gulf stream |

Spring is in the air, and the fish are biting on the Outer Banks.

Boats out of Oregon Inlet continue to pull big numbers of Bluefin tuna and striped bass.
- There are reports of one party out of Oregon Inlet on Monday catching and releasing approximately 125 stripers in the 25-pound range.
- Catch reports from boaters fishing the warm water of the Gulf Stream off the OBX are showing bluefin averaging between 150 and 175 pounds, with fish up to 225 pounds reported by the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center.
- Boats offshore raked in up to 12 bluefins (keeping the limit of one per boat), with the average size scaling about 160 pounds.
Waters off Hatteras are seeing quite a few bluefin with charters reporting some great catches.
Puppy drum in the Ocracoke Island surf on lures.

Outer Banks Record Blue Marlin

During last year’s 25th annual Pirates Cove Billfish festival, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, history was made!

A state record breaking 1,228.5 pound blue marlin was pulled from the depths of the Atlantic. This catch outweighed the previous record holder (1,142) by a long shot.

The gulf stream, which is situated about 15 miles offshore from Hatteras Inlet, is home to a vast amount of fish and marine life, and attracts fishing enthusiasts from all over the world. A wide variety of fish are caught on the OBX, from striped bass to mahi mahi, and of course, marlin.

In most of the world , marlins do not exist in high populations. Off the coast of North Carolina, many blue marlin thrive in the waters of the Atlantic.

Curious about why fisherman from all over the world come to the Outer Banks to fish? Come check out the Pirates Cove Fishing Tournament and see.