NEW YEAR, NEW PRESIDENT & BIG ROCK PRODUCTIONS LAUNCH

Happy New Year and welcome to 2020! We are eager to showcase Big Rock Production’s FIRST video & introduce our FIRST female President of the Big Rock Tournament, Joy Bell!

WATCH NOW! Joy Bell has served on the Board of Directors since 1993. She is an avid fisherman, hunter, and winner of the 2017 Keli Wagner Lady Angler Tournament – & her legacy starts TODAY! Stay tuned to learn more about Joy & her BIG plans for 2020!
Video produced by TriWork Studios

Wait, there’s more!  2019 might have been our BEST year yet, and we’re ready to share exclusive interviews, clips, & insight behind ALL the record-breaking moments. Along with our live streaming platform, Big Rock TV, we now bring you Big Rock Productions- a series of videos created to give you an inside look at the past, present, and future of the Big Rock Tournament! 

STAY TUNED for never-before-seen interviews & tournament footage, PLUS watch local charitable projects come full-circle! The series kicks off with our first reel above, featuring the first female Big Rock President. We are looking forward to sharing MORE with you in 2020!

LAST MINUTE SHOPPING + HOLIDAY HOURS

Don’t panic, there’s still two days left for last minute shopping! If you’re local, shop with us this season at Big Rock headquarters. We’re OPEN Monday – Saturday from 10AM to 5PM. Our holiday hours are as follows:

Christmas Eve – OPEN, 10AM to 3PM
Christmas Day – CLOSED
New Years Eve – OPEN, 10AM to 5PM
New Years Day – OPEN, 10AM to 5PM

NEW, NOW – BIG ROCK GIFT CARDS!

In need of a last minuteStocking stuffer? Teacher gift? Secret Santa present?

Have no fear, Big Rock gift cards are HERE! Enjoy a stress-free holiday & grab a Big Rock gift card for ANYONE on your list! Big Rock gift cards are now available for purchase valid on all merchandise, in-store only. To purchase, give us a call at (252) 247-3575 or visit us in-store, today!

 

A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS GIFT GUIDE

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!

TOP DOG WINS 2019 NC GOVERNOR’S CUP

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.

KWLA Announces $25,000 donation to CHC Cancer Center

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

 

Big Rock Sponsors Shopping Trip for Ocracoke Students

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.”

SWORDFISH SEASON & GOVERNOR’S CUP STANDINGS

» 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!

REST EASY TO LEGEND CAPT. OMIE TILLETT

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.