Obsession Fishing Charters Outer Banks North Carolina
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SPRING/EARLY SUMMER ON THE OBSESSION 2018HIGHLIGHTS ON THE OBSESSION FISHING OUT OF OREGON INLET
This will definitely be a spring season to remember! In 35+ years fishing out of Oregon Inlet, We've never seen so many jumbo yellowfin tuna. I've boated only one 100+ lb yellowfin tuna a number of years ago chunking in the fall east of the inlet. Probably haven't caught 3 in all those years over 90 lbs; might give out one - five citations for 70+ lb fish a year, and most years give out one or two. This year, since May, twenty eight yellowfin tuna caught on the Obsession earned citations; twenty four were over 80lbs and four topped 100lbs. Robert Crowder boated the first one in late May... right at 100l lbs.
In June, Blake Cook boated a 110 lb yellowfin, Joshua Herr boated a 113 lb yellowfin, Daniel Feorino boated one that had a big chunk bit out of it and it still weighed 92 lbs, and Lisa Frandock boated a whopping 124 lb. yellowfin, the biggest one ever caught on the Obsession! Don't know why these fish were here in such good numbers, but hopefully this will not be a one time deal.
124 lb yellowfin tuna! Not only was this the season for lunker yellowfin, but we've had outstanding bigeye action.... Micheal Cooper caught the first one the first second week in May, James Feorino boated the seasons biggest so far, weighing 150 lbs. and to date we have written citations for 24 bigeyes boated on the Obsession exceeding 100 lbs. Mixed in with the tuna has been some very good dolphin fishing..... the big 'gaffer' dolphin season in late April thru May was sporadic but we had some great days, as Kevin O'Brian and crew experienced to the first week in May. We had a stretch of excellent kite fishing for blackfin tuna; Tyrone Bowman & crew earned 5 citations for 20-26 lb. blackfin tuna on standup light tackle in early May. Since late June the school dolphin fishing has been better than the last few years, and hopefully this will continue. Good numbers of marlin and sailfish are starting to show up. Richard Morgan released our first blue marlin a few days ago, a 450 lb fish, and his crew also caught a sailfish and a limit of school dolphin. Check out the daily fishing reports section of my website for pictures and stories from this past season.
The season's only down side has been the constant loss of big tuna to the damm sharks.... Don't even want to think about how many big yellowfins and bigeyes we have lost the past few months, but some days it was better than 50%. In years past, sharks would be an occasional problem a few days a year, but the last 3 years they have been a constant problem virtually every day and over the extent of our fishing grounds... this season alone I have had sharks get our tuna and the tackle over a 45 mile range north to south, and on any given day the fleet can be spread out over 20 miles or more, and over the entire area, sharks will be getting a large percentage of the tuna. A number of years ago, the government imposed closures on shark fishing commercially will not relax those regulations. Even the oldtimers cannot recall so much loss to sharks as we have sustained the last few years!! I still have days open from late July thru Mid September for what should be an exciting marlin, sailfish and dolphin season, and would not be surprised if a few big yellowfin are mixed in. Hopefully the yellowfin and bigeyes make a showing in October and November, along with blackfin tuna and wahoo. I am taking bookings for 2019, and have already booked a number of days in May and June 2019. The OBSESSION is available for charter out of Pirates Cove from April 1 thru Thanksgiving. We leave the dock at 4:30 AM and return around 5 PM. We head out of Oregon Inlet; the run offshore takes around 2 hours. The cost of chartering the OBSESSION in 2018 is $2100 for 1-6 people and this includes all bait, tackle, and ice for your fish. A tip for the mate (15 - 20%) is customary if service is satisfactory. FISHING LICENSES are not needed; charter boats have blanket licenses to cover customers. All you need to bring is your food and beverages, preferably in coolers, along with good luck and good weather (no bananas, please!!). Pirates Cove has a fish cleaning service available, and there are two local businesses that vacuum pack and freeze your fillets if you are staying overnight. You can reserve a date(s) by e-mail or phone: (H) 252-480-0094. A $500 deposit is required to secure your dates. SAILFISHING FROM ISLA MUJERES MEXICO 2019Oh Mexico!
