Hi, I'm Captain Rom Whitaker, a native of Kinston, NC. I first
started fishing with my father and grandparents at the age of three.
I can remember my grandmother, Attwood Cameron, taking me fishing
from dawn to dusk on
the piers at Atlantic Beach. She loved to catch flounder. I
always told her if I could get out in that ocean, I could really catch
some big fish. My father and grandfather spent many hours
teaching me how to catch bass and speckled robin in Broad Creek on the
lower Neuse River. My first trip to Hatteras was in 1970 in a 19'
Thunderbird boat and quickly I realized there were some big fish
out there and I needed bigger tackle. Over the next few years, I
purchased a 23" SeaCraft and took it to Hatteras fishing just about every
weekend. Finally, with my wife's blessings, I moved to Hatteras in
1986 and started fishing for a living. I have been blessed with a
wonderful wife, Elaine, and two great boys, Rom IV and Cameron.
Fishing has really been good for me. I owe my success to
all my loyal and supportive customers from all over the US. After
21 years of fishing as a vocation, I am often asked, "Don't you get
tired of fishing?" Fishing is what makes my job so much fun. I can
truly say that every morning when I get up to go, I am excited and ready to
go to work. Fishing is truly unique at Hatteras because you never
know what your next big bite is going to be.
Many people try to gauge their success by the number of fish caught but
there are many things that go into a successful charter experience.
How you are treated, how much you learn, angler participation,
attitude of the crew, catching your specific target species, enjoying
and watching all the other sea life offshore (pelagic birds, turtles,
porpoises, whales, sharks, and other things) all go into making an
enjoyable trip. The Captain and crew of the Release are going to
make every effort to make sure these things happen along with hard
fishing. I especially enjoy family charters with children who love to fish or who are fishing for the first time. I invite you to come to Hatteras anytime of the year and
enjoy some of this great fishing that I love.
Here is a list of the Billfish Tournaments in which I participate.
| Name of the Tournament |
Date |
Past History Winnings |
| Hatteras Village Offshore Open |
May 14-17 |
1st, 2nd, 3rd place |
| Swansboro Rotary Club Bluewater |
May 24-25 |
3rd place |
| Big Rock Tournament |
June 9-14 |
Meatfish category |
| Hatteras Marlin Club |
June 16-21 |
1st place |
| Hatteras Grand Slam |
July 11-12 |
2nd place |
| Tred Barta Boy's Club Tournament |
July 18-20 |
5th place |
| Ducks Unlimited Billfish Tournament |
July 25-27 |
3rd place and Meatfish category |
| White Marlin Open |
August 4-8 |
|
| Alice Kelly |
August 10 |
Meatfish category |
| Pirates Cove Billfish Tlournament |
August 12-15 |
3rd place and big fish category |
I
like to fish tournaments. Some last two days with $2,500 entry fees and
some are 5 and 6 days with $12,000 entry fees. Of course, your
winnings are based on the entry fees. If you are interested in
participating, please give me a call (252-986-1031) or email me (Contact Us above) and we can discuss details.
Welcome,
my name is J.D. Payne. I'm captain Rom Whitaker's mate aboard the
Release. I grew up in Raleigh, NC, where my dad took me fishing
for the first time at age 3, and Offshore for the first time at age
8. From that moment on I was hooked, and growing up I went
Offshore every weekend the weather allowed. I started mating out
of Morehead City for my dad and his friends when I was 18. After
attending Barton College, I moved back to Raleigh to go to work as a
Superintendent for my father's custom home business, all the while
continuing to mate on the weekends and in tournaments for various
people. In May of 2008, I decided to follow my dreams and make
fishing my full time job, and since that day I have never looked
back. As the mate on the Release, I will do my best everyday to
ensure that you and your party have a great experience, not only
catching fish, but learning a little bit along the way. I enjoy
sharing my love of offshore fishing with everyone, so if you have any
questions, I will be happy to answer them. I look forward to
fishing with you soon!
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