OBX

Beach, Fishing, Dunes, Fishing, History, Fishing…

By Rod Davis

If you have driven on the highways anywhere up and down the eastern seaboard, chances are good, if you are paying attention to your surroundings, that you have noticed cars, trucks and SUVs with white oval-shaped license plates or white oval shaped decals that say “ OBX”.

Also fairly common are plates and decals saying “ HI” and “OINC” as well. Respectively, these are abbreviations, for those uneducated, unenlightened folks out there, for :

OBX – Outer Banks

HI – Hatteras Island

OINC – Ocracoke Island North Carolina

Now these North Carolina coastal places are a dream location for thousands of fisherman each year, from novice anglers to hard-core surf fisherman to off-shore, big game fish hunters. The Outer Banks offers something for everyone.

Now, just to let you know that this is NOT a commercial for the Outer Banks. I get no kick-back, nor do I own a tackle store on the Banks (how cool would that be?) Secondly it must be known that until discovering the Outer Banks, I did not like the beach! Hated it. You could not pay me to go to Myrtle Beach, which is THE place to go for millions up and down the Atlantic Coast. I call Myrtle Beach, the “ Redneck Riviera”. I hated the phony commercialism that surrounds so many beach areas.

One of my very first recollections as a small child was going on a trip, at 4 years old, with my Mom, Dad, and older sister and brother to Nags Head, North Carolina. This is part of the Outer Banks and in 1959 was quite the fishing Mecca. I remember walking on Jeanette’s Pier, holding my mother’s hand and seeing fish piled up in mounds two-three feet deep. Hundreds of fish! I remember walking on top of huge mountains of sand, seeing people looking like ants down below. The vignettes I remember in the mind’s eye of a 4 year old are still there, except Jeanette’s Pier which was destroyed by Hurricane Isabelle. The mountain of sand is Jockey’s Ridge State Park, a huge set of dunes that you can actually hang-glide from.

Twenty-Five years later, I visited this place again with my first wife and her family. They were Myrtle Beach fans and did not care for Nags Head, so I never went back there again……with my first wife.

In 1994, a new wife (The Warden) was on-board and had taken the reins of my life. My two children by the previous Warden were off to the Redneck Riviera in August and I and my child-bride, and our 4 year old son, Michael were home alone. We recently had purchased our first RV. This 30’ Prowler would start a life long love affair with camping in Travel trailers.

We decided, on the spur of the moment to take our new trailer and go somewhere we had never been before. I looked around in all the books, magazines, and campground directories I had. We settled on Camp Hatteras, a world-class camping resort in Waves, N.C. on Hatteras Island. Now Hatteras Island is SOUTH of nags Head about 25 miles, but I had never been there before. I did all the research I could in that pre-internet time and found out that Hatteras is a long narrow, barrier island that many consider the true Outer Banks.

Double click on map to view a larger version

We pulled into Camp Hatteras and were shown to our site for the week. The campground was as advertised a true camping resort. It was beach front, encompassing over 50 acres. It offered two pavilions, private beach access, ponds, tennis courts, two pools, one inside, one outside and a wonderful hot tub.

The clubhouse offered cartoon nights for kids, ice cream socials and religious services on Sunday. Each site was concrete, a plus with lots of sand around, cable TV hook-ups and full sewage, water and 30 or 50 Amp electrical hookups. The pricing is on the upper end of camping fees but about the norm for a beachfront, first class campground.

I spent a week there and found this beautiful island to be my new second home. It was like going way out in the country, but with an ocean… It is incredibly laid back, quiet, peaceful, and usually uncrowded. The secret to Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island is the fact that outside the city limits of the 5 small villages on Hattears and one village on Ocracoke, the entire island and beach are National Seashore. That means, other than Highway 12 that runs north to south, the island must remain in pristine condition. It consists of barrier dunes, miles and miles of uninterrupted beach and often deserted beaches. The rest is low brush and maritime forest. The body of water between Hattears and mainland NC is called the Pamlico Sound. It’s like a gargantuan, salt water lake, calm and quiet.

A map of the Outer Banks shows a long, crescent shaped barrier Island , running north to south with miles and miles of pristine beaches. The island’s width varies from a few hundred yards to 2 miles at the widest.

Fishing:

Hatteras Island is called the saltwater Fishing capital of the world, but so are a few other places. However, the Outer Banks must rank way up there with something for everyone and all budgets.

