Category: News

Big Rock is your ONE STOP shop for everyone on the list! Here’s a few of our favorite things to get you started. + PLUS, introducing Big Rock gift cards- now available for in store purchases!

Visit the links below to shop our TOP picks!

Men’s Vintage Micro Striped Polo (4 colors)  –  Men’s NC Streak Belt  –  Assorted Buckets  –  62nd Annual Long Sleeve Tee  –  Cut Through Patch Camo Trucker Hat  –  62nd Annual Hoodie

Shop Big Rock online or in-store today. Visit www.thebigrockstore.com to order online, now! Don’t forget, December 13th is the LAST day for standard holiday delivery!

On Friday, November 1st the Division of Marine Fisheries hosted the 2019 NC Governor’s Cup Awards Banquet in downtown Morehead City.

The North Carolina Governor’s Cup Billfishing Conservation Series is an annual sportfishing series operating cooperatively with eight major billfish tournaments held along the Tar Heel coast. The Series promotes conservation, protection, and preservation of our marine resources.

Participating boats are awarded Series points for billfish caught & released and for billfish taken which met tournament minimum size requirements. Penalty points are assessed for undersized fish taken, the emphasis being on fish released. This year, the field of 43 participating boats racked up 134 qualifying billfish: 57 blue marlin- 46 of which were released, 20 white marlin releases & 57 sailfish releases totaling a 91.79% release rate!

Trophies are awarded to boats with the most points in both the “Private Boat” and “Charter Boat” categories. Our 61st Annual Big Rock (record-breaking) WINNER, TOP DOG, won 1st Place overall with 3984.4 total points! THE GENERAL took home 2nd place overall and 1st place in the charter boat category with 3664.5 points.

Individual awards are given to the outstanding junior boy, outstanding junior girl and lady anglers. Brown Gaddy (THE GENERAL) and Banks Downing (FIN PLANNER)  were the 2019 outstanding junior boy anglers & Landt Smith (THE GENERAL) and Brooke Smith (DOUBLE B) won outstanding 2019 lady angler awards! Brooke Smith was the angler of a 497.6 lb. blue marlin caught aboard DOUBLE B, a 54′ Jarrett Bay, during this year’s Big Rock Tournament! (There were no junior girl anglers for 2019)

In addition, trophies are awarded for the largest blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, wahoo and dolphin. To no surprise, TOP DOG’s 914 lb. (record-breaking!) catch won them largest blue marlin & PIRACY followed in 2nd with a 655.9 lb. blue caught during the Hatteras Village Tournament. JOB SITE’s 53.7 lb. dolphin caught during the Big Rock Tournament held on through the summer for largest dolphin! Our very own Will Hanley, Jr. Angler & son of 2017 Big Rock winner Matt Hanley, won largest wahoo with his 56.5 lb. catch during this year’s tournament! Big Rock participant, J&B, claimed largest tuna.

Congratulations to the 2019 NC Governor’s Cup winners & to ALL on an awesome season! We thank you for your continued support to our tournament & this sport- looking forward to next year!

To view the 2019 NC Governor’s Cup final standings, click here.

The Big Rock Board of Director’s announced today a 2019 donation of $25,000.00 to the Carteret Health Care Cancer Center. Support from the Big Rock Keli Wagner tournament continues to improve the quality of life for cancer patients receiving services such as medical oncology, chemotherapy and hematology. Patients can spend more than 6 hours per visit to the clinic receiving treatments. All funds donated to the clinic are used solely for patients comfort and care.

The KWLA Tournament is named in honor of the late wife of Big Rock Board Member, Casey Wagner. Keli Wagner was a patient at the Carteret Health Care Cancer Center and played an instrumental role in forming the partnership between the two organizations. Keli Wagner lost her battle with cancer in 2008.

The continued support of tournament sponsors & participants has allowed the Big Rock Lady Angler Tournament to donate more than $374,000 to women-specific worthy charities since it began 1998. To date, $328,916 has been donated to the Carteret Health Care Cancer Center. Since the partnership began, the center has used the money for replacement robes, patient-specific pillows, handmade socks & aromatherapy. One of the most appreciated & attended programs supported by KWLA’s charitable donation is the Art as Therapy Program at Blue Sail Gallery. Over 160 people, including both patients & caregivers, have participated in the program this year.

The KWLA Tournament is passionate and committed to improving patient comfort & care at CHC’s Cancer Center with hopes to raise the spirit of those undergoing treatments

 

We were pleased to welcome Ocracoke School children affected by Hurricane Dorian to town for a few days of fun last weekend. In partnership with Carteret County Schools, students had an action packed weekend including an aquarium visit, putt-putt, and much more! Big Rock was proud to sponsor the shopping portion of their trip with a $18,400 charitable donation. These funds allowed students to purchase essentials lost during the storm- socks, underwear, book bags, etc.. We would like to thank our Major Sponsor, Jarrett Bay Boatworks, along with many others who continue to support Big Rock year after year.

