Fishing School will be held March 14
March 14, 2026 will mark the 16th “in-person” Oak Island Fishing School. There was also one year, 2021, where the school was done in a series of YouTube videos. This event, presented by the Oak Island Friends of Parks Foundation, is an event done by fishermen, for fishermen and this shows in its popularity and longevity.
The Oak Island Saltwater Fishing Schools began in 2009 as a collaboration between the Oak Island Recreation Department, Capt. Jimmy Price and Capt. Jerry Dilsaver. The Oak Island Recreation Director at that time, Rebecca Squires, felt that fishing was a major part of the recreation enjoyed by residents of and visitors to Oak Island, and she wanted the recreation department to offer fishing programming. They had done some on a small scale and thought it could be done on a larger scale. She met with Captains Price and Dilsaver and the Oak Island Saltwater Fishing School was born.
The Oak Island Saltwater Fishing School has been held since then and for about 10 years there was also an Oak Island Kayak Fishing School and a Women Anglers In Training (W.A.I.T.) school for ladies only. However, several unfortunate events transpired and the Saltwater Fishing School, which was the primary event, is the only one currently happening.
Capt. Price passed away in the fall of 2017 and was followed by Capt. Butch Foster. The Covid pandemic reared its head in 2020 and Capt. Butch Foster moved away in 2024. Capt. Joe Seegers came aboard for the offshore sessions in 2025 and Tracy Mastin, of Faith Surf Fishing, came aboard in 2026 to cover surf fishing.
School raises money for recreational department
During this time, other things happened too, and some were positive. Rebecca Squires retired from the Oak Island Recreation Department, but was co-chairing the Oak Island Friends of Parks Foundation. The Friends of Parks Foundation (https://okifriendsofparks.org) took over the saltwater fishing school, with the continued goal of raising money for recreation department equipment, programming and training. As of the 2025 Oak Island Fishing School, slightly more than $31,000 in equipment and funds had been donated to the Oak Island Recreation Department.
The Saltwater Fishing School became the largest of the fishing programs offered through the Oak Island Recreation Department and was the only one to survive the Covid pandemic. It has been continuous, but was not held in person in 2021. That year, Capt. Foster and Capt. Dilsaver made a series of instructional fishing videos that were shared free on YouTube as the Oak Island Saltwater Fishing School for 2021. Those videos can still be found at www.youtube.com/ncfishmonger. This is the 16th year the Oak Island Saltwater Fishing School has been held in person and the 17th year it has been held.
Lunch is included
For 2026, the Oak Island Saltwater Fishing School, which will be held at Ocean View United Methodist Church on Saturday, March 14, and will