DATE: Friday, November 14, 1997             TAG: 9711140629

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: Fishing on the Outer Banks

SOURCE: Damon Tatem
                                            LENGTH:   47 lines

WEATHER IS DISMAL BUT FISH PROVIDE SOME SUNSHINE

Although the weather was dismal Thursday, pier fishing along the northern beaches was good.

Outer Banks Pier reported plenty of big bluefish, with at least 50 hookups. Unfortunately, a lot of the fish broke off. Some big striped bass and several throw-back puppy drum also were taken.

Anglers on Jennette's Pier also accounted for a lot of 12- to 15-pound bluefish along with some keeper stripers.

Striped bass, tailor blues and a few nice speckled trout were caught from Nags Head Pier.

One big bluefish, a few puppy drum and small bluefish were landed on Avalon Pier.

Kitty Hawk Pier reported a large bluefish and a striped bass taken.

South of Oregon Inlet, fishing was slow on Rodanthe Pier, with only a few anglers even trying.

Almost no action was reported on Avon Pier because of the bad weather.

The few fishermen on Frisco Pier caught some small blues, sea mullet and a few albacore.

Surf fishing along the northern beaches, around Oregon Inlet and from Oregon Inlet to Buxton, was slow, with a few bluefish, small bottom fish and trout taken.

Lots of false albacore, small bluefish and an occasional striper were beached at Cape Point. A handful of speckled trout were landed near the lighthouse.

Plenty of bluefish were caught in the surf at Hatteras Inlet on Wednesday evening. A few puppy drum and speckled trout were taken Thursday.

Rough seas and gusty winds killed offshore efforts Thursday, but some stripers and big bluefish were taken a short distance outside the inlet by charters. Striper fishing was good in Manns Harbor area.

A couple of charters boats fished off Hatteras. They decked a few king mackerel, even though the rough weather caused them to return early.

The North Carolina Beach Buggy Association and the National Park Service are co-sponsoring the third Operation Beach Respect Beach Clean Up from Oregon Inlet to Ocracoke on Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Volunteers will distribute and collect trash bags at all ramps along the Cape Hatteras seashore.

The water temperature was 57 degrees Thursday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck and 64 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

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