CARTERET NEWS TIMES Press Release:

Thanks to support from area restaurants, businesses, the Big Rock Foundation and other groups, students got an Ocracoke Island Students’ Weekend they won’t soon forget. Plus, everything was sponsored and free to students and their chaperones.

The group started off Friday afternoon enjoying various activities at ECHS, from art and music activities to basketball and games. They also attended a soccer match and played laser tag.

Saturday and Sunday, students toured county sites, from the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort to the N.C. Aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores. They also visited several amusement attractions, enjoying bumper cars, miniature golf, movies and more. Area restaurants donated meals, and the Big Rock Foundation donated $18,400 to buy each student items they may have lost to the storm, including shoes and school supplies.

The students stayed at Camp Albemarle near Newport for the weekend.

Karen Jordan, a senior at Ocracoke School, a pre-kindergarten through grade 12 institution, said she was overwhelmed by the generosity of the county.

“I am very grateful,” she said. “It’s kind of incredible how everyone here banded together to donate this weekend to us kids.”

Ocracoke junior Dylan Esham agreed.

“I am really grateful that everyone has gone out of their way to help us,” he said.

Ocracoke middle school science teacher Patricia Piland, too, said she was overwhelmed by the generosity of the county.

She said the school remains closed and officials are identifying other buildings on the island that can serve as classrooms for students. School buildings were flooded when Dorian came through, leaving 10-12 inches of water and mud in much of the school.

“They’ll be separated into groups in different buildings. I’m not sure when they will go back to school. I know they were trying to get them started back next week, but I’m not sure if that will happen,” she said.

“What this county has done for these students is incredible. These students love each other and have missed being together. Just being able to play together and see each other is a big deal. Their streets are lined right now with people’s lives (discarded belongings) and just getting a few days away from that means a lot for them. They needed a weekend away. It’s also helping the parents,” she continued.

Tommy Bennett with the Big Rock Foundation said his organization, too, was glad to be able to help the students.

“The Big Rock Foundation is dedicated to helping the community become a better place. It just seemed a natural extension of our mission to meet this need,” Mr. Bennett said. “There are so many ties here to the people of Ocracoke.”

Top Dog’s Weigh-In Video by Liquid Video Productions.

 

» With just 3 participating tournaments left in the 2019 NC Governor’s Cup Tournament, TOP DOG remains in the lead with 3534.4 points- a whopping 1451 points ahead of 2nd place, WALL HANGER! The TOP 10 standings, following the Hatteras Grand Slam Tournament, are as follows:

1st– TOP DOG, 3534.4 pts.  2nd– WALL HANGER, 2083.4 pts.  3rd– PIRACY, 2067.3 pts.  4th– ISLANDER, 1750 pts.  5th– GOOMBAY, 1475 pts.  6th– WASTE KNOT, 1395 pts.  7th– THE GENERAL, 1164.5 pts.  8th– HIGH TIME, 1075 pts.  9th– SEA STRIKER, 1050.2 pts.  10th– FIRST LOOK, 1025 pts. Good luck to all participants in the remaining tournaments- tight lines!

» It’s SWORDFISH SEASON off the coast of Carolina & the bite is HOT! Among many caught- Capt. Dale aboard SENSATION has brought in over 8, Capt. CR & PIRACY crew caught their first swordfish, WALL HANGER, STARFLITE & SEA STRIKER with one each and Brian Harrington with a pair caught on an outboard! Check out this summer’s swordfish shots below!

Omie Jennings “Sportsman” Tillett, 90, of Wanchese, NC passed away on Friday, July 5, 2019. Capt. Omie was a legend to the sportfishing industry & our state. Tillet is credited with the original “Carolina Flare.” Omie Tillett, a pioneer in custom Carolina boat building, constructed one-of-a-kind sportfish boats throughout the 1970s for both charter captains and private owners. He’d fish the summer and build boats in the winter out of his Manteo-based operation named Sportsman Boat Works. “While he is best known for the boats he built and inspired over the decades, what many sportfishermen will remember about Tillet was his voice. For years Tillet would read hand written, 12-plus minute prayers over the VHF to the fleet at the Big Rock Tournament.”

Big Rock Board Member & President of Jarrett Bay Boatworks, Randy Ramsey, named Omie Tillett as one of the most influential people to contribute to Jarrett Bay’s success over the last 25 years.

