For the past month, the bluefin bite has been outstanding off the cost of Hatteras Island. According to Ric Burnley, writer and frequent Hatteras Island fishermen, boats running to the edge of the Gulf Stream have been catching 100- to 200-pound bluefin by chunking, jigging, trolling – even throwing top water poppers. Continue reading
Every year, Hatteras Island attracts countless offshore charter fishermen who take advantage of the island’s proximity to the Gulf Stream to enjoy a long day of some hard fishing. But fishing beginners and families who just want a taste of the charter experience, don’t have to plan a full day in the Gulf Stream to get their feet wet.
A number of local charter businesses, like locally renowned Got ‘Em Charters, based in Hatteras Village, offer inshore charter fishing trips for a full or half day of fishing in the ocean or sound waters. Continue reading
During the 25th Annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament, on The Outer Banks of North Carolina, held August 11 – 15, 2008, a North Carolina state record was broken when Florida resident Trey Irvine landed the largest blue marlin in the state’s history, weighing in at a whopping 1,228.50 pounds. This smashes the previous record weight of a 1,142-pounder caught in 1974.
While the record catch received the bulk of the attention, the majority of anglers did well during the tournament, landing a total of 23 blue marlin, 59 white marlin, 20 sailfish and one spearfish.
The recent tournament, and its’ blue marlin star, brings to national attention a fact that frequent visitors and locals already knew: Hatteras Island is Marlin Country. Continue reading