My plans are to again run the OBSESSION to Isla Mujeres, Mexico for the light tackle Atlantic sailfish season in winter 2019. This will be the 16th season that I will be bringing the OBSESSION to Mexico, and my 19th season fishing down there. I love the island life and can't wait to get back. The waters off the northern Yucatan Peninsula hold the world's greatest seasonal concentration of Atlantic sailfish, and provide some incredible light tackle billfishing from early/mid January thru early/mid March. Fishing for sailfish from the wonderful island of Isla Mujeres in 2018 was very good. Most days we caught better than 10 sailfish and did not have to run very far to get them. We had good action throughout the entire time we were there, with action actually picking up in March. Tom Noonan & Mike Eakin have started off our Mexico season every year for the last 10 years or so, and this year, two of their five days they released better than twenty sailfish the second week in January. Tom Palmer & crew released 20 sails one day the last week in January; Steve Stephans and crew did the same the second week in February; Kevin Fite's crew released 21 the third week in February; and two different days in early March we caught 21-24 sailfish in a day. Overall good steady action from early January thru mid March. AVAILABLE DAYS IN MEXICO IN 2019The OBSESSION will be available for charter from JANUARY 9 thru MARCH 15, 2019. You can reserve dates by e-mail or phone 252-480-0094. RECOMMENDATION.... lodgings fill up quick on the island so do not wait to long to set up your trip!! JAN 12 -13 The cost of chartering the OBSESSION out of out of Enrique Lima Marina, Isla Mujeres, Mexico in 2019 will be $2300. This fee covers 1-6 (flexible) people and this includes all bait, tackle A $1000/day deposit will be needed to secure your fishing dates. We provide lunch, including sandwiches, munchies, fruit, yogurt, and drinks including plenty of water, soda and cervesas (beer) ! All you need bring is polarized sunglasses, sunscreen, rubber soled shoes, hat, camera, and good luck! We use Shimano TLD 20's with 25 lb line on light action stand-up trolling rods. We encourage angler participation and enthusiastically work with everyone interested in hooking their own fish. We use exclusively circle hooks to reduce injury to the sailfish. We will leave the dock at 6:30 AM and return around sunset (6 PM). The OBSESSION will again be docked at Enrique's Marina, on the island of Isla Mujeres. To get there, fly into Cancun International Airport. From Cancun airport, take a half hour cab ride to Puerto Juarez, the port where you take the ferry to the island. The ferry ride is 25 minutes, costs around $8, and runs every half hour (6AM-11PM). The ferry lets you off a stones throw from my boat. If you're thinking of fishing off Isla Mujeres on the Obsession, its time to make your travel arrangements!! The island is a wonderful place but has become a popular tourist destination, and the more convenient rooms fill up earlier each year. The local populace is extremely friendly and the island's growth has included many expatriated Americans, Canadians & Europeans who have moved to Isla Mujeres and opened up a diverse and eclectic mix of excellent restaurants, boutiques & galleries while maintaining its small town, tropical island feeling. My wife has traveled to the island for the last 15 years and navigates its streets alone day or night with no worries! Many of my customers who originally came down just to fish a few days, now come for a week or two or even more; they fish a few days and enjoy the island lifestyle the rest of the time... and they come back year after year!! Contact me for a list of lodging recommendations and other travel issues by e-mail or phone (252-480-0094).
MAKE UP GROUPSNeed a few more to fill out your group or want to join a group to share costs for a charter, please email captjeff@mindspring.com or call me (252-480-0094) and I will discuss several options with you and hopefully hook you up with a full group. Most years I put 4-6 'makeup' groups together composed of folks that did not have enough people to book the whole boat. NOTE: At this time, I have openings for 2-4 people to join two great guys for marlin & sailfish the first week in September, which is typically the heart of our best billfishing. The dates are: Mon Sept 3; Tues Sept 4; Thurs Sept 6; Fri Sept 7 & Sat Sept 8; You can join for one or more dates. If interested give me a call one evening (252-480-0094) or send me an e-mail. Thanks again to all of you who have fished with me once or 20 times.... I have often commented to other captains about the great group of anglers I have been privileged to fish with on the OBSESSION over the years.... I appreciate your business! We are looking forward to seeing y'all in the upcoming year. As always, I guarantee 110% effort to show you a great time and hopefully catch you a bunch of fish and maybe a fish of a lifetime! My wife, Ruth Ann, and I are always glad to offer any assistance and/or recommendations for your travel, lodging and dining on the Outer Banks or in Mexico. Best wishes and tight lines....Capt'n Jeff Ross Check out the fishing reports section of my website for pictures of fishing out of Oregon Inlet and Mexico ABOUT THE OBSESSIONThe OBSESSION is a 55 foot custom 'Carolina-style' sportfishing boat, the last and largest in a long line of vessels built specifically for charter fishing by Capt. Sheldon Midgette (for Capt. Sheldon Midgette). You will not find a more comfortable, seakindly boat when the ocean gets rough. This is one of the dryest boats ever built, and with a large keel, she is extremely stable when trolling. The OBSESSION was repowered in 2010 with a 1000 hp 3412 Caterpillar. The OBSESSION carries state of the art electronics including radar, color fish finder, and two GPS chart plotters. Its large salon features: heat/air, microwave, stereo, VCR and a refrigerator. Enhancing your fishing comfort, the hugh cockpit has a 130 lb class giant tuna chair, 2 additional fighting chairs, and a large built-in bait box, ice chest and fish box. The OBSESSION has a ladder to the flying bridge to allow customers/guests to join Capt. Jeff on the bridge for a different perspective.
OBSESSION T-SHIRTSI have S, M, L, XL & XXL T-Shirts with front pockets and the original Obsession T-shirts design in bluish, greenish, blackish & white with short sleeves for sale for $20 (+shipping approx. $7). I also have some long sleeve DENALI sun shirts in blue with the 'Mexico... sails, tails & margaritas logo' design for sale for $35 (+shipping approx. $7). If you would like to order Obsession t-shirts, you can do so by email or phone 252-480-0094. Shipping is approx. $5.00 for 1 shirt, $6.50 for 2, & $7.50 for 3 shirts.
Obsession Sportfishing ChartersOuter Banks - North Carolina Captain Jeff Ross 252.480.0094 |