Offshore angling is incredible with dozens of charter boats leaving everyday from world-famous Oregon Inlet to the north and Hatteras Marina and Teaches Lair at the southern end of the island. These boats can put you on tuna, from 20-30- pounders up to giant blue fin in the winter months that can go 500-600 pounds! Blue Marlin and sailfish are very common in these waters. In fact the world record blue marlin was caught here.

Many tournaments originate here. A favorite pastime of vacationers is to arrive at Oregon Inlet Fishing Center about 4:00pm and watch the charter boats come in and throw the days catch up on the dock. On an average day, there may be 50-75 on-lookers ooh-ing and aah-ing!

The Fishing boasts a neat little store that is popular with tourists and fisherman alike. For the budget conscious, twice a day head boat trips on the Miss Oregon Inlet are available for around $25.00 and offer the chance to fill a cooler with flounder, croakers, trout and small blues.

Many INSHORE fishing opportunities abound as well. These are usually smaller charter boats or guides in skiffs or flats boats that offer trips by the day or half day. These usually involve trout, blues, stripers, or Spanish mackerel. Light tackle and casting jigs is usually the rule or at times trolling is the way to go. Lots of fun.

Many vacationers bring their own boat, but be sure to buy a chart. The sandbars are tricky and shallow water is everywhere. This reminds me of a story…

In 1998, my dear friend George Lanham, a retired taxidermist of some note and long-time guide for Shete’ Safaris in Africa agreed to go with myself and another friend Lee Rosencrance, to the Outer Banks for a long weekend in mid-September for some fishing. George was a colorful character who hunted and fished all over the planet for 60 years until his passing in September 2004 at 86. We were staying in my Prowler travel trailer and had taken a small 14 foot Sears and Roebuck aluminum fishing boat with a 9.9 hp Suzuki lashed to the back.

Yes, you read that right.

We two morons were planning to fish in / near the Atlantic Ocean with our dear elderly friend in this aluminum death trap. While this was a fine little rig for catching bluegills or rainbows back in Summit Lake in West Virginia, it looked slightly out of place following 55’ Hatteras Sportfisherman charter boats out of the marina that morning. After the wake from these boats nearly capsized us, we drifted to the outside edges of the channel and made our way three miles out to the fishing grounds at the Herbert C. Bonner bridge. This 3 mile long bridge connects the mainland to Hatteras and is the defacto border between the ocean and the Sound. Our plan was to fish the calm waters of the Sound because even we were smart enough to know that neither Mr. Sears nor Mr. Roebuck had ever envisioned this craft out on the briny deep.

What we did not count on was the out-going tide, pulling water from the Sound, under the bridge, at a high rate of speed (5-6 knots), pulling our little craft towards the bridge piers. We initially tried to motor upstream a half mile or so and drift back toward the bridge, fishing as we went, but the current was so swift, we had little time to fish. We tried anchoring, but the current merely pulled our tiny boat and anchor along the smooth sandy bottom, back toward the bridge and the large rolling waves of the ocean.

I hit on the idea of leaving the boat in idle so we could sort-of maintain our position. This worked pretty good….until disaster struck!

Lee was in the bow, I in the stern and elderly George on the middle bench seat. We were drift fishing some squid strips for flounder, bouncing along the bottom with 2 ounce weights. Usually this requires a 7 foot rod, with 10-20 lb. test monofilament. Our friend George brought his own tackle, and we were initially somewhat amused that he was sporting 80 lb test line and a rod, made much like a broomstick. George had not gotten a bite all morning and was getting a little testy. All over sudden, I heard him say, “ Got One!”.

That was about a half-second before the dependable little Suzuki 9.9 seized up.

It really took us about 30 seconds more to realize that the tiny propeller was wrapped up tight in 80 lb test mono. He “ Got one” alright!

About 60 seconds later in this process, we realized that we were adrift again, heading towards a large concrete bridge pier at an increasingly high rate of speed. Now 5-6 knots which is about 7-8 miles per hour does not seem that fast, unless you are in a tiny, tiny boat, that is overloaded, going towards either a very hard, house sized, concrete wall. Knowing full well, that if we hit the wall without capsizing, we would be swept out to the churning sea.

My boyhood friend and idol, Lee Wilson Rosencrance, always ready to be heroic, jumped over George, and stood on the back seat with me, to survey the situation. His added weight caused the stern of our sturdy craft to dip under the surface, and water to rush in. After calling him a few choice names he moved to a more centrist position in the boat.

