May 17th:
Anne Langley and John Wallace from State College PA came to Ocracoke for their 15th year in a row. “Every year two weeks before Memorial Day,” said Langley. They chartered Steve Wilson’s Dream Girl and returned with 10 dolphin (mahi mahi) totaling 131 pounds.
May 19th:
Local Ocracoke resident Larry Ihle, chartered Captain O’Neal’s Drumstick and brought home 17 dolphin and 12 blackfin.
May 20th:
The weekend was getting primed for the upcoming Reel Nauti Fishing Tournament, previously and still more commonly known as the Redneck Fishing Tournament, produced this year by Glen Wetherington and Ken Comfort. There were a total of 32 entries and the cost to enter was $400 for pre-registered entries or $800 on the first day.
The Reel Nauti Fishing Tournament was a big success, complete with cigarette butts in the lake and silver bullets in the streets, as well as countless catches of dolphin, tuna, and wahoo. The details of the weekend have been omitted but let’s just say the former redneck fishing tournament lived up to its name and everyone had a wild and crazy weekend! Can I get a “Hell yea!!!!?” YAAAAHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Prizes were awarded each day for the largest fish and a grand prize was given for each category of dolphin, tuna, or wahoo. Ocracoke’s Drumstick team hauled in the largest dolphin at 44.21 lbs. Top prize went to Whoo Dat for a 45.8 lbs. wahoo, and third went to Classea for a 21.9lbs tuna.
May 29th:
The island quieted down a bit after the tournament and cobia fever returned to the local fisherman and inshore charters. Russel Williams of Williams Fish-N-Hunt started off with a bang catching three cobias (40lbs, 35lbs, and 25lbs) just outside the inlet on buck tails. If cobia is your game then Russel can put you on the brown bombers as well as anybody. Russel is pictured below cleaning fish. You can see his 28 ft skiff in the back ground which makes for a very comfortable expedition.
June 8th:
Anthony and Lou Revelle along their buddy Mark Metzger of Lynchburg, Virginia chartered Stevie Wilson’s Dream Girl for a half day of bottom fishing. They limited out on Amber jacks and a few trigger and a sea bass while bait fishing.
That same day Captain Ernie’s Gecko was charted by Brad Nicholson and a party of 6 from Blacksburg, Virginia. These guys are friends of Jerry Newsome of Ocracoke. Check out the nice sized gaffer pictured below they caught on a spin rod fishing around a floating pallet in the ocean.
The last charter to enter the dock that afternoon was Drumstick. She was chartered by Jarrett Painter and his party of five from Greenville, NC. Every year he treats his employees of M-n-J Telephone Lineman. They caught wahoo, tuna, vermillion snapper, dolphin and one skip jack.
June 9th:
Dream Girl Captain Stevie Wilson was charted by Ron Grubb on his 80th birthday and caught a 60lb cobia and 50lb drum!
June 14th:
Budd, party of five from Winston Salem, went aboard the Gecko for a day and caught 9 dolphin, 17 blackfin, 1 wahoo.
Pauley, party of four come to Ocracoke every year, “twice if they can,” and charter Dream Girl for a day. They caught 1 wahoo, 7 dolphin, and 1 blackfin.
Michael Koch, party of four came all the way from Middle, Delaware. They come to Ocracoke every year. They charted Drumstick for a full day and caught 23 dolphin and 3 blackfin.
