Oak Island was once home to three piers: Yaupon, Ocean Crest and Long Beach.
Each was an outstanding king mackerel platform, in part because of the nutrient-rich water pushing out of the mouth of the Cape Fear River attracts baitfish and predators alike.
Long Beach Pier, built by Jimmy Bigford in 1955, twice was destroyed by hurricanes and rebuilt. Before owner Tommy Thomes sold the pier, restaurant and motel in 2006, Long Beach Pier had the reputation as the island’s best king mackerel venue. Today, beach houses sit where the once jutted into the ocean.
Until a few years ago, the Oak Island Pier was privately-owned Yaupon Pier, named after one of Oak Island’s four beaches — the others are Caswell, Long Beach and Ocean Crest. In 1999, the town of Yaupon Beach merged with Long Beach to form the town of Oak Island.
Pier was on the verge of being sold to a development company and demolished, which would have left Oak Island with only Ocean Crest Pier. But with help from a $500,000 state grant, Oak Island bought the property to preserve its heritage and give town residents and tourists a second pier.
The town’s fathers understood the value of piers to tourism, especially during the spring, summer and fall — prime fishing seasons.
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