Bill Collector Charters Fishing Reports

2012:  Bill Collector 2012 is already starting to book, get your preferred date early!  Give us a call or go online to our booking calendar.  252-247-5617
                                                        
2/15/12  SPLASH!!!!! The Bill Collector hit the water today after a short stay at the boat Yard.  She is back on the Waterfront and ready for action!  We have been experiencing great weather conditions the last two weeks, even though its February and the satellite shot shows good water conditions offshore.  The few boats that have ventured offshore lately are reporting excellent Blackfin Tuna fishing, good size Wahoo and some Yelllowfin!!  If ya got spring fever come on down for some early Gulfstream fishing action!
252-247-5617  info@billcollectorcharters.com


2/9/12 Nice day to work on the BillCollector at JBBW, wish I was fishing instead.  I hope to splash early next week.  There are good reports of Tuna and Wahoo action from the few boats that have fished this month.

2/1/12  The Bill Collector just finished our seasonal engine maintenence and we will haul at Jarrett Bay on Monday.  Our stay in the yard will be a short one, with a quick bottom job and some touch up paint work.  She should splash in five to ten days depending on weather.  Hopefully we will be 100% operational and ready to fish by middle of the month............ We are ready to get back to fishing!  There were a couple of nice days this past week and two boats from the waterfront ventured offshore.  Conditions were almost spring like and they returned with nice catches of Wahoo and Blackfin Tuna.  Our Yellowfin tuna fishing should start picking right up as we get into March.  Looking back at the 2011 log book, there was oustanding fishing early on last spring. Come get in on the action !!!   Also if you don't have enough folks to book the whole boat, give me a call and get on our Make-Up trip list.  We are planning on offering Make-Up trip opportunities each month.  252-247-5617.  Stay tuned we will be posting reports and pics from JBBW until we splash.

1/4/11  2011 Recap!! The Bill Collector experienced a great fishing season this past year despite high fuel and a bad economy.  I would like to thank all those who fished with us this season and past years.  The Spring saw some nice Tunas, Yellowfin and Blackfin, along with good Wahoo action!  Late Spring saw the best Blackfin Tuna fishing we have had.  Plenty of Dolphin all summer, nice ones too.  We wrote a whole bunch of NC Citations for big Dolphin this year.  Our Marlin and Sailfish action on the SOBX was hot, especially the Sailfishing.  Wade and myself were happy we could put several of our anglers, young and old on their first Billfish.  We also experienced a good tournament season!  Bill Collector earned two 2nd place finishes, a 3rd, 1st place Wahoo, a overall Jr. angler in NC Billfish tournaments in which we participated.  These earned the Bill Collector enough points to win the NC Governors Cup Charter Boat Division!  Many thanks to all those who chartered us for tournaments this year.  2011 also saw really good Wahoo action starting in Spring, steady through the summer and peaked this Fall.  Great Wahoo fishing for the whole fleet.  Lots of NC Citations issued for the rascals as well.  Plenty of Blackfin Tuna and another run of some Yellowfin late.
2012 SEASON:  The Bill Collector and crew are already looking forward to our season.  We are kinda in limbo right now, waiting to see what happens with the Blue Fin Tuna bite this next month.  Depending on what transpires with that, we will schedule our yard time and have the Bill Collector ship shape for the spring.  We are already takeing reservations for this season and many have already taken advantage of early booking (thanks).  We still have alot of availability for 21012.  I will be contacting those who have booked last year for this spring to reconfirm over the next couple of weeks.  Thanks again for this past years business and hope to see all of you in 2012, and yep Wade is going stick around for another season!

Happy New Year

Capt. Stephen
 
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!
                               
             
12/9/11 Winter fishing on the Big Rock!  We have not gotten out since the end of November.  The few days the weather has been good we were not booked unfortunatly.  However a couple of our dock partners have ventured offshore a couple of days as well as some private boats.  They all still report steady trolling action.  We ran our last trip on the books for 2011 on DEC 9th. ( That is unless someone would like to go fishing between now and the end of the year?) The weather was alittle choppy in the morning NE and fell out to slick calm by afternoon.  Water temps were around 77 degrees and plenty of bites.  We ended our day with a nice catch of Blackfin Tuna, a Gaffer Dolphin and one Wahoo.  We had a Sail encounter but we jumped him off.  All in all a good day on the Big Rock!   
                             
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!  Winter fishing:  The Bill Collector will be running regular offshore trips through the first of the year.  Come enjoy the warm waters of the Gulfstream fishing for Yellowfin Tuna, Blackfin Tuna, Wahoo, Bluefin Tuna and Kings!  We are open this weekend after Thanksgiving and the forecast looks great!

2012: Our 2012 booking calendar is upto date and ready for 2012 bookings.

