Huge Run on Outer Banks Rock Fish Sets Two State Records

Posted on January 10, 2011

NC Record - 64 LB Rock Fish

As a hobby, fishing is famous for tales of the big one that got away. For the past week and a half, the Outer Banks has been buzzing with fish stories. But these aren’t stories about the fish that got away; these are tales of limitless catches, state records, and tasty eats.

Rock fish, aka stripers or striped bass, move down the east coast in the early winter months as the water cools. Following the bait fish and staying in water temps that are just right for their temperament, these fish can be difficult to predict. It’s easy to predict that some will show up, but when and how many is anyone’s guess. Every year brings a unique experience, and 2011 is bringing a run that the OBX hasn’t seen in quite a few years…in fact, it’s been a record setting run!

Hundreds of boats have gone out of Oregon Inlet over the past two weeks. 500+ over New Years weekend alone. FaceBook is full of great images of local catches. The roads are full of boats being trailored and heading south to the Inlet. It seems everyone is talking about the big one that didn’t get away. But there are two catches that beat them all.

Last Wednesday a 12 year old fishing out of Oregon Inlet landed a NC record setting striped bass tipping the scales at 63 pounds! This is huge for a rock fish, and it broke the North Carolina record that stood since 2005.

But the new record only lasted for 48 hours. On Friday, a party chartered the Poacher out of Oregon Inlet, and Keith Angel reeled in a giant rock weighing in at 64 pounds! Two state records within two days.

The Poacher netted a state record, caught the limit of two stripers per person for everyone on the boat, and released 50 more rock fish! There are clearly a giant amount of rock fish in the area, and based on the records, it seems there is both quantity and quality.

The word on the street is that this is easily the best rock fishing the Outer Banks has seen in 5 or 6 years. It’s great to see so much excitement during a relativley quiet time on the OBX.

If you’re thinking about coming down, please take a look at www.OuterBanksVacations.com We have plenty of houses available with easy access to Oregon Inlet, and we’d love to help you find a house that meets all of your needs.

Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report – 1.10.11 – Rock Fish Blitz is Still On!

Posted on January 10, 2011

Outer Banks - 1.10.11 - Chilly Start at Kitty Hawk Bath House

Here’s the Outer Banks Beach, Surf, & Fishing Report for Monday, January 10, 2011.

This video was shot at the Kitty Hawk Bath House at 8:30 AM.

Chilly day with overcast skies. A north wind at 10-15 mph is adding to the chill. The clouds will stick around for the next couple days with a chance of rain tomorrow, but the sun should return for the rest of the week. But chill will remain all week; temps should be in the low 40′s.

Some swell has arrived in the waist high range, but the wind isn’t matching up, so no surf. Doesn’t seem like we’ll have surf most of the week, but the swell should build to chest high by the end of the week, and the current forecasts call for a good day of surf on Saturday. Forecasts change quick, so we’ll keep an eye on that.

The good news for the day is the rock fish blitz is still on. Last week was a huge week for OBX fishing. A lot of boats were out of Oregon Inlet all week, and most were catching their limit of two rock per person. Last week also saw that North Carolina state record broken twice! On Wednesday a 12 year old caught a 63 pound rock fish, and two days later his record was broken with a 64 pound rock fish. There have been reports of boats catching and releasing 50 – 100 fish in addition to their limit of keepers. Clearly, a lot of big rock fish are in the area.

Enjoy!

Outer Banks Replacement Bridge Approved

Posted on December 30, 2008

Bonner Bridge After much deliberation (planning started in 1990!), State and Federal officials have approved the replacement of the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge; a 2.7 mile structure that spans the Oregon Inlet and connects South Nags Head to Hatteras Island.

In preparation, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is looking for a contractor to oversee the construction project. This will be a $304 million dollar job and so far six contractors from around the country have submitted bids.

The first stage of construction is included in the Federal Government’s 2009 budget and will cover $243.5 million that is required for the project. The state will cover the remaining $60.8 million. The award will be presented to the winning bidder on July 9, 2008.

Before a pile can be driven, the winning contractor will be required to secure environmental permits from at least six state and federal agencies. This can be a timely process, which might delay construction until early 2010.

Hopefully we will see a new and improved bridge in the near future.