Kitty Hawk Water Sports- Nags Head, NC

Friday the 30th gave the kids a day off from school so with a nice forecast I decided to take the boys fishing on the skiff. I’d heard the stripers were going off at the Mann’s Harbor Bridge so we set out to see if this was true.

Before we left I stopped by the tackle shop to see if I needed anything and I asked about the stretch lure which I hadn’t used before. Sure enough they had one and they were happy to take my money.

The “stretch” should be called the “snag”. That thing would steer towards the bridge everytime while we were trolling. But just as we were turning around after our first pass we got a strike. The striper was a definitely a keeper and he was nice and fat. The boys were stoked.

We messed around for a while and the few boats that were there started to head in so we passed over the channel and got another strike. Again, another fat keeper. It seems the fish were hanging around the channel under the high span.

The boys were getting bored so we trolled east back towards the launch and we got another striper but he was he was too close to call without a tape measure so we threw him back. Try telling your 4 year-old that the 17″ fish is too small and you have to throw him back. That fish looked pretty big to him.

Once again another beautiful day on the Outer Banks.

Friday, the 23rd of October was a nice looking day. I was just about to start painting my house (an ongoing project) when I got a phone call. It was my friend, Steve The Dream Thomas, with a live surf report. He was at the Lillian St. beach access (aka, the Laundry Mats) and he informed me there was a nice little swell that only a couple of stand-up paddleboarders and longboarders were taking advantage of.

I was in quite the dilemma. Paint the house or go surfing? Duh, I’m going surfing.

Air temp was about 70, water temp in the low 60s. There was a very gentle, slow rolling swell with a knee high wave you could ride for quite a long ways. On top of that there was no wind and the waters were very calm.

I actually needed a day like this to build up my confidence. The waves were easy to catch and I got good practice staying on the board as I finished out and turned around. In addition, I was able to paddle along with a pod of dolphin that weren’t too far away. Always a thrill.

The swell eventually quit around high tide so headed back home to see if I could get any work done. That didn’t last long because I soon had to pick up my son from elementary school which leads me to my second beach getaway.

I decided to take him, a friend, and my 4 year-old to the beach to play. Just in case I was given the opportunity I brought my fishing rod.

The kids went immediately to building a sand fort at the base of a washed up tree. If there’s one thing I can rely on with my kids at the beach is that they’ll find some old flotsam and start creating something. That distraction is just what I needed to start fishing and it went relatively smooth for 3 hours, which might be a record for us. I even caught a speckled trout, but not a keeper.

Once again it was a good day to be alive on the Outer Banks.

I tried to go fishing with a friend Sunday so we headed the boat out of the Southern Shores canals and on to Guingite Creek. It was about 48 degrees and blowing 15-20 out of the northwest. Total crap.

We never made it out of the creek it was blowing so hard and we were probably only on the boat for about an hour. Whoever said fish like it when it’s rough is full of it. I’ve never caught a fish in a good blow.

Needless to say, I spent the rest of the day trying to warm up and wondering why winter came so soon to the Outer Banks.

Alas, winter doesn’t have too tight a grip on us yet. I went for a bike ride yesterday, riding past the Laundry Mats (Kitty Hawk’s not-so-secret surf spot) and there were a bunch of surfers taking advantage of a nice swell. Full wetsuits were the standard attire. Did not see any gloves or booties.

Forcast is for warmer weather for the next couple of days (70-80) so if the swell continues it should be a good time to get out.

This is my favorite time of the year on the Outer Banks. Ocean temps are still great, the stress of the season is no longer there, fishing is heating up, and there are plenty of family activities.

A week ago I visited the Hobie Wave regatta at Nor’banks Sailing and Duck and helped out on the committee boat. Of the three day event I was lucky enough to show up on the one “good” day. Friday had high winds and rain which led to boats dismasting and Sunday had high winds and rain, as well. Saturday was cool and cloudy but the winds were such to have good races at a crisp pace. No slogging around the course.

Racers came from Ohio, Raleigh, and South Carolina. I had a chance to talk to a few and they were incredibly nice.

Speaking of regattas, we’ll be hosting our first ever in Nags Head on Oct. 10 and 11. We’ve seen a lot of local interest and hopefully we’ll have a good turnout. For more information go to our web site.

Last night before the sun disappeared I went down to the ocean with a fishing rod. I was there only about 1/2 an hour and I caught one 10″ speckled trout. Not a keeper but still fun. That’s what I love about the Outer Banks, I fishing hack like me can have success while fishing.

Monday was another story. My remaining staff and I went fishing on one of our skiffs as a little get together. After fishing all day the only thing we had to show for it was a bunch of empty beer cans. Still a fun time to be with friends.

Hope to see you out on the water.