DATE: Thursday, April 17, 1997              TAG: 9704170376

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS

SOURCE: DAMON TATEM

                                            LENGTH:   38 lines

WEATHER COOPERATES WITH DARE FISHERMEN, BUT NOT THE FISH

Beautiful weather along the Dare Coast brought more anglers out on Northern Beach piers and in the surf, but unfortunately action continued to be slow Wednesday.

Kitty Hawk Pier reported nothing caught.

On Avalon Pier, several bluefish and toadfish were taken.

Skates, a few toadfish and several shad were landed on Nags Heads Pier. One undersize striper was released.

Anglers on Outer Banks Pier caught a small ray and released a striper. South of Oregon Inlet, Rodanthe Pier reported slow fishing with only a few toadfish taken.

Scattered spot, a few sea mullet, and skates were decked at Avon Pier.

Fishermen on Frisco Pier caught a few toadfish and sea mullet during the morning and scattered albacore in the afternoon.

Surf fishing along the Northern Beaches and around Oregon Inlet was slow Wednesday.

A few toadfish and small sea mullet were hauled from the surf from Rodanthe to Buxton.

Small bottom fish, puppy drum and flounder were landed along the beach south of Cape Point off and on Wednesday. Some drum were taken on the Point during the late afternoon.

Surfcasters caught good numbers of black drum and puppy drum at False Point throughout the afternoon. Sea mullet and small blues were taken at Ramp 55.

Yellowfin tuna fishing was fair between the 40300 and the 40580 Loran lines off Oregon Inlet. Some gaffer dolphin and a few wahoo were taken.

Charters off Hatteras caught some yellowfin tuna and a few dolphin. The Citation released a blue marlin and landed lots of dolphin well south of Hatteras.

The water temperature was 54 degrees Wednesday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 63 degrees at the Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

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