DATE: Thursday, September 25, 1997          TAG: 9709250374

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

COLUMN: FISHING ON THE OUTER BANKS

SOURCE: DAMON TATEM

                                            LENGTH:   55 lines

PIER FISHING HIGHLIGHTS THE DAY ALL ALONG DARE COAST

Pier fishing was great all along the Dare coast Wednesday.

Kitty Hawk Pier reported plenty of spot, sea mullet and quite a few puppy drum taken.

Blues were thick throughout the day on Avalon Pier. Plenty of Spanish mackerel, spot, sea mullet and a few puppy drum were landed.

Spot fishing was excellent during most of the morning on Nags Head Pier. Sea mullet and puppy drum were landed in fair numbers but fishing slowed during the afternoon.

Anglers on Jennette's Pier caught lots of spot, croaker weighing as much as 2 1/2 pounds, bluefish, pompano and some Spanish mackerel.

Spot, sea mullet, pompano and a few albacore were landed from Outer Banks Pier off and on Wednesday. Rain in the afternoon slowed fishing action.

South of Oregon Inlet, Rodanthe Pier reported plenty of spot, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and a few albacore taken. Some nice keeper puppy drum also were taken.

Good numbers of spot were landed throughout the morning on Avon Pier, along with bluefish and sea mullet. Fishing slowed later in the day.

Quite a few nice spot, pompano and several 2 1/2-pound flounder were caught by fishermen on Frisco Pier.

Although the surf was somewhat rough from Corolla to Oregon Inlet, scattered bluefish and a few bottom fish were taken.

Bottom fish, gray trout, bluefish and keeper flounder were landed around Oregon Inlet.

Surfcasters along the beach from Rodanthe to Buxton caught scattered bluefish, sea mullet and an occasional puppy drum.

Blue fish were beached at Cape Point with the best action in the morning.

Plenty of gray trout and blues were hauled from the surf at Hatteras Inlet late Tuesday afternoon. Blues were taken at the inlet again Wednesday morning.

Pompano, croaker and sea mullet were landed from Ramp 55 to the inlet Wednesday.

Bluefish were taken by charters trolling around Oregon Inlet. Headboats in the area caught pigfish, flounder, croaker and bluefish.

Offshore fishing was at a standstill off Oregon Inlet Wednesday because of northeast winds and choppy seas.

Although seas were rough off Hatteras, several charters managed to fish offshore. Dolphin fishing was good, mackerel fishing was fair and a few wahoo and tuna were landed. A sailfish was released by the Release.

The water temperature was 72 degrees Wednesday at the Army Corps of Engineers Pier in Duck, and 75 degrees at Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

DREW C. WILSON/The Virginian-Pilot

Despite a steady drizzle Wednesday, anglers stood elbow-to-elbow on

Kitty Hawk Pier, where plenty of spot, sea mullet and puppy drum

were taken.

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