11/15/11  We had been blown out for a few trips, but when the weather broke the fish were snapping!  We were back out this past Saturday and by 10:45 am the stern box was full of Wahoo.  Lots of bites from the time we set out and when the dust settled we returned with a limit and 500 plus lb of meat!  Sunday, the Bill Collector and several other boats fished the same area as the day before only to find cold water had pushed up.  Fishing was slower, but the weather was nice and the small fleet all managed a catch of meat.  Bill Collector returned with four Wahoo and some Blackfin.  No trip on Monday, back out Tuesday with a great group from Ohio and New Jersy. The weather  was great, light SW and good Fall fishing!  Bill Collector ended her day with nine Wahoo, two Yellowfin Tuna, six Blackfin and two Sails.  Great fall fishing on the SOBX.  We fish again this Friday through Sunday and then the calendar is open.  We will run Gulfstream trips as late in December as you want to go and weather allows, fishing is good! We have some great pics from our last few trips, but we are still having trouble loading them on our web site.  Hopefully the problem will be corrected shortly.  There are new pics loaded on our Face Book page.  Fishing is good, come get in on the action!

THANKSGIVING and DECEMBER: Thanksgiving week is wide open!  If you have finished all your kids ballgames,  filled your freezer with all the venison you need, or just want to get out of town. Come go fishing, the Fall action has been excelent and the Bill Collector is extending her offshore trips into December.  The weather can get more unpredictable into the winter, however we have beautiful stretches to.  If interested in putting up some Wahoo, Tuna or king in your freezer, give us a call.

11/4/11  One beautiful day for the week yesterday.  Only a couple of boats out, but the had excelent Fall fishing!  A mixed bag of meat, Wahoos and Tuna!  We were supposed to be back out Tomorrow, but we will have strong high pressure building in with NE winds to 40 knts.  Looks like another windy weekend.  We are to fish this Monday hopefully.  The Fall fishing has been great and we have dates open. 

10/30/11 Winds have blown hard NE the last couple of days.  We had to cancel our trips this weekend.  They are to subside by Monday and hopefully we will be back out.

10/26/11  We were back fishing this past Tuesday and Wednesday.  Tuesday we saw good Wahoo action once again, ending the day with a dozen nice Wahoo.  Wednesday was the nicest weather we have had this month.  Slick calm and great fishing! We ended the day with ten nice Wahoo, one Blue Marlin release and were two for three on Sails!  Great fishing is here and we have dates open.  I will post new pics once I can figure out whats up with the web site.


10/24/11 We were back out this past Friday.  Fishing was a little slower than the days previous, rough weather dictated where we fished and the water conditions were not the best, however we did manage several nice Wahoo and two for five on Sails.  We missed out on great fishing action Saturday, we were canceled last minute for the weekend.  A good sized fleet was out for the local Wahoo Tournament and great fishing was to be had.  Several boats had nice catches including our dock partner on the Sensation with eleven nice Wahoo.  Congratulations to the private boat Inspiration, Capt Casey Wagner on their win with a 67lb. Wahoo.  I hate our charter could not make it, it seemed to be a good day of fishing.  We are back out Tuesday, hopefully the Wahoo will be chewing!  We have plenty of open dates and the offshore fishing will hold up as long as the weather does not get us going into the winter.  If you like cool days and warm blue water the Tuna, Wahoo, Kings and Sails will be here right into the winter.  Time to fill the freezer!


Tech Note:  we are having trouble with loading high resolution pictures on the Reports.  We are trying to solve the problem, so those of you who have kindly sent pictures in we will post them after we work out a few glitches.  Thanks.


10/17/11  Sorry I have been slack on posting a current fishing report the last few days.  We sailed the 12th through the 15th and I will try to recap the action.  Last Wednesday we had Stan an family out for the second time in the last few weeks.  The Wahoo bite was great, at the end of the day we had our full limit and a few Blackfin Tuna.  The Wahoo had an average weight of 31.2 lb and our biggest for that trip a 47.6 lb.  Over 500lb. for the day.  A great charter for a great day.....Thursday was a little slower, but we managed a good day despite changing conditions.  We were plagued by rough seas and current, but at the end of the day we came home with a nice catch of Wahoo, Blackfin and Dolphin........Friday, I gave our charter the option of not venturing out, winds were at 20 knts and were forecast to increase to sustained 25knts before lunch.  They elected to try it even though they new the weather may deteriorate and it did!  The ride out and first two hours of fishing were ok, then winds went to 25knts and were sustained 25knts with gust over 30knts at lunch.  Seas were building and I called the day at 12:35 pm, even with the short fishing time we had four big Wahoo all over 25lb. and a couple of Blackfin Tuna. Our charter was a salty bunch to say the least..... Saturday, we had a two boat charter with the Sensation, weather conditions had improved greatly!  Fishing was not as good as it had been mid week, we were plagued with a lot of current.  Despite the conditions both boats brought home a nice catch for the group.  Six big Wahoo (two citations), Blackfin and Dolphin on the Bill Collector.  A Sail and a mix of Wahoo and meat fish on the Sensation.  The two boat charter went on that evening to enjoy a fresh fish dinner prepared by one of our local chefs....Monday, good fishing action.  There were only two waterfront boats out, Bill Collector and Impulse.  The weather was good and conditions had improved greatly.  Both boats ended the day with nice catches.  A NE/SW current edge pushed up the break with plenty of Dolphin.  Bill Collector ended her day with six Wahoo, forty Dolphin and a White Marlin.  Fall fishing is here right now and we have dates open, come get in on the action and fill the freezer........ Pics from this week!

