Fishing on the Outer Banks

By Damon Tatem

Pier anglers caught a few fish along the Dare coast Friday, but action was slow Saturday morning because of the weather.

Avalon pier reported a few speckled trout decked Friday morning, including a 3-pounder. A few small puppy drum, small trout and lots of small bluefish were caught in the afternoon. Fishing was slow Saturday morning.

A few speckled trout and snapper bluefish were reeled in on Nags Head pier Friday morning. Action improved in the afternoon with more speckled trout landed, including some 12- to 14-inch keepers. A few speckled trout, snapper bluefish and dogfish were decked early Saturday.

Outer Banks pier anglers caught small bluefish, small puppy drum and a few speckled trout Friday morning. Afternoon action was slow. Dogfish were taken Saturday morning.

South of Oregon Inlet, fishing was slow on Rodanthe pier Friday and again early Saturday, with only a few sea mullet landed. Avon pier reported scattered sea mullet decked Friday and a few sea mullet and an occasional black drum taken Saturday morning.

A few sea mullet and spot were caught on Frisco pier Friday. The pier was reported closed Saturday.

If winds today are 20 to 30 mph from the west as forecast, pier anglers along the Outer Banks should deck a few small bluefish, sea mullet, dogfish and skates.

Anglers fishing from the Melvin R. Daniels Bridge on the Nags Head/Roanoke Island causeway landed a few small stripers and speckled trout Friday morning. Some 18- to 20-inch stripers were taken early Saturday.

Surf-casters in the Corolla area beached puppy drum Friday and again early Saturday. Some 12- to 14-inch speckled trout also were caught Saturday morning.

Scattered puppy drum and a few speckled trout were landed in the surf from Duck to Oregon Inlet Friday and again early Saturday.

Fishing was slow along the Rodanthe/Salvo beaches and in the Avon area Friday and Saturday morning.

A few sea mullet were caught in the Cape Point area Friday. A few bluefish were taken and a 40-inch drum was hooked and released on the north side of the cape early Saturday.

Fishing was slow in the Frisco area surf Friday and again Saturday morning.

Some flounder were landed in the Hatteras Inlet surf Friday and again early Saturday.

If winds are as predicted today, surf fishing should be slow along the northern beaches. Some mullet, small bluefish and drum should be beached by Hatteras surf-casters.

Blue-water anglers fishing off Oregon Inlet decked limits of yellowfin tuna and some black drum Friday. Gulf Stream fishing was slow off Hatteras, with jacks and wahoo taken.

If winds are as forecast, inshore boaters should catch some bluefish in the Oregon Inlet and Hatteras Inlet areas today. Some stripers should be landed in Croatan Sound. Blue-water anglers should haul in quite a few tuna.

The water temperature Saturday was 62 degrees at Avalon pier, 59 degrees at Nags Head, Outer Banks and Rodanthe piers, and 62 degrees at Avon pier.