Capt. Marty's Outer Banks Fishing Report & Stories

Coming to you LIVE from the Hatteras Village Offshore Open this week! Not a whole lot of action over the last few days but there has been some activity on all fronts. A lot of our offshore boats are getting geared up for the first day of the tournament. I'll get you up to speed with all the great things in this report. Also, if you're in Hatteras Village and want to swing by Hatteras Harbor Marina, that's where I'll be doing the scoring for the tournament. I'd love to meet you and say hello! 

Kinda hit and miss offshore over the weekend, depending on where you were. It was either really a HIT or really a MISS. Near shore, beach and the piers seemed to be doing pretty good all over, and the back country is starting to pick up more and more. I'm gonna get you up to speed with it all plus talk a little bit about where I'll be this week, which is the Hatteras Village Offshore Open Tournament.

Yesterday was pretty much a wash for the offshore fleet, but that's ok. Capt. Omie Tillett use to say "sometimes the fish need a day off too"! There was a little bit of action in other areas of the Outer Banks though. I'll get you up to speed with all that plus talk a little bit about something happening next week you may be interested in!

It's been hit and miss over the last few days on all fishing fronts, however we do have a new species in the mix! I'll tell you what that species is and what has been caught in this report.

MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU!!! Hahaha I know "don't quit my day job". My day job though is getting yall up to speed with what's been caught here on our lovely Outer Banks. It was kinda hit and miss depending on where you were. I'll get you up to speed with that and give the final standings of the Ocracoke Surf Fishing Tournament in this report.

With Artemis II making headlines, Capt. Marty takes a trip back in time and shares what it was like to witness the historic Apollo 17 moon launch in 1972 while out fishing on the open ocean. He also recalls another unforgettable Apollo mission that left a lasting impression. In this episode, Capt. Marty reflects on those incredible moments and the memories he still carries with him today. 

We've made it to May! Kind of hit and miss offshore but the nearshore, surf and pier bite made up for it with good catches and some new species for the year to report on. I'll get you up to speed with all of that, the back country fishing bite and what's going on with the Ocracoke Surf Fishing Tournament. 

We have lots of things to talk about on the fishing report today! Offshore, nearshore, back country... A LOT HAPPENING! Love seeing this! Also we have a big surf fishing tournament coming up in Ocracoke. Listen up and I'll get you up to speed with what happened!

Although yesterday's weather was interesting with the wind shift and the rain (and Lord knows we needed the rain), it didn't keep people away from the fishing. I'll get you up to speed with what all went on yesterday and Saturday in today's report.

Wrapping up the week with some great catches offshore, nearshore and in the surf. Plus there's a big surf fishing tournament that is taking place down on Hatteras Island this weekend. I'm gonna talk about that and give you a look at the weekend ahead in this report.

The offshore fleet got blown out again but things are really picking up big time nearshore and on the beach. Not saying there aren't any fish offshore - just the boats can't get out there to them safely. Hatteras Island seems to be the hot spot, but there are a good amount of fish, mainly red & black drum, being caught north of Oregon Inlet. I'm gonna cover all of this and our back country fishing in this report.

The offshore fleets got blown out yesterday but they had been having some good luck up until the blow and wind shift. I'll talk about what was being cough plus what was biting nearshore and in the back country in this report. Also, if you haven't done so, go back and listen to my most recent Other Side of Fishing Show recorded down at Red Drum Tackle Shop in Buxton!

Capt. Marty takes his show on the road to Red Drum Tackle Shop in Buxton, NC. There he sits down with Kara Eakes and her son Bobby, the owners of the shop, and they talk about what's currently biting, different tips, techniques and the "do's and don'ts" of surf fishing, bait & tackle you may want to consider while out fishing and an upcoming tournament you may want to participate in! It's always a fun time when Capt. Marty goes to Red Drum Tackle Shop - they're some of the best around when it comes to bait, tackle and local knowledge!Visit them online by clicking here!

Catch the latest fishing updates from Corolla down to Ocracoke—and hear the story behind the best fish sandwich Marty’s ever had. 

The southwest wind down the Hatteras direction kept the boats at the dock, but the drum bite has been phenomenal down there lately. Someone also landed a sand tiger in Rodanthe! I'll talk about that and get you up to speed with all the happenings from all over in this report. Also don't forget that Justin and I will be at Red Drum Tackle Shop in Buxton to do a LIVE recording of my Other Side of Fishing show around 10:30am. If you're in the area stop by and say hello and maybe even jump on the mic with us! We'd love to meet you and talk to you.

