Spear Fishing On the Outer Banks, NC

Spear fishing on the Outer Banks, NC

Equipment - Minimum investment needed and all the gear lasts for years. You will need a pair of swim fins (can be purchased at any surf shop, we recommend Whalebone Surf shop in Nags Head), a dive mask and snorkel which can be purchased at Wal-Mart or one of the many one-stop-shops on the Outer Banks, a net bag and a Hawaiian Sling which you will need to purchase at the Outer Banks Dive Center across form Jockeys Ridge.

Where – There are many optimal spots along the Outer Banks, NC for spear fishing. There is the exposed boiler across from the Ranger Station on Pea Island (this one is pretty secluded so you may need a Kayak to access), Kitty Hawk Pier, the Research Pier in Duck, the Second St. wreck in Kill Devil Hills and the wreck across from Ocean Boulevard in Kitty Hawk. Some of these spots are further out then others and may need a surfboard for access.

How – The process is simple, you simply attach the bag to a ten or twelve foot rope or leash and swim out to your desired fishing area. Once you are there, dive down with your spear drawn and stay as still as possible; when a larger fish gets close, hold out the spear as close to the fish as possible and release. Then, swim to the surface with the fish on the spear, remove and place in the bag. Dinner is served.

You can expect to shoot triggerfish, sheepshead, striped bass and occasionally a drum or even better a cobia. I have personally shot fish in the 30 lb range and can attest that the exhilaration of manually handling a fish that large in open water is an experience you will not likely forget. If you have questions, feel free to give us a call. If you do give spear fishing a shot, spread out your fishing in different areas so one does not get over fished. Most of all have fun and be safe!

Easter Activities on the Outer Banks

Thousands of Eggs Hidden on The Outer Banks

Here are some fun Easter events for your children or grandchildren

Easter Egg Hunt, Saturday, March 27, 2PM

Dare County Family Recreation Park, KDH, Sponsored by Dare County Parks & Recreation, Ages 2 to 10. Family fun activities include temporary tattoos, egg/spoon races, sack races, pictures with Easter Bunny, bean bag toss, ring toss, pin the tail on the bunny, sidewalk decorating and more! 1:30 PM to 4 PM. Three age groups: 0 to 3; 4 to 6; 7 to 10. Free.

Ray Turners 2nd Annual 94.5 WCMS Easter Egg Hunt, Friday, April 2, 12 Noon

Roanoke Island Festival Park Outdoor Pavilion. Two hunts will be offered for Kids 4 to 6 and also those 6 to12. Hundreds of eggs. Grounds open at 11 a.m. Free.
http://www.roanokeisland.com/

Easter Egg-stravaganza, Friday, April 2, 1 pm to 3 pm, Whalehead Club at Currituck Heritage Park, Corolla.

Join the Easter Bunny and the Currituck Duck for a traditional egg hunt in Currituck Heritage Park. Lots of fun children's activities like Balloon Art; Face Painting; Egg & Spoon Races; Bean Bag Toss; Jellybean Counting Contest; Snacks & Refreshments; Fabulous Prizes! Free. http://www.whaleheadclub.org/

Easter Eggstravaganza, Saturday, April 3, 10 AM to 2 PM, Elizabethan Gardens, Manteo.

This is a fun-filled morning of egg rolls, egg hunts, Magic Mike and crafts, as well as music and games. Children under 12 admitted free with paying adult or Friends member. http://www.elizabethangardens.org/

Easter Eggstravaganza, Saturday, April 3, 11 AM, Kitty Hawk Kites, Nags Head

The LARGEST Easter Egg Hunt on the Outer Banks! Several hunts beginning at 11 AM. Over 2,000 candy and toy-filled eggs are waiting to be collected. Fly Into Spring activities at Kitty Hawk Kites and Jockey's Ridge State Park - 10 AM to 2 PM. http://www.kittyhawk.com/ Free.

Sea Turtle Egg Hunt, Saturday, April 3, 10 to 11:30 AM, NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island.

Attention small "turtlers!" Join the Aquarium this spring to learn about one of our local endangered species, the sea turtle. Children will take part in a sea turtle program, come face to face with a loggerhead turtle, and make a craft to take home. The program will conclude with an actual egg hunt on the Aquarium grounds as children search for plastic eggs filled with treats! Event will be held rain or shine. Ages 4 to 7. Cost: $7; Limit 20. Preregistration required. (252) 473-3494 x 232. http://www.ncaquariums.com/

Jockey's Ridge State Park in Nags Head

Jockey’s Ridge State Park is a wonderful place to visit on the Outer Banks. It is located at milepost 12 to 13 in Nags Head. It is made up of large dunes of shifting sand with little vegetation. It is the tallest natural sand dune system in the Eastern United States.

There is a marvelous story to this park being created by the State of North Carolina. In the early 1970’s, when I began visiting the Outer Banks, there were little jars with slits in the top as collection containers to “Save Our Dunes.” These could be seen at almost every local business. At that time, some of the dunes were actually being “sand mined” and carried away to be used as fill in other areas. There was a local jewelry maker named Carolista Fletcher Baum who persisted to save the dunes.

She began her campaign of collecting funds and lobbying legislators to protect this ridge of sand dunes. The state eventually purchased the ridge and created the State Park. The dunes are enjoyed by young and old alike.

Any time of year you can see kite flying and hang gliders on top of the ridge. At Christmas time there was a wonderful display of red and green lights up the kite string and outlining the kite. It was wonderful glowing against the starry night sky.

There is a museum at the entrance to Jockey’s Ridge which is free to the public. You can hike across the dunes and see the ocean and sound. In the early mornings, the wildlife tracks from foxes, deer, birds and an occasional snake are fun to identify in the sand before all the human tracks cover it up.

Any wildlife or plant life that you see on the ridge must not be disturbed or removed from the park. You may also see fulgurites on the dunes. They are hollow tubes that are formed when lighting strikes the sand. You may not remove any fulgurites from the ridge. There are samples of these in the museum.

Sunsets on the ridge are breathtaking. There are many free programs that are presented by Jockey’s Ridge State Park including the sunset watch and star gazing at night.

There are picnic tables to accommodate your lunch. There is a great sound side beach on the west side of the ridge. The water is very shallow and great for small children. Children love climbing the ridge and rolling down the soft hills in the sand. A wooden boardwalk provides handicapped accessibility with a great view at the end.

The dunes are constantly changing shape and migrating to the south. Every few years, the State of North Carolina has to have sand trucked from the south side of the ridge back over to the north side of the ridge. Recycled Christmas trees have been used on the south end of the dunes to delay this migration.

Each year that you come, you will see how the ridge has changed. Start your own photo collection from year to year to mark the migration of the dunes. You may wish to join the Friends of Jockey’s Ridge who preserve and support the park. As a member of the Friends group, you will receive discounts in the Gift Shop as well as a newsletter, The Dune Breeze.

Visit the Jockey’s Ridge State Park website at http://www.jockeysridgestatepark.com/info.html