        
10/11/11  The strong NE winds have shut us down the last few days.  Even with the high winds this past weekend, several of us made inshore half days. The Bill Collector along with Sensation and Offshore III stayed in the lee of the Cape, all having nice catches of Blues and big Spanish! Winds are forecast to fall out tonight as the low pressure system moves out of our area.  Hopefully we will make our trip tomorrow.  The forecast for the rest of the week looks good and the weekend looks great. We are open this Sunday and will try to put together a Make-Up trip.  If interested give us a call.

10/7/11 The winds finally subsided by Monday and the Bill Collector was able to fish again.  We had Mac McLamb and family from my home town out for a great day of fishing. They took home a nice catch of Wahoo, a couple of Blackfin Tuna and a Sail.
The Dancin Outlaw was out Monday also and came home with a box of Wahoo.  Today we sailed again and had great weather(light NE).  We ended the day with eight good size Wahoo, three Gaffer Dolphin and one for three on Sails.  We rescheduled our trip for today because of high winds, they are to subside by tomorrow and hopefully we will be back out.  Our Fall fishing has been very good so far and consistent, dates are still available.  Come get in on the action!


NC Seafood Festival: 10/1/11 A hard cold front pushed through last night.  Temps have cooled off to nice Fall conditions.  Unfortunatly there are high nw winds behind the front as high pressure builds in.  We had to cancel our offshore trip for today.  Winds are forcast to start dropping by tomorrow.  Next week is looking great, We are back out Monday, Wednesday through Friday.  Open Tuesday and next Saturday, Sunday.  The couple of boats that fished this past Thursday had excelent Wahoo fishing along with several big Gaffer Dolphin.  Come get in on the Fall action.  Check out our online calendar for availability or just give us a call.


9/26/11 We were canceled this past Thursday, however the small fleet that fished had another day of great Wahoo action.  Friday the weather turned alittle choppy, but our charter enjoyed a great morning of half day fishing.  The nice Fall Spanish were really chewing and our charter left with a nice mess of them.  Several boats, including our dock partner Sensation,  made it offshore Friday and all returned with nice catches of Wahoo, Blackfin and some Sailfish action.  Sensation had a Sail and a nice Spearfish.  The Bill Collector and several others fished in heavy weather on Saturday.  Nice ride out, but conditions changed quickly.  Lots of squalls, big SE swell and rain.  We had several Wahoo bites, held on to four nice ones, a big Blackfin and one Dolphin before the weather got really choppy.  Our charter decided to cut the day short about lunch time, same for the Dancin Outlaw,  we both returned with a nice catch despite the weather and the shorter day. Sensation and Impulse stuck it out till quitting time and both enjoyed another day of great Wahoo action.  We scrubbed our charter for Sunday due to squalls..........Open next week, at this time we will be back out next Saturday..........Looks like the weather will break by Tuesday,  come get in on the Wahoo bite!!!!!

9/20/11  The Bill Collector finally got back offshore yesterday.  After the hard NE winds this weekend the seas subsided and we enjoyed a nice day.  Wahoo fishing was once again very good.  Our husband and wife fishing team had their Wahoo limit early.  Lots of bites and plenty of Wahoo action.  Stan and his wife Louisa, our charter, decided with a limit of fish in the box to make an early day of it.  There were only three of us out, Dancin Outlaw and Impulse, all returned to dock with full limits of Wahoo!!!

The Wahoo are snapping and we have open dates next week and next Sunday.  Also dates for October are filling up, however we still have one Saturday open, some Sundays and scattered weekdays.  For current availability check our online booking calendar or give us a call.