He wrote:  I was fortunate enough to meet Capt. Omie when I fished with him in 1982 on “Sportsman”. We traveled to the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center that fall, and while we were anxious to take part in the white marlin fishing, Capt. Omie wanted a “few fish for the dock”. Little did I know that his definition of a few fish was having a box full! When we started in, the wind breezed up and I was amazed by the way the boat handled in the sea and how well she did compared to the boats I had run. Soon after that trip, we set our goals to build a similar boat that we would use in our charter business.

As time passed, we got to know Omie better and in the fall of 1986, we set out with a plan to build “Sensation”. We went to see Omie and he told us as much as he could about how he built his boats. He gave us advice about methods, materials, and shared his life lesson “nuggets” along the way. We soon started “Sensation” and Omie was open and helpful throughout the entire process. For many years, I have been proud to say our boats have a direct lineage to Sportsman Boatworks.

Over the years Omie has become a wonderful friend and I am proud that he kids with me and calls me his son. He is a favorite at the Big Rock, and many people are inspired by his morning prayer on the radio. He always makes time to share his knowledge, give you a hug, and let you know he “loves you”. Omie’s generosity and sense of family has been a guiding force in all we do at Jarrett Bay, and we are proud that he is part of our lineage.”

We’re blessed to have been apart of Capt. Omie’s journey & will continue to honor his legacy. Thank you Captain Omie Tillet for the countless lessons, inspiration & memories.

Top Dog became “Top of the World” Saturday when it landed a record breaking 914-pound blue marlin to win the 61^stannual Big Rock Blue Marlin tournament.

Top Dog captain Ryan Knapp of Ocean City, Md., and angler Todd Dickerson, Damascus, Md., fought their catch for more than five hours and then needed an additional 90 minutes to get the 15-foot fish partially into their 60-foot Buddy Cannady. Dickerson’s catch crushed the Big Rock’s previous record of 831 pounds set in 2000 by the Summertime Blues.

The whole crew and all the fans at the weigh station let out a mighty howl when the weight of the fish was announced to the crowd. The crew was dog tired, the catch looked a bit dog-eared after being squeezed through a tuna door but, doggone, it was a heckuva catch.

Top Dog won $793,188 from the Big Rock’s record $2,869,150 purse.

The 61^stBig Rock took a surreal turn on the final day of the tournament when five boats sent the tournament into overtime. It was the second straight year Saturday fishing showed some craziness as the winners weren’t completely determined until just before midnight.

One blue marlin was boated and five boats were still battling blue marlin at the final day 2 p.m. cutoff. Since Big Rock rules allow fights to continue until a resolution (boated, released or lost), four of the five boats battled long past the normal deadline.

Triple S was the first to the scales with a 429.3-pound blue marlin landed by the husband-wife team of Todd and Shelly Smith of Newport. The Smiths brought their catch to gaff after a 42-minute fight.

Double B and Theresa Jean – the first of the overtime boats to resolve their fights – followed with larger catches. The Double B, captained by Harry Smith, Greenville, and angler Brooke Smith, Greenville, brought a 497.6-pound blue marlin to the scales after a 67-minute fight.

Throughout the week, Wolverine was bulletproof and managed to stay atop the leaderboard. Wolverine captain Rocky Hardison, Beaufort, and angler Cory Zeigler teamed to catch a 588.9-pound blue marlin on opening day and maintained their lead through 2 p.m. Saturday … the usual celebration time.

But this was the year of the Dog.

A final weigh-in at 10:55 p.m. put the contest in concrete. Wall Hanger, captained by Gray Blount, Greenville, nearly caused a final leaderboard shake-up with a 569.5-pound blue marlin landed by angler Brian Allen, Raleigh. But Allen’s catch came close … but it weighed less than the 569.9-pounder reeled in by Donna Mae angler James Luihn. The close-call finish in third place was worth $192,575 for the Donna Mae crew.

Wolverine finish in second place and captured $289,863 from the Big Rock purse. Hardison, who was the mate of the Big Rock winner in 1996, came as close to a second victory as you can come.

Annie O, a boat captained by Brad Sutton, Raleigh, won $147,375 for the most release points (1,850) scored during the tournament. Annie O captured a daily and the overall release category with four blue marlin, one white marlin, and a sailfish release.

Drillin & Billin, a boat captained by Lee Martin, Wanchese, finished second in the release division with 1,600 release points. Drillin & Billin released four blue marlins to earn $141,950 in overall and daily “winner take all” (WTA) prizes.

Full Pull, captained by Ryan Riggs, N. Charleston, S.C., won a release WTA prize and finished third in the release division with 1200 release points for three blue marlin releases to win $113,475. Crews from Starflite, Viking 80, and Goombay all won $56,525 in the daily WTA release competitions.

