DATE: Friday, October 24, 1997              TAG: 9710240778

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: Fishing on the Outer Banks 

SOURCE: Damon Tatem 

                                            LENGTH:   43 lines

NICER WEATHER MAKES THE FISHING BETTER ALONG COAST

Good weather resulted in improved fishing along the Dare coast Thursday. Anglers on Kitty Hawk Pier caught small puppy drum and a couple of speckled trout.

On Avalon Pier small bluefish, a few little trout and a 20-pound striped bass were taken.

Small bluefish, sand perch and small trout were decked on Nags Head Pier.

Fishing was a little slow on Jennette's Pier with one speckled trout landed and a 20-inch striped bass released.

Plenty of spot, quite a few puppy drum, including some keepers, speckled trout, and some small blues were taken on Outer Banks Pier.

South of Oregon Inlet, Rodanthe Pier reported a few keeper puppy drum, bluefish and spot landed.

On Avon Pier anglers caught scattered small blues, small speckled trout and little puppy drum.Good numbers of speckled trout, some puppy drum, a few keeper flounder, sheepshead and a 5 1/2-pound black drum were landed on Frisco Pier.

Small puppy drum, a few blues and a handful of bottom fish were taken in the surf along the northern beaches and around Oregon Inlet. Surf fishermen along the beach from Rodanthe to Buxton caught small puppy drum, a few big drum, and scattered bluefish.

Small blues, puppy drum, sea mullet and some keeper flounder were beached at Cape Point. Some small striped bass were released.

Surfcasters caught keeper puppy drum, small blues and a few nice flounder from Ramp 55 to Hatteras Inlet. Small stripers were also released in this area. Yellowfin tuna action was great off Oregon Inlet Thursday between the 40480 and 40630 Loran lines. Scattered dolphin and wahoo also appeared in catches.

In the Gulf Stream off Hatteras, good numbers of dolphin and wahoo were taken. A few king mackerel were also landed.

Tuna fishing should be good off Oregon Inlet this weekend provided the weather cooperates.

The water temperature at the Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck was 65 degrees and 66 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

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