder taken during the morning, and almost no activity in the afternoon.

Fishermen on Jennette's Pier caught some spot, small bluefish and an occasional Spanish mackerel.

A few blues and a few spot were landed during the day on Outer Banks Pier.

South of Oregon Inlet, anglers on Rodanthe Pier caught only a few small flounder, bluefish and Spanish mackerel.

Some small bluefish were landed from the end of Avon Pier early in the morning. Spot, mullet and pompano were caught from a small area near the surf later in the day.

Some nice flounder weighing as much as four pounds, scattered mullet and a few spot were taken from Frisco Pier.

Fishing along the Dare coast should improve this weekend if the wind shifts to a northerly direction.

The water temperature was 72 degrees Thursday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 75 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

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