Since he obviously was still feeling somewhat heroic, I looked up in time to see him dive into the Pamlico Sound with a Rapala fillet knife clenched in his teeth. Those of you old enough to remember Johnny Weissmuller in the Tarzan movies would have been very impressed at this sight! He was able to cut enough line from the prop that we could get it started and motor away from the approaching death that surely awaited us all. After pulling up on a nearby sandbar, we finished cleaning the line from the motor and went on about our business. Another spine-tingling adventure!

SURF FISHING is a long standing tradition on the Banks that has been challenged by some of the more leftist of the environmental wackos in recent years. This is due to the unique nature of Outer Banks Surf Fishing, in that it is a mobile sport, done by 4×4 SUV or pickup. The wackos are trying to stop fisherman from driving on the beach because a shore bird of some sort may be inconvenienced. The last time I looked, we had more seagulls (I call them dumpster chickens) than we can use anyway. You know, it’s the same old song and dance from these wackos.

The Outer Banks are home to numerous nesting sites for sea turtles in June and the National Park folks cruise the beaches at sunrise, looking for turtle sign. If a possible nest site is located, a temporary fence is erected to keep folks from driving over the nest. Everyone respects this and it is a great idea!

In the spring or fall, the Outer Banks is a world-class destination for surf fishermen seeking trophy bluefish, up to 50 lbs. caught in the surf as well as puppy drums (known in Florida as Redfish) up to 90 lbs. Now think about that….a 90 lb fish in the surf, fighting with the waves, at your feet in 2 feet of water. It’s exciting!

Once I went to the “POINT” with the Warden and my good friend Dr. Chuck Smith and his wife Vanessa for some November surf casting. The “POINT” is a world famous fishing spot where the actual “CAPE” in Cape Hatteras is located. The geography of the island makes an abrupt turn heading south, bachback to the southwest. This is a favorite spot for surf casting and usually there are hundreds of people there on any given day in the fall, surf fishing.

On this day upon arrival, I pulled a light spinning rig out that already had a hot pink “GOTCHA” lure tied on and made one cast with a quick jerking retrieve and caught a bluefish about a foot long, maybe half a pound.. I removed it and using a large circle hook, I rigged the squirming bluefish up as bait on a 9 foot surf rod, cast it 50 yards into the roiling surfing with a 3 ounce singer, handed the whole thing to Julie, the Warden, and figured, “that will keep her occupied a while”.

I turned to open the cooler, grabbing a soft drink and when I turned back, I saw the Warden, holding the now completely doubled over rod as line shrieked off the Shimano reel. She bravely fought the big drum that had grabbed the little bluefish, for about 10 minutes. We saw it roll over in the surf a couple of times and I estimated it to weigh about 40 lbs. The 17 lb test line in the surf was no match and eventually it broke off. That’s how quick you can get into a big fish there or catch a 12 inch blue, you just never know….

In the fall, the serious surf fishermen cruise the beach in their 4×4s watching for diving birds that give away the position of huge schools of migrating Bluefish. When spotted, a call goes out on the CB radios and these guys will drive willy-nilly down the beach, trying to get ahead of the school and jump out and make a cast. A flashing metal spoon, thrown into a school of large bluefish will generally always turn into a vicious strike if placed in the right spot. Once the school moves on or out of casting range, the binoculars come back out, the CB’s turned up and the waiting process begins again.

We go to the Outer Banks every summer for a week and fishing in these months, can be fun too, but usually the surf fishing offers more pan-fish type opportunities. Bear in mind, that while your wife sunbathes and your kids boogie board, you can stand a few yards away with minimal tackle and on a good day, fill a 5 gallon bucket with Croakers in a couple hours. Fishing in the summer is almost always decent, sometimes crappy, but quite often, outstanding. A really handy piece of equipment on these deserted beaches can be a Coleman Lantern. Some of the best summer surf fishing can occur right before dusk until late at night. A couple of good friends, a cooler, and a lantern and campfire can make a great fishing experience.

One evening right at dusk, I made a cast and placed my rod into a sand spike type rod holder and turned to the tackle box for a minute. I heard a soft thump in the sand and turned back to see my road being dragged down the beach towards the surf. I made a quick run , grabbed and fought a monster of some sort for half an hour before landing a Stingray or skate as big as a garbage can lid. When they get big, they are a hoot to catch!