9/16/11 Great fishing on the Bill Collector and the Crystal Coast this past week!  Light winds and a gentle swell from the passage of Maria.  Wednesday plenty of Dolphin(52 to be exact) a couple of big Wahoo and two Yellowfin Tuna.  Yesterday, plenty of Wahoo, a limit by 11:30 am and left them biting.  Capt. Rocky on the O LUCY ME was whacking them when we left to go bottom fishing.  We ended the day with a nice catch of Wahoo, some Blackfin Tuna and Triggers.  Capt. Rocky was the only other boat out and he to had a box full.  The weather got us today and will the weekend, first mullet blow of the year.  Hopefully we will be back out first of the week.  Great fall fishing is here, come get in on the action.  Pics below of the weeks fishing.



9/12/11 Great fishing on the Crystal Coast this weekend and beautiful weather! The Wahoo action was steady this weekend with nine big Wahoo ( one 47lb, several over 30lb.), Blackfin Tuna, Dolphin and two Sails Saturday. Capt. Buddy on the Offshore also had a nice Wahoo catch and three Sails Saturday.  Sunday there was a very small charter fleet out, but the boats that fished had plenty of Wahoo action.  The Bill Collector held onto twelve big Wahoo some Blackfin Tuna and a couple of Dolphin.  Lots of bites Sunday.  We are back out this Wednesday through Saturday, still open Sunday!  Come get in on the early fall fishing.  Pics below of our charters this weekend.
    
 
9/5/11  Good fishing for the small fleet this past weekend.  Wahoo, Dolphin, Blackfin and  Sails.  The McClelland family fished with us on a beautiful Saturday.  The Bill Collector had a good day with a nice Wahoo and a catch of Dolphin. The weather was perfect for a family trip.  They wanted a Sail, but the Sails were mean, we hooked two, but jumped both off.  Sunday no billfish eitheir, but plenty of meat. Eight Wahoo ( two over 30lb and a 47lb) and a limit of Dolphin, plus two Blackfin(450plus lb total).  Good Fall fishing is here and KATIA should push offshore, the weekend looks great!  We are open Sunday, forecast at this time 5 to 10 knts.  We have a couple of folks interested in a make up trip for any time next week.  Tentatively we will try to put something together for Sunday, if interested give us a call.  We have plenty of prime fall dates available.  Get in on the action, go fishing.

                        
8/31/11 We were back out today with a great group of firefighters.  The 10 to 15 knt forecast was more like 20 knts and gusty, but still a nice day.  Fishing was still pretty good despite silty water after the storm.  By days end the water was clearing rapidly and we had a fair number of Wahoo bites.  We ended the day with five nice Wahoo, three Gaffer Dolphin several Bailer Dolphin and Sail.  The Bill Collector is back out this weekend.  Our Labor Day forecast is beautiful on the Crystal Coast.  Fall fishing is here and the Bill Collector has prime dates available.  Come get in on the fishing action.

8/29/11  Thanks to you all for your calls and e-mails of concern during IRENE! Power has been down, phone service and e-mail.  Sorry I did not get back right away.  The last few days have been busy to say the least.  Eastern NC took a big hit, but it could have been worse if the storm came ashore as a CAT 2 or stronger.  The Morehead City and Atlantic Beach charter fleets faired well during the storm.  The Bill Collector came through with out a scratch.  Wades family and mine faired great as well. However many of the folks DownEast of Morehead and other parts of eastern NC have been hit hard.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.  The clean up in Morehead and surrounding areas is going very well and power is being restored quickly.  By mid week the SOBX beaches and Morehead City will be 90%,  we are looking forward to great fishing and a good Labor Day weekend, so come on down.

We have Thursday and Friday open this coming week and the forecast is for light winds.  Today was a beautiful day on the Crystal Coast.  Come get in on the fishing action.
Here are some PICS from the storm.
                      
                       Bill Collector back for JBBW and ready to go!

Big Rock Docks and the Morehead City Water Front during a break in the winds.  Note the three sail boats under the dock across the creek!
                                     

IRENE:  As the storm approaches, all Eastern NC is preparing.  The Bill Collector will haul out at JBBW tomorrow.  Fishing is usually great after a storm.  Hopefully we will be back in the water the first of the week.  The good folks at Jarrett Bay are very thoughtful of the charter- commercial fleet and make every attempt to get us back in the water a.s.a.p.  I will post a report after the storm passes. Please keep all Eastern North Carolinians in your prayers. This is going to be a bad one, good luck and hold on!!!!
 
8/22/11  After returning home from Pirates Cove, I learned about the good fishing in Morehead while the Bill Collector was away.  Capt Dale (Sensation) and Capt. Thomas(Dancin Outlaw) both reported good Wahoo fishing with nice class of fish.  Also plenty of Dolphin and some Blackfin tuna.  Sailfishing has also been steady.............We have been canceled for this upcomming weekend (open dates this week).  Hopefully we will be back at the fishing next week.  Dates for the Fall are starting to fill in, however we still have prime dates available. Fall is a great time to fill your freezers, also plenty of fall Sailfish!!!

