Experience the beauty and unique location of North Carolina's Outer Banks.... only 35 miles from the Gulf Stream. Challenge the power and majesty of a giant blue marlin during an intense battle.... or experience the exciting jumping abilities of the acrobatic white marlin, sailfish and dolphin (mahi-mahi) on light tacke..... or wrestle with the hard running, deep diving and great eating yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, bluefin tuna and wahoo. Whether you are looking for the catch of a lifetime, a light tackle challenge or just a boxfull of fish for the grill, check out the OBSESSION. Captain Jeff Ross, owner/operator of the 55ft OBSESSION, has been fishing the Gulf Stream and waters off North Carolina's Outer Banks since 1982. You will not fish with a more intense, harder working Captain, who is in the business for his love and passion for the sport!

The OBSESSION is home-based at Pirates Cove Marina, in the Manteo/Nags Head area of North Carolina's Outer Banks. From April thru December, Captain Jeff runs full day charters to the Gulf Stream and adjacent waters, heading offshore thru Oregon Inlet to take advantage of the accessibility of over 120 miles of 100 fathom curve...the outer continental shelf-edge, with its sharp drop-offs, canyons, rock ledges, Gulf Stream and Gulf Stream eddies. The unique combination of hydrographic and geographic conditions existing off Oregon Inlet results in some of the world's most productive waters and is the reason why the Outer Banks offers the finest year-round abundance of big game species along the continental United States.

Fish on the OBSESSION for yellowfin tuna late-March thru mid-July and late-September thru early-December; blue marlin from May thru September; white marlin from June thru September; catch dolphin from late-April thru September; for bigeye tuna mid-June thru September and some years in the fall; and wahoo from April thru November.

During the winter, the OBSESSION travels to Mexico, where Capt. Jeff runs light tackle saifishing trips from the island of Isla Mujeres, near Cancun, Mexico. From January thru mid March, the waters off the northern Yucatan Peninsula hold the world's largest concentration of Atlantic sailfish, and produces some of the most incredible billfishing in the world.

Captain Jeff Ross grew up fishing New England waters, working on 85 ft headboats for big bluefish and school bluefin tuna, and private sportfishing boats for giant bluefin tuna, sharks and marlin. He received a B.A. degree in Zoology at Ohio Wesleyan University (1974) and a M.A. degree in Fisheries Biology from the College of William & Mary (1979).

Since moving to the Outer Banks in 1982, and during the time he was a fisheries biologist for the NC Division of Marine Fisheries, Captain Jeff worked as a freelance mate on charter boats fishing out of Oregon Inlet. Since 1994 he has owned and operated his own charter boat, first the 48 ft Ocean OBSESSION and currently the 55ft Sheldon Midgette built OBSESSION.
Having fished for giant bluefin tuna in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Gloucester, Ma., and Montauk, NY.; for marlin off the Virgin Islands, Bahamas, and Equador, for sailfish in Cancun, and for a host of smaller species from the the surf, center consoles, charterboats, headboats, and even 110-200 ft research vessels along the entire east coast and Gulf of Mexico, Captain Jeff brings a host of fishing experiences on board with him. In his free time, he drives his "beach rig" along the Outer Banks beaches catching puppy and big red drum, striped bass, and speckled trout, and big bluefish from the surf.
As captain and/or mate, Jeff Ross has won money and/or placed in the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, the Pirates Cove Billfish Tournament, the Pirate Cove/Allison White Marlin Tournament, the VA Beach Ducks Unlimited Tournament,  the Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies Billfish Tournament, the Pirates Cove Boatbuilders Tournament and the Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament.

 "The hunt for fish concentrations, the act and art of fishing, luring and teasing a deep sea predator into the trolling spread, the excitement of seeing up close an acrobatic white marlin or "lit up" sailfish, the multicolored dolphins, the epic battles with giant bluefin tuna or blue marlins, the thrill of boating a customers biggest fish ever, or releasing their first billfish. Add to that the awesome sunrises, the clear blue Gulf Stream waters, and fishing with good friends ... That's what its all about!"
Captain Jeff Ross

The OBSESSION is a 55 foot custom 'Carolina-style' sportfishing boat, the last and largest in a long line of vessels built specifically for charter fishing by Capt. Sheldon Midgette (for Capt. Sheldon Midgette). You will not find a more comfortable, seakindly boat when the ocean gets rough. This is one of the dryest boats ever built, and with a large keel, she is extremely stable when trolling. The OBSESSION was repowered in 1998 with a 1000 hp 3412 Caterpillar and cruises at 24+ knots. The OBSESSION carries state of the art electronics including radar, color fish finder, and two GPS chart plotters and cell phone. Its large salon features: heat/air, microwave, stereo, VCR and a refrigerator. Enhancing your fishing comfort, the hugh cockpit has a 130 lb class giant tuna chair, 2 additional fighting chairs, and a large built-in bait box, ice chest and fish box. The OBSESSION has a ladder to the flying bridge to allow customers/guests to join Capt. Jeff on the bridge for a different perspective.

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