As a side note, don’t forget another OBX tradition; Pier Fishing!. Every several miles on the Outer Banks there is a commercial fishing pier, usually rickety looking structures that for $5-6.00 will allow you access for fishing. These are great places to fish at night, as they are well lighted and fishing can be great at times. Once I entered a pier and met an elderly African American lady leaving. She was pulling a “little red wagon” of some sort with her rod, tackle and two 5 gallon buckets full of pan-fish. I asked her how many and she quickly replied “ 172 !” Not bad for an afternoon of fishing.

CAMPING:

As RV’ers, we love the many places the Outer Banks has to offer to us and our special needs. It is a very RV friendly place and unlike Hilton Head, you are not required to show up in a million dollar rig to be allowed to come in. The RV Campgrounds and Resorts on Hatteras and Ocracoke cater to folks in wind-blown tents, to tent camper, travel trailers, Class C rigs and the occasional seven figure Prevost Motor Coach will come in too. To the north, up in Nags Head, there are only a couple of small campgrounds. But farther south on Hatteras the possibilities open up.

As you travel south on Highway 12, at the Oregon Inlet Bridge there is a large National Park Service Campground near the dunes. It has no hookups but bath houses are provided. If you like dry-camping and can get by without Air Conditioning, this is a good choice. After you cross over to Hatteras, you will travel down the dunes for 12 miles before reaching the first town, Rodanthe. In the beach there you will see first “North Beach Campground”. North Beach, ran by a guy named Joey and his wife Virginia, is “old Hatteras” . Charming, sandy, and primarily a place to park your trailer full time. Rent is by the year and a family atmosphere prevails. Joey has 3-4 transient campsites up near the beach that rent for about $20.00 per night for full hook-ups, but they’re right in the sand at the dunes.

Passing further down the island another mile, one sees a landmark Camp Hatteras, a lovely 52 acre world class camping resort, with every amenity that one expects in a modern campground. Right past Camp Hatteras is Hatteras KOA, a resort similar in size and offering similar amenities. Expect to pay about $60.00 per night for a concrete pad, cable hook-ups, water, sewer and electric including taxes. This is about average for beachfront camping.

A little further along is my favorite spot, Ocean Waves, a small Mom & Pop place that is immaculately kept and offers beachfront camping for only $24.95 per night. Sadly, I was told the property may be for sale and due to gross inflation, whoever pays the $5+ million asking price will not be able to afford to keep it as a campground. What a shame.

Passing through Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo, travelers will drive another 11 mile stretch of pristine beach to the next town, Avon, or Kinnakeet to the natives. There is one little campground on the highway, but it is not near the beach. By the way, while in Avon or Frisco further down the island, DO NOT pass up Bubba’s Barbecue. Shaved smoked turkey breast with North Carolina style, vinegar based sauce - it is unbelievable!

Passing south through Avon, another 5 or six miles brings you to the wider, southern end of Hatteras Island. Buxton has the world-famous Hatteras Island Lighthouse with its familiar white and black diagonal stripe pattern. Recently it was moved a half mile to protect it from the numerous hurricanes that plague the Outer Banks. Buxton is home to “the POINT” or “Cape Hatteras”, a great fishing spot. Another large National Park service Campground is there as well as a couple of private parks on the sound side.

Several more miles bring you to the southern tip of Hatteras Island at Hatteras Village, where Hatteras Sands is the campground of choice.

Eventually, the road ends at the North Carolina Ferry Terminal where you can board a free ferry for Ocracoke Island, a twenty minute ride to an isolated place know as the hiding place and hanging place of the notorious Blackbeard the pirate (Edward Teach) and home to a remnant of wild Spanish mustang horse who have made this island home since they swam ashore from shipwrecked Spanish ships, 500 years ago. At the southern tip is the quaint little village of Ocracoke where among other places is the famous Howard’s Pub, an outstanding spot for a fried oyster sandwich. There among the narrow back roads is Ocracoke’s only private campground. There is of course a National Parke Service campground out at the beach. From Ocracoke a three hour ferry ride south will take you to the mainland at Swan Quarter, N. C.

These are my Outer Banks. Sometimes I feel like I should have been born there instead of the hills of West Virginia. If you like the beach, if you like to fish, if you like history, or you just like it quiet and peaceful, bring the RV and come on down. Stop by Ocean Waves in June, August or sometimes right after Thanksgiving. You might see me there.

Here are some more pictures from the areas around the Outer Banks

Enjoying the warm sands and sunshine of the beaches.

Reading a good book while waiting for the fish to bite.

A good camping buddy is always good to have along.

The scenery can be spectacular!

Currituck