Thanks to all who tournament fished on the Bill Collector this season!!!! She fished in six events this season, five of which were NC Governors Cup events.  The Bill Collector accumulated enough points in the five events to win the Charter Boat Division!  Thanks again to all who chartered us.

8/19/11  Just back from fishing the Pirates Cove Big Game Tournament.  It has been a great week of fishing and beautiful weather.  The White Marlin were snapping with the tournament fleet having lots of action. We returned home with no prizes, but with a happy charter who saw plenty of action.  Earlier in the past week, we had a very nice group of young ladies who had a great catch a dolphin ( all 11yr. old).  Check out the pics of some of this past few days action!!!!  Fall is fast approaching and the Wahoo will be biting, come get in on the action.

PCBGT WHITE MARLIN                          THE YOUNG LADIES NICE CATCH OF DOLPHIN

Kids and big fish make plenty of smiles!!!!!!!

8/6/11 After a couple of open dates the Bill Collector was back out Friday for a 1/2 day.
A nice coastal fishing morning with lots of Spanish.  The Bill Collector was back to the blue water today with calm seas and great weather.  Tha Sails were biting, we were four for seven on Sails and had fifty nice bailer Dolphin. The Sensation had a nice catch of meat with one Sail.  Several other boats out had nice catches of bailers and some Wahoo too.........We are open Monday, Thursday and Saturday this next week.  Call if interested in fishing.   The Bill Collector is booked the following week, but we have openings the 22nd through the 26th and 28 through the 30th this month. All our open availabilty can be viewed on the online calendar or call for dates!!  Come get in on the action!!

E-Mail letter:  We have sent out a couple lately, if you have signed up, but have not gotten it please check your spam blocker.  If you would like to sign up, you can do so on the box at the bottom of our website pages.

Our happy Charter 8/6/11
                             

7/30/11 Another great Ducks Unlimited Billfish Tournament this past weekend!  Good weather and good Marlin action.  Lots of Sailfish and Wahoo bites.  Our charter, Mrs. Kilgore and fishing team, kept up their streak of Du places and wins over the years with a 3rd place finish 2011.  Great fishing action onboard the Bill Collector with good anglers and fantastic food for the event.  Mrs Kilgore has enjoyed plenty of success in the events 23 year history.  She has won the event twice (once with Capt. Ben Green) second place twice, now third place, lady angler more times than I can count and countless meat fish money.  Check out the pic below of here and her skilled team.............The charter fleet that was not participating in this years event enjoyed great Wahoo action all weekend.  The Wahoo made a really good showing.  The Bill Collector has plenty of prime dates open, come get in on the action!!!!
                           
7/28/11 Dolphin and Billfish the past few trips.  Dolphin fishing has been steady along with some Wahoo for the small fleet that has been booked.  The Bill Collector has caught and seen several Sails the past few days as well.  Last week the winds blew SW hard, we did fish a few rough days and had a couple open.  The winds have subsided with a great forecast for the next week.  Ducks Unlimited Billfish Tournament starts tomorrow.  Weather and fishing are shaping up for a great tournament.  Hopefully the Bill Collectors past DU luck will hold out........... Here are some recent pics sent to us by our two inshore charters last week and of Barta........Summer Marlin action is heating up, come get in on the bite, we have open dates!



7/20/11 Great inshore 1/2 day yesterday, plenty of Spanish and a great charter. The few boats that ventured offshore had good Dolphin fishing with several Billfish encounters.  Our dock partner on the Dancin Outlaw caught a nice Blue for his daughter Katie, congratulations to Katie.  Several other bills for the small fleet.  Today the few boats that fished had great Dolphin fishing with some Billfish.  Capt. Buddy on the Offshore caught a nice Blue with a private boat catching three Sail and a White.  the Bill collector had two swings and misses at Sails, but a big catch of Dolphin.  We have next Monday, Wednesday and Thursday open, forecast is great and the billfishing is heating up and plenty of Dolphin.  Come get in on the action, go fishing.

7/18/11 Marlin action is heating up! We fished the Barta this past weekend with Brad Carter and his son Logan.  The weather could have been better, but the tournament was a sucess, once again raising lots of money for the local Boys and Girls Club.  The Bill Collector ended the two day event taking 2nd overall and 2nd Charter Boat Division along with first place Wahoo and Hunter Draughon taking top angler award.  We had five
Sail release for the tournament and Logan had our sixth just after lines out.  The release did not count, but what a happy kid with another Sail to his credit.  This weekend is what fishing is all about, great people and great kids!!!!          
Sunday was an inshore trip and Capt. Wade was at the Bill Collector helm, he reported a nice catch of big Spanish and a happy crew.  Today we were back offshore chasing Marlin. 
We caught a Blue and were two for two on Whites.  We have a inshore day tomorrow, back offshore Wednesday.  The Marlin fishing is heating up. 
                 