Job Site, captained by Bill Farrior, Greenville, won the WTA dolphin division with a 53.7-pounder pulled in by junior angler Michael Cripe. Job Site won $368,250 in WTA, daily and other weekly gamefish prizes.

Uno Mas, captained by Brooks Smith, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., won the wahoo division with a 59.3 pounder caught by angler Jeremy Certas. The Uno Mas catch earned the team $7,000 in daily and weekly prizes.

Predator, captained by Chris Barnett, Frisco, won the tuna division with a 145.1-pounder landed by Wayne. The Predator catch, believed to be the largest in Big Rock history, earned the team $7,000 in daily and weekly prizes. It was one of two tunas boated during the tournament.

By the end of the competition, anglers released 80 blue marlin, 54 white marlin, 17 sailfish and two spearfish. Doc Fees, captained by Taylor Pleasant, Wilmington, and his crew scored the 61^strelease of the 61^stBig Rock to win the tournament’s special $6,100 prize.

Since the tournament ran late and polygraphs need to be completed, results will not be official until Sunday. Winners are slated to receive their checks at 1 p.m. at the Big Rock weigh station.

The 61^stannual Big Rock Blue Marlin tournament gamefish (dolphin, tuna and wahoo) division has solidified in the final hours of competition and several teams will earn big money when checks are distributed at the awards ceremony Saturday night.

Big Rock competitors don’t normally target gamefish but a bycatch of these species can be special. A record $361,250 winner-take-all (WTA) dolphin prize is up for grabs for any boat that happens to catch the largest fish in that category.

Heading into the final hours of fishing, Job Site captain Bill Farrior, Farmville, holds the WTA lead with a 53.7-pound dolphin reeled in Monday by junior angler Michael Cripe.

Tuna and wahoo catches have been somewhat scarce this week but Big Rock anglers have managed to boat several big ones. Predator captain Chris Bennett, Frisco, put angler Wayne Wray on a 145.1-pound tuna Friday to take the overall lead in that division. Wray’s catch is worth $7,000 in daily and weekly prize money and is believed to be the biggest tuna caught during a Big Rock competition.

Uno Mas took the lead in the wahoo division Friday with a 59.3-pounder reeled in by Jeremy Certas. Uno Mas captain Brooks Smith, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Certas put their team in position to win $7,000 in daily and weekly gamefish prizes.

Sea Wolf (dolphin), Marsh Madness (tuna) and Bill Collector (wahoo) currently hold second place in those respective weekly gamefish divisions. Sea Wolf captain Donnie White, Kitty Hawk, and angler Tim Wood teamed to catch a 48.4-pound dolphin Monday. Marsh Madness captain Bob Marsh and junior angler Graham Marsh, Raleigh, teamed to reel in an 18.1-pound tuna Friday. Bill Collector captain Stephen Draughon, Morehead City, and junior angler Will Hanley caught a 56.5-pound wahoo Tuesday. 

 Competitors in the 61st Big Rock are allowed to fish four-of-six days and must notify officials of the days they do not intend to fish. Fishing hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., except Saturday when the fishing hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Any fight that starts before the end-of-day deadline can continue until the hook-up reaches a resolution.

While blue marlin weigh-ins draw most of the media attention at Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament scales, billfish releases can deliver huge paydays to skillful and lucky crews.

Big Rock anglers who score the first release of the day win a $5,000 Gregory Poole first release prize. Winners this week include String Line, Good Times, Annie O, Redemption and Knot Done Yet.

Full Pull, captain Ryan Riggs, North Charleston, SC, won the first daily prize of $47,104 for two blue marlin releases (800 points) scored Monday. That prize grew to $56,525 when adverse weather in the fishing zone kept all but one boat in port Thursday.

Since no billfish were hooked and released Thursday, that daily release prize rolled to the other days when there were billfish releases. Other daily release winners include Drillin & Billin, Starflite and Viking 80.

Annie O, Full Pull and Drillin & Billin were in a tight race to capture the Level VII weekly release prize of $142,375 as the tournament headed into its final day. Annie O scored a blue marlin release early Saturday to increase its overall lead.

Annie O, captained by Brad Sutton, Raleigh, has tallied 1,825 release points for hooking and releasing four blue marlin, one white marlin and a sailfish. Drillin & Billin, captained by Lee Martin, Wanchese, has scored 1,600 points for four blue marlin releases. Full Pull captain Ryan Riggs, N. Charleston, S.C., and his fishing team have 1,200 points for three blue marlin releases. Second place in the Level VII division is worth $85,425. The team that finishes third will receive $56,950.

Competitors in the 61st Big Rock are allowed to fish four-of-six days and must notify officials of the days they do not intend to fish. Fishing hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., except Saturday when the fishing hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Any fight that starts before the end-of-day deadline can continue until the hook-up reaches a resolution.