DATE: Thursday, May 8, 1997                 TAG: 9705080412

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B01  EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS

SOURCE: Damon Tatem

                                            LENGTH:   50 lines

LIGHT WINDS, MODERATE SEAS IMPROVE CATCHES FROM PIERS

Pier fishing along the northern beaches improved Wednesday, with the arrival of light winds and moderate seas.

Kitty Hawk Pier reported a few bluefish landed on bucktail rigs, and scattered spot taken on worms throughout the day.

Lots of skates, a few sea mullet and an occasional spot were decked on Avalon Pier.

Anglers on Nags Head Pier caught a few gray trout early in the day, several nice speckled trout and 12- and 14-inch bluefish mid-morning, and a few small blues and sea mullet during the afternoon.

Spot weighing as much as 9 ounces were caught off and on during the day from Jennette's Pier.

Fishermen on Outer Banks Pier also caught scattered spot during most of the day.

South of Oregon Inlet, Rodanthe Pier reported small gray trout and some sea mullet taken in the morning. Nice-sized bluefish and some 1- to 1 1/4-pound gray trout were taken later in the day along with some nice sea mullet.

Fishing was a little slow on Avon Pier, with a handful of sea mullet and a few bluefish taken.

Good numbers of pigfish, a few bluefish and scattered mullet were landed from Frisco Pier during the morning. A 2 3/4-pound pompano was decked in the afternoon.

Small bottom fish and a few bluefish were hauled from the surf on the rising tide along the northern beaches.

Lots of tailor blues and some scattered gray trout were landedby anglers fishing from the catwalk on the south end of the Oregon Inlet bridge.

Sea mullet and small blues were taken by surf fishermen from Rodanthe to Buxton.

A few sea mullet and flounder were landed at Cape Point, mainly along the south beach.

Twenty-five to 30 large drum were beached at False Point Tuesday night. A few small flounder, blues, sea mullet and small gray trout were landed in the surf from Ramp 55 to Hatteras Inlet Wednesday.

Charters off Oregon Inlet reported excellent tuna fishing Wednesday. Several limits of yellowfin weighing between 35 and 80 pounds were taken. Dolphin fishing also was pretty good and a few wahoo were taken. The best action was near the the point.

Dolphin fishing was good off Hatteras. Quite a few wahoo also were taken, along with scattered yellowfin tuna.

The water temperature was 53 degrees Wednesday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 68 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island.

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