 


7/10/11 Thursday we fished our way up to Hatteras for the Hatteras Grand Slam Tournament.  The weather was great in the morning and turned to SE squalls and 20 to 25 knts by afternoon.  We did catch a nice White Marlin and missed a Sail and some Dolphin for dinner.  The HGST is a well run event, raising money for local charities. Unfortunatly the weather turned to pure HELL by Friday morning.  Lots of wind, swell and bad thunder squalls.  Out of the boats entered only three fished the first day.  By Saturday the winds and squalls had subsided, still a big swell, but all boats fished.  Congrats to the Qualifier on their win, Release second and Marlin Mania third.  Although the weather was not the best, everyone fishing the event had a great time.  I am already looking forward to HGST 2012.  The Bill Collector fished a short day back home Sunday, weather beautiful, with a nice catch of Dolphin.  The Marlin bite has started to pick up and plenty of Dolphin.  Congratulations to the Sensation on their Grand slam this past week and our good friend Creature on the Sea Creature on his Slam yesterday with three White kickers.  The Bill Collector is Back out Thursday,  fishing the Barta boys and Girls Club Tournament this weekend,  I will try to post a report on the weekends action.  Days open for summer fishing, come get in on the action.

7/5/11 The Bill Collector has fished since last Thursday.  Dolphin fishing has been steady for the fleet along with a few Wahoo and Blackfin Tuna.  A few White Marin have shown up as well, Friday we missed a Blue, pulled off a nice Blue and catch two out of four Whites. Saturday a catch of Dolphin and one for two on Whites.  Fishing Thursday through Sunday ( Hatteras Grand Slam this weekend), open Monday through Wednesday next week.


6/25/11 The Bill Collector was unable to fish the first part of the week due to a horrific accident had by our three day charter.  I spoke with him a day ago and he will be ok.  They are already looking forward to a trip next season.  Weather got us this Friday, we did make today.  The weather was alittle sporty, SW 25 plus in morning.  We did manage to show our two boat charter (Sensation), a group of americas finest Marine aviators some fishing action.  Both boats returned with catches of Dolphin, Blackfin and Wahoo!!
Back out Monday and Tuesday, open Wednesday.


Big Rock 6/13-6/19/11  Another Big Rock has come and gone with great success!  Lots of money raised for local charities.  It was another typical Big Rock for the Bill Collector, seeing only a couple of Whites all week and then catching a Blue Marlin the day after we fished out.  Although the Marlins did not show us much love, they did some, including our dock partner Blue Water with a second place win. (Congrats)!!!!  To view a breakdown of all the weeks action, check out www.thebigrock.com 

6/9-6/11/11 Great Dolphin fishing last Thursday and Friday (PICS BELOW). Saturday we fished the Ladies Big Rock Tournament with Jill Fry and team Cougar.  The weather was great for the event and alot of money raised for Cancer research.  The Marlin action was slow, however every team managed to catch some Dolphin. All teams fishing had good weather and calm seas. 
                                    
6/8/11 Dolphin and more Dolphin!!! We have been out everyday lately and good catches. This past Monday, lots of Dolphin and a 300lb. Blue Marlin ate a Dolphin at the back of the boat, we feed him the Dolphin and kept him on for 20 min., before pulling him off.  Cool bite!!!  Gaffers every day since and a sail.  410lb yesterday, 60 Dolphin and 25 Blackfin. We are fishing tomorrow, the Big Rock Ladies Day Tournament Saturday,  Sunday to rig up and Big Rock next Week.  Some new pics.


6/3/11 Great Gaffer fishing Friday!  Over 400lb., including a 32lb and a 51lb.  Weather has been great all weekend.  We filled our make-up trip for yesterday with a great group.  Meat fishing was slower for the fleet, everyone had some Dolphin, but there were several flags flying.  The Bill Collector catch one out of two Sails, missed a Blue.  Impulse a White and Capt CR running the private boat Piracy had three Whites.  There were several Marlin encounters for the fleet.
5/31/11  Dolphin, Blackfin and Wahoo action steady. A few Marlin showing up as well.  We fished the Swansboro Tournament this weekend.  The Marlin bite was slow, however the charter fleet saw good Dolphin fishing.  Congratulations to the Welders Ark on their win this weekend with two Blue Marlin releases in the two day event.  Today the Bill Collector had nice catch of Blackfin, Gaffers and a White Marlin.  We are off Wednesday, back out every day till the Big Rock.
5/26/11  Gaffer Dolphin and more Dolphin.  Plenty of Meat, the last few days.  The weather has been holding up for us this month and the fishing surely reflects it. We were supposed to be out today, but we had an administrative error.  The Bill Collector is back out Friday through Sunday.  Two boats fished from our dock today, the Dancin Outlaw returned with a nice catch of Dolphin, Wahoo and several Yellowfin Tuna,  Impulse had a nice catch of Gaffers!  We should post another report after the action this weekend.
                                           