Good morning everyone!! Steamboat Willie aka Capt. Marty here on this lovely Monday! CHOO CHOO!!! As you can tell the fishing is starting to pick up steam as we move closer to summer. I'll tell you all about what's biting and what we can look forward to in this report.Also, Justin and I will be doing another one of my Other Side of Fishing Shows at Red Drum Tackle Shop in Buxton this upcoming Thursday at 10:30am, I hope you'll stop by and say hello!

Every day things are picking up more and more. Before too much longer we will be full steam ahead just like our old pal Steamboat Willie (for those of you that remember him!). Got the latest on the fishing in this report. 

Capt. Marty tells the story about how he arrived on the Outer Banks way back in the mid 1970s and how certain people helped him get his start charter fishing down in Hatteras. 

It's Good Friday, the bite on all fronts is REALLY starting to pick up and the weekend is looking amazing!! I'll get you up to speed with what's biting and answer a question I received from Eric from Powhatan, VA on the Capt. Marty Hotline! If you would like to call in with a question the number is 252-216-2797! I look forward to hearing from you!

In the Fishing Bible, one of the commandments are "Thou Shall Not Make False Fishing Claims on April 1st", and that is one that I definitely abide by! That being said, things are slowly improving with the transitioning of the season. It can only keep going up from here (hopefully!). Take a listen to what has been going on over the last few days.

There were some blue marlin caught over the weekend... WAIT, WHAT DID I JUST SAY?! BLUE MARLIN?!?!?!?!!! That's correct!! Things are fixing to burst loose realllllll soon! Listen to all what happened from the weekend in this report.

When Justin asks Capt. Marty to tell a story about a legendary Captain/Mate combo, Capt. Marty doesn't hesitate to talk about Capt. Lee Perry and his mate Ralph Wayne Johnson aka 'Snooki' on their boat the 'Deepwater'. One day after a great trip offshore, Capt. Lee and Snooki race in to Oregon Inlet to try and be the first to the fuel dock. Having the slowest boat in the fleet, they really had to hurry! Well, they went a little too fast. Listen to this story and you'll understand why..

Fishing picked up a little bit over the last few days on the offshore and surf side of things, not so much in the back country. I'll get you up to speed with that and give you a few tips on how to go about getting FRESH local tuna from our seafood markets. 

Mother Nature really teased us last weekend!! Seems as if everything has come to a screeching halt with the recent front that came through, but I'm gonna tell you about what you could start to expect in the coming weeks. I have a feeling that things are going to burst wide open soon!

I know what you're thinking... you're thinking "Hey Capt. Marty, how slow is it still"? Well, guess what...? FISHING ACTUALLY PICKED UP SOME OVER THE WEEKEND ON ALL FRONTS!!! Now, the question is how long will it stay up? That's a good question!! Let's take it for now and I'll cover what's took place over the weekend in this report.

March on the Outer Banks means one thing—change is in the air… and in the water! As winter loosens its grip and spring starts to tease, the fishing scene is shifting gears, and we’re here for all of it.This episode, we’ve got Capt. Ben from the Miss Oregon Inlet II along with his mate Camille, giving us the inside scoop on what it’s like aboard one of the OBX’s most iconic headboats. From the variety of fishing trips you can jump on to the stories that come with life offshore, they cover it all.Plus, we ring up Lee at Teach’s Lair Marina for a boots-on-the-ground report from the southern beaches. If you’re itching to get a line in the water, this one’s your early-season playbook!To learn more about how you can book a trip on the Miss Oregon Inlet II, click here!

Bluefins continue to bite, kind of redundant at this point in that regard but we do have some breaking news offshore. I'll get you up to speed with that and the rest of what has been taking place in this report.

Kind of the same ol' same ol' in the fishing report. It's that transition time of the year honestly. Still some bluefin tuna offshore along with another species, which you'll hear about in this report along with a tad bit of freshwater action as well!

Not too bad of a weekend offshore with the bluefin tunas but that was really it. I'll talk about that and help yall get your calendars marked for the upcoming tournaments this spring and early summer that you're going to want to either be a part of or check out!

