Spent the last week up in Nags Head with the boys. Fished the Havin-a-ball Sunday and picked up 6 small (+/- 20lbs) tuna. We were blown out Monday then headed to Buxton Tuesday to work the wind. Picked up a bunch of small bluefish, trout, and croakers out of the surf but not much happening. Put the boat in Wed. at Manns Harbour and got 7 nice stripers from 22 to 26 inches on live eels at the bridge. Fished the same area on Thursday and only picked up one short and missed about 4 others. Friday we surf fished all day in front of the house. Only picked up on flounder then the wind started again so we called it quits. Sounds like the big stripers are starting to school up off of Oregon Inlet.

How's the mahi/wahoo bite?

Early July was fabulous for mahi but not that great for football tuna.

I saw only a handful of wahoo boated the week I was down (in Hatteras Village).

Mahi is good stuff, I tried it last weekend for the first time.

NC-Steve
I was down in Pirates Cove this past holiday weekend looking at properties. The Pirates fleet seemed to have done well with yellowfin before Saturday's mornings big blow..........

I must say I was pretty shocked to see Stripers that couldn't have been more than 18" being cleaned though......:af:

OBX here I come. Wish I was in Duck right know. I know of a great trench between bars. Only caught dinks and snapper blues over the summer bet that spot is killer in the winter.

Anyone up for an 11 hour road trip in the winter?

Love to go with but can't...
Had a spot in Duck last September with the ex wife. Decided not to go, she got evacuated forcefully half way through the week.
Gotta love when two natural disasters come together.
:D
Rick

179 ==they may have a different size limit =======================years ago when we were 16" some of the area;s down that way had a 10-12" size limit // they have to keep their [[[watermen]] happy:mad:

When many people refer to the Outer Banks, they use the term ''Nags Head'' to generically describe the area. The truth of the matter is that Nags Head was first a physical location on a map, then a township, and finally, the most recognizable of all the northern Outer Banks vacation destinations.

Early maps of the area show Nags Head as a promontory of land characterized by high sand dunes visible from miles at sea. Tales of land pirates that lured ships ashore in stormy weather may be the possible origin of the town's name. Or it may have been carried across the sea by English explorers who were reminded of a similar location of the English coast, a high point on the Scilly Islands, the last sight of old England that the earlier explorers were to see on their voyage to the New World.

We'll never know the true origin, but legend and lore insists that early 18th century ''Bankers,'' realizing how profitable piracy was for sea-going scoundrels such as Blackbeard, developed their own unique method as land-based pirates. Horses with lanterns tied to their necks were walked up and down the beach at night. Merchant skippers in the off-shore waters would mistakenly think the lights were of other ships closer to shore. They would then change course and run aground, with the Bankers pillaging their cargoes.

Around 1830, Nags Head became known as a plush resort area and remains so today, with a wealth of activities nearby to please a variety of tastes. Jockey's Ridge is the last vestige of the giant moving sand dunes that once towered over the beaches and greeted the first explorers. Surrounding Jockey's Ridge State Park, thousands of vacation homes beckon travelers of a different sort to the wide sandy beaches and relaxed atmosphere of an Outer Banks vacation. Modern day Bankers no longer need a lantern tied around a horse to lure visitors. With plenty of beaches and world-record fishing, golfing and shopping to nature trails, wildlife refuges, shipwreck remains and historic sites, its all here! there!

The Mahi (dolphin) are pretty much all gone now. There has been a relatively good wahoo bite still. The day we went out, four were brought in with the biggest being about 70lbs and the smallest around 40. We had what appeared to be a couple of wahoo hits through our spread but they cut us off pretty quick. Also had something smash our planer and bend the crap out of it. Figured it was either a wahoo or a mako. As for the short stripers, the minimum size "inside" is 18" w/two per person with keeper days being Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Ocean striper minimum is 28" w/two per person as well. These are designated as fish caught beyond the inlets. Most of these bigger fish do not make a spawning run but congregate just off the shore for most of the winter. As the season moves on and the spawning fish continue their migration up into the Roanoke (sp?) River, the regulations get tighter and eventually turns into a catch and release fishery only w/barbless hooks required. Pleas don't think that the shorts that you saw are the norm around here. Especially if you saw the fish in Pirates Cove caught on a charter, the fish were probably of legal size. The Captains take the minimum seriously due to hefty fines and loss of license if they are caught. However, there are always a few people who are ignorant of the regulations. who will keep fish that are too small.

Gotta love when two natural disasters come together.
:D
Rick [/B][/QUOTE]

That is to f-in funny.

I did an offshore trip out to a navy tower and live lined for some amberjack. Those things are bruisers. My best was 50lbs and it felt like a bus.

Nags Head here I come!!!!!!!!

The cat is out of the bag:D :D :D :D :D .

We will be celebrating New Years some place between the South Shore and North Carolina.

If you want to fish then the OBX would be a good choice. The big drum and blues are typically in or just tapering off by then and the ocean stripers should still be there as well.

There is a good article on the Outer Banks winter fishery in this weeks edition of "The Fisherman" publication......

Tynan, check out the biggest fish thread posted recently... 50lb AJ in Key west... 15lb test... yeah baby....yeah

Rirockhound how freakin awesome do those fish fight. How long did it take to get the AJ in. I was making fun of my Brother in law who was 17, because it took him for ever and the boat pole was bent over the boat. I took the next one and freaking A it whipped me for a little bit.

Didn't eat them the meat was full of worms.