 
5/22/11 Great gaffer fishing the last couple of days along with a nice catch of Wahoo Saturday.  Sunday we had a great group with two young anglers, check out the pics of their first Gaffer Dolphin.  Blue marlin encounters have become more frequent as well, several boats caught Blues this weekend and several more were seen! 


5/20/11 Scrappy fishing on the Bill Collector today, Zig when should have Zag, but we managed to end the day with a nice catch of Gaffer Dolphin. The Bill collector has fished
the last few days with good meat fishing.  There have been plenty of big Gaffer Dolphin. It's late and lack of sleep is catching up.  Will have a detailed report next day off.


5/16/11 We have been busy the last few days, sorry for untimely reports.  The Gaffer Dolphin have shown up in good numbers as well as Blackfin Tuna and Wahoo. The 9th saw plenty of Dolphin, 10th 40 Blackfin, Wahoo and Gaffers, 12th rough with a nice catch of Dolphin.  Back out on the 13th plenty of Blackfin Tuna and lost a nice Blue Marlin. Party canceled last minute this past Saturday(they missed a good day)  the fleet saw calm seas, light SW and great Blackfin Tuna, and Dolphin fishing along with some Wahoo.  Today the Blackfin fishing was great, we had 64 and a jag of Gaffers and a nice Wahoo.  Plenty of meat!

5/8/11  We have fished the past few days with good success.  This past Thursday we whacked the Blackfins again along with several Gaffer Dolphin.  Friday was a little slower,but the weather was great and we did have a good catch of Dolphin. Friday we fished the Reelin For Research Tournament and had good fishing, four nice Wahoo and a bunch of Dolphin.  The Tournament raised over $100K for childrens cancer research this year, a great success.  Congrats to the crew of the Chain Link on this years win.  Today a small fleet fished with great Dolphin fishing.  The Bill Collector, Sensation and Dancin Outlaw all returned with boxes full.  The Bill Collector ended the day with forty seven nice Dolphin , one Wahoo and a happy charter.  We are open this Thursday and the forecast is good, com get in on the fishing action!


5/3/11 The Bill Collector has made it out the last few days with good success and great weather.  This past Saturday saw great fishing for the fleet, we ended the day with eight Wahoo and fifteen Blackfin Tuna.  Sunday and Monday we had the same great group out.
During the two days of fishing they ended with a mixed bag,seventeen Gaffer Dolphin, twenty Blackfin Tuna,seven Wahoo(one 41.5 lb., and a 63lb.) and a rare Hatchet Marlin!
Today we saw the Blackfin Tuna chewing, a box full of Gaffers and Blackfin.  We have dates open, get in on the action.  Blow day tomorrow, back out Thursday.

4/27/11  Good fishing and choppy weather yesterday.  The forecast for our trip Wednesday was no good, so we moved it to Tuesday.  Forecast 10knts to 15knts south southeast and clear. It was actually 20knts, gust to 25knts southeast, squalls and rough.  We had a salty charter and they had a great day despite the weather.  The Bill Collector and Impulse were the only boats out.  There was good Blackfin Tuna action along with Gaffer and Gigger Dolphin, we scored a nice Sail for Mr, Wetter(see pics).  Good action despite choppy seas...........This past Saturday a big fleet fished, action was a little slow, a mix of Tuna, Wahoo and Dolphin for the fleet.  The Bill Collector and Sensation had a two Boat charter from CINTAS.  The group had a great time and some nice fish. Check out the pics of Jeff's 63lb. citation Wahoo!!!

We are open this Friday and the Forecast is great.  There are still dates open in May (3,12,24,30) if interested in one of these dates or a POSSIBLE MAKE-UP TRIP GIVE US A CALL.

4/20/11  Beautiful weather the last two days and good fishing.  After scrappy fishing last Friday and then getting blown out Saturday it was great to get out in slick calm weather.  We had a great group from Ohio the last two days.  They ended their two days of fishing with more meat than could fit into their coolers.  Over the two days we had a mix of nice Yellowfin Tuna, Blackfin,Wahoo,Dolphin and a limit of big AJs.  Three of the groups Wahoo made Citation(52lb,51lb,40lb). 

