Oregon Inlet, NC to Rudee Inlet VA, any other inlets???

[mrkarn]

I may be transferring with the CG to Chesapeake, VA and I've been looking for an ocean inlet on google maps. I can't seem to find any in between Oregon Inlet, NC north to Rudee Inlet, VA. Are there any?

[foxylady]

Nope...None......0
The General

[other line]

Foxylady is correct
64NM from OI Sea Buoy to Rudee. OI is about 1-1/2 hr trailer from Chesapeake, Rudee is about 30-45 minute drive from Chesapeake-depending where in Chesapeake you end up,
Come on up-the fishing is great!

[appfan99]

Lowrance maps still list on their versions the Currituck Inlet "New" and "old" when zoomed way in. Pretty cool.

[ltcavery]

Welcome to the tidewater area. I am from Hampton. Unless you are seeking offshore fun, there is no reason to go to OI. Plenty of inlets and ramps from Rudee and North. Fishing is great all year around here except for perhaps Mar and Apr when all the winter stripers are spawning and the warm water fish have not arrived. OI inlet really sucks for small boat owners. But you can't beat OI for a fall run for YFT.

[mrkarn]

ltcavery - 10/23/2006 5:56 AM

Welcome to the tidewater area. I am from Hampton. Unless you are seeking offshore fun, there is no reason to go to OI. Plenty of inlets and ramps from Rudee and North. Fishing is great all year around here except for perhaps Mar and Apr when all the winter stripers are spawning and the warm water fish have not arrived. OI inlet really sucks for small boat owners. But you can't beat OI for a fall run for YFT.

Thanks for all the info everyone. Does OI and outside OI every lay down for long periods of time? I have no problem with 2-3s, seas or swells, but after that, forget it, fishing is no fun on my 207.

[appfan99]

There are plenty of days when you can easily ake that boat out of OI. You just have to be careful around the shoals and watch the weather. There have been plenty of days when I've gone out and its flat calm and coming back in you are scared shitless. I have had my boat out of OI tons. Just watch the weather and be careful!

[Glenn]

It's a tough call...you have shorter runs down south (Oregon Inlet or Hatteras) but the winds are usually a bit more stiff and even a moderate wind of 15 knots when coupled with the gulf stream makes for a snotty day. You will have days where it is beautiful and if you watch the weather, you can make it happen. You'll need West winds and a couple days of nice weaterh to ensure you have a nice trip on a small boat. Personally, I would not fish a 20 footer our of OI or Hatteras...not consistently offshore.

Off VA Beach, the 20 footer will do fine but your runs offshore are 45-65 miles so you'll be far out in a small rig. VA beach has a great diverse fishery where you don't need to run that far...it just depends on what you want to fish for. I run a 24 Albemarle and is about the smallest boat I would consistently look to take offshore.

Best of luck on your move!

Glenn

[FASTFJR]

Just wait for a big storm or two, I think they'll be another opening around Duck. But kidding a side, last summer my brother and I took my Sea Hunt 202 thru OI 2 out of 4 days. The 1st 2 day the inlet and the ocean were flat. Days 3-4 maybe we could have gone thru the inlet, maybe not. Each time we got about half way thru and I decided to turn around. I had lost sight of the boat in front of us while in the bottom of a swell and I new it was time to turn back. The report day 3&4 were 2-4 and then 3-5. I'm not sure where they get their readings from but day 4 had 6-8 footers standing up.

[capt. jakeg]

Ditto on the thing about the shoals out of OI. Learn them well before attempting to take your own boat out of there. Charter capts that fish out of there everyday sometimes even get stuck. They are probably some of the most dangerous in the world during the winter. High winds, high seas, unbelievably strong currents, and freezing cold waters have cost well more than a few their lives at that inlet. Rudee inlet is not shoaled up most of the time. There is no current there, but the ride is considerably farther than out of OI and OI has much more consistently better tuna fishing than Rudee. I would say that virginia has much better and much more variety on the inshore fishing spectrum whereas nc has about the premium offshore fishing for the east coast. If you like to fish though, you are moving to the right place.

[mrkarn]

Thanks for all the replies, it sounds like I'll have to finally buy that 26 footer!