How about that temperature swing?! Goodness it dropped over 30 degrees in a matter of hours. How did affect the fishing? I'll talk to you about that in this report. Also a special happy birthday to my granddaughter Ella Smith! I'll be spending time with her at the aquarium today in Manteo. Very much looking forward to that! 

Got a little bit of breaking news on the offshore side of things! I'll tell you all about it plus just a tad bit of the activity in the back country as well in this report.

Beautiful weekend! Even with the rain (which we've needed) the last few days have been great. Has the fishing been great though...? Ehhhh, depends on how you look at it. I'll tell you how I saw it and what I expect to see in this report.

Growing up, Capt. Marty didn't get the chance to play or watch many sports other than NASCAR. As a young mate at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, Capt. Marty took a group offshore from the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team and was given the opportunity to go see them play in Washington DC. Just listen to how much fun Marty and a few other mates had once they arrived in our nation's capital. 

Kind of slow the last few days but I'm going to refer to this as the calm before the storm. It won't be long before you can't put enough lines in the water for the amount of fish that are fixing to show up! Don't get me wrong, there are still some fish being caught but just wait...

The bluefins are still moving around!! Here, there and everywhere!! Gonna get you up to speed with that in this report. Also... would you like to fish on the very same boat I use to run right before I retired? There is an opening this weekend and you can hop on it! Listen up and I'll give you the details on how!

Great weekend weather wise that's for sure. Was the fishing great as well? I'm fixing to tell you in this report.

As you've probably already guessed the last few days have not been great fishing weather at all, BUT I do still have a few things to talk about!

In the words of Capt. Omie Tillett "Sometimes the fish need a day off too". Well, with the unsettled weather we've had lately they've had a few days off. Hard for anyone to get out offshore and the beaches haven't been super active either. There have been stripers (aka rockfish) caught in the sound, but you can't keep them in certain places. I'll get you up to speed with all of that in this report.

Mother Nature teased us at the end of last week with some pretty weather! Now it's back to reality but the fish honestly didn't seem to care in some regards. I'll get you up to speed from the weekend (mainly Saturday) in this report.

Wrapping up this week and looking forward to the weekend!!

In a lot of ways the fishing is very similar to what it was in my Monday fishing report but I do have some other pieces of info I would like to share with you today so listen up!

A better weekend all the way around on the offshore fishing front, but that was really it. There was some action in the back country but it was on a species that you can't keep. I'll talk about that and touch on the Daytona 500 from my old stompin' grounds in this report. 

In this episode of Capt. Marty's Other Side of Fishing Capt. Marty and Justin talk about how to properly book a charter, make a few phone calls to Radcliffe Marine & AW Sales, they shout out to the sponsors so far for 2026, give a little fishing forecast for the rest of February & early March and reveal the OFFICIAL drink of Capt. Marty programming! 

This has probably been one of the slowest fishing weeks so far this year. Consider the fact that the weather has kept people at the docks mostly because the fish are there, especially the bluefin. I'll talk about what is to come hopefully over the next week and also a tad about the speckle trout in the back country after a great lunch & chat with my buddy Ricky Radcliffe.

If you couldn't tell already we are in the weary days of winter. There was some activity offshore over the last few days but that was really about it. I'm going to be on the road today with my good ol' buddy Justin out in Belhaven at Radcliffe Marine, in Pinetown at A&W Sales & Mercantile and we always find ourselves at Fish Hooks in downtown Belhaven for lunch. So, if you find yourself around one of those places today stop in and say hello! 

A windy, blustery weekend made for rough fishing weather but I do have a few things to talk about. What in the world could I possibly be talking about?! Listen and find out!

Kinda breezy yesterday but the few days leading up to the breeze there was some action! I'll get you up to speed plus give you sort of a weekend outlook in this report.

Let's be honest here... nothing to report on in the fishing world really due to the winter weather event we just had. HOWEVER I do want to talk to you about when to book a charter depending on what type of fishing you are looking to do. I will go through the species and the time of year for them for your offshore and back country fishing. Some good info in this report!

Back when the captain was a wee young lad he had a job as a mate on a head boat called the 'Flamingo' out of Ponce Inlet, Florida. One day aboard the Flamingo a man from South Carolina shared his M-80 firecrackers with Marty and his friends, and, well, lets just let Capt. Marty tell you the story...

The cold has kept the fishing to a minimum so lets talk in this report about what you could possibly see on the other side of this snow storm we are fixing to have! Be safe this weekend!