The Bill Collector would like to Congratulate the HURRICANES on their winning season and their tournament championship this past weekend!  
4/14/11  Every boat tied to the dock on a beautiful spring day yesterday, except for our dock partner Dancin Outlaw.  They returned with a box full of meat.  Eight nice Wahoo and a good catch of big Gaffer Dolphin.  We are back out Friday and Saturday this weekend.  Forecast for the first part of next week looks great and we have Monday through Thursday availble.  Come fill your freezer.

4/10/11 The Bill Collector sailed the past three days.  Fishing Friday and Saturday was scrappy, with a few nice Wahoo and Blackfin Tuna for the fleet.  Sunday was an improvement with nice catches of Wahoo, Blackfin Tuna and Kings for the fleet.  Plenty of action Sunday!  Check out the pics of some nice Wahoo on the Bill Collector this weekend.


4/4/11  Winds got us this past Saturday, 30knts.  We had to reschedule our group.  Sunday none of the boats were booked on the big rock dock, winds were still around 20 plus knts.  However my dock partner was lucky enough to book a trip at 9:30 am and the winds and seas had let up substantially.  The Sensation departed after 10:00am and returned around 6:00pm with a nice catch of Yellowfin Tuna. 

MAKE UP TRIP: Tenative dates April 17th, 20th and 24th if you or your group are interested in getting on one of these tentative dates or a future trip, give us a call.

3/27/11 We were lucky to have the same great group out on Friday and Saturday.  The weather was choppy,but plenty fishable. Over the two days we had several Wahoo and a nice Yellowfin Tuna.  Nine year old Hunter, caught several of the wahoo on his first trip offshore.......... There was good Yellowfin Tuna, Blackfin Tuna and Wahoo action for most of the fleet fishing the past weekend. 
                                           
3/19/11 Rough!!!!!!!!!!!! We left in light SW winds and southerly swell.  The forecast was for the wind to switch NE later in the day.  Our charter decided to gamble the wind would come up late in the day. Let's just say the weatherman was wrong on their timing.  Winds switched NE by 11:00am and were sustained 30knts by 12:00pm.  We cut the day short and came on home.  Despite cold water conditions and rough, we did catch several nice Wahoo.

                                 
3/13/11 Choppy and rough, we did finally get out this weekend.  The wind greatly dictated where we could fish.  Despite not being able to run to good water conditions, we did have pretty good fishing both Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday: a nice Yellowfin,two big Wahoo(44lb. and 38lb.), several Blackfin Tuna and plenty of AJ.  Sunday: another nice Yellowfin, four Wahoo(one 40.1lb.), seven Blackfin Tuna, a limit of AJ's and a King.  We are open this week including Saturday, still plenty of Spring dates open.  Come get in on the action.  Extended forecast looks good for later in the week and good water conditions are pushing up.  It's time for Tuna!

 2/27/11  GOT SPRING FEVER?  High of 80 on the Crystal Coast by Tuesday.  We have not gotten out yet, however a commercial stick boat reported a nice catch of Tuna to the south this past week.  Time to fill your freezer!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
2/16/11  SPLASH!  The Bill Collector hit the water today, she ran great and looked great.  We have a few small details to finish up, but we should be available for charter by next Wednesday. Spring is almost here its time to fill your freezer.
 

2/14/11  Paint work and seasonal engine maintenance completed.  Hopefully she will splash by Wednesday.  The Bill Collector is brighter yellow than ever and ready to fill up her fish box.  Spring dates are starting to book,  get in on the 2011 action.

2/9/11  The boat yard work is almost complete.  The Bill Collector should be back overboard next week, with some new paint work. 

Fishing:  Last week a private boat fishing out of Morehead had an outstanding day of meat fishing.  Several nice Wahoo and good numbers of Black Fin Tuna.  Its time for the early Yellowfin Tuna to start showing up and the Bill Collector is ready.  Our calendar is starting to book, but we still have plenty of dates available.  Those of you who don't mind a little cool weather might want to try the early spring Tuna fishing.  Come get in on the action!


1/7/11 Into the paint booth, if you thought she was yellow before, wait till you see her this season.  Prep work started today, hopefully she will be out with hull topcoated by midweek.  More pics to come on our time at JBBW.  

1/6/11  The Bill Collector was hauled today for seasonal maintenance.  Hopefully we will be back in the water in three weeks, ready to fish. There should be plenty of Tuna this spring and will be ready to go early.  Dates available, come fill your freezer.

 

 Happy New Year!  Just today we have our online calendar back up and running.  It should be current by New Years Day for all 2011 bookings.  Sorry for the absent fishing reports, but our site crashed.  Thanks to Eastern Offset Printing we are back up and running.  Hope you enjoy our new web site.

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Thank you, and Tight Lines!  - Capt. Stephen