DATE: Sunday, November 16, 1997             TAG: 9711140244

SECTION: CAROLINA COAST          PAGE: 21   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: HOW TO HOOK 'EM 

SOURCE: Damon Tatem 

                                            LENGTH:   99 lines

STRIPERS AND BLUES MAY BE HITTING SURF CATCHES SHOULD CONTINUE

EXPECT GOOD striped bass action in the ocean and the sound as Thanksgiving approaches. Big bluefish action also is a possibility, as some jumbo blues have appeared off the Virginia Capes.

Pier fishermen along the northern beaches should catch keeper stripers just about every day, weather permitting.

A variety of artificial baits, including surface plugs, Hopkins, Gators, big bucktails and Rat-L-Traps, will work for stripers if the water is fairly clear. Fresh cut bait generally produces good striper action if the water is dirty.

Pier anglers also should catch scattered small bluefish and plenty of skates and dogfish. As water temperatures continue to drop, scattered ling cod also should be landed.

Some speckled trout and gray trout should be taken, with the best action early in the morning during periods of clear water and light winds.

Most of the speckled trout will be landed on soft plastic lures, but Mirrolures should become increasingly effective as water temperatures drop.

Sea mullet action should be good on the incoming tide for anglers using small hooks baited with fresh shrimp or bloodworms.

A few puppy drum probably will be landed by northern beach pier jockeys, but most of these fish have moved out of the area. Big drum are a possibility from the ends of ocean piers, but only a remote one.

More likely is the appearance of 10- to 20-pound bluefish. Last year, after a virtual three-year absence, bluefish were taken by pier anglers from Kitty Hawk and Avalon Piers the week before Thanksgiving.

Pier fishing south of Oregon Inlet should be good, with scattered stripers taken from Rodanthe and Avon piers.

Pier anglers on Hatteras Island also should catch some nice sea mullet, puppy drum and tailor bluefish. Big drum could be taken from the ends of Hatteras Island piers, but this season is rapidly drawing to a close.

Speckled trout and black drum should be caught by pier anglers along with the usual mixture of skates and sharks.

Jumbo bluefish also are a reasonable possibility, and one that would delight Hatteras Island pier anglers.

Big blues were taken in good numbers on Rondanthe, Avon and Frisco piers at the same time they ran along the Nags Head beaches late last year.

Surf fishermen from Corolla to Oregon Inlet should catch fair numbers of keeper stripers and release plenty of throwbacks if seas aren't too rough.

Most of the fish will be hauled from deeper sloughs along the beach or around Oregon Inlet. Fish should be landed both on lures and on fresh-cut bait.

Scattered bluefish and a handful of puppy drum also should appear in surf catches along the northern beaches.

If the surf is clear, some speckled trout action should be reported from sloughs north of Kitty Hawk, Nags Head and Jennette's piers.

Big bluefish could show up at any time and at any place along the northern beaches during the next few weeks.

Some fairly good catches were reported throughout the past summer off the New York and New Jersey coasts, so a visit by big choppers is a reasonable possibility.

Unfortunately, any good runs by big blues will disrupt speckled trout fishing. Anglers should not expect much trout action when hungry blues are in the area.

Surfcasters along the beach from Oregon Inlet to Buxton should catch keeper striped bass, puppy drum, speckled trout, small blues and possibly some big blues.

Some big drum could also be taken in the Ramp 23 to Ramp 27 area and along the Avon beach.

Scattered drum, puppy drum, stripers, tailor blues and gray and speckled trout should be caught at Cape Point. Some of the blues could weigh more than 16 pounds.

Flounder should be landed fairly regularly along the south beach. The best speckled trout fishing in the Cape Point area should be along the north beach near the lighthouse jetties.

Puppy drum, sea mullet, scattered trout and bluefish should be beached by surfcasters from Frisco to Hatteras Inlet.

There is a fair possibility that a few drum will be landed in the False Point area. Most should be taken at night.

Trolling for striped bass should be good around the Manns Harbor bridge in Croatan Sound. Good numbers of fish have been in the area most of the year.

Most of the striped bass will be taken on bucktails garnished with plastic tails and Rat-L-Traps.

Larger stripers also should be available to anglers trolling around the Oregon Inlet bar and along the beach both north and south of the inlet. Manns Stretch-25s and other large swimming plugs should prove effective lures in the inlet area.

Yellowfin tuna fishing should be good off Oregon Inlet around the point when weather conditions allow offshore fishing. The tuna should vary in size from 20 to 60 pounds.

Blue-water action should be fair off Hatteras, with yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna and a few wahoo taken. An occasional billfish could be released.

King mackerel fishing should be good in the area throughout November and into December, provided cold water temperatures don't move the fish south too quickly. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW WILSON

Mate Danny Bass of Nags Head tosses a limit of rockfish onto the

dock after taking a party out aboard the Hobo, out of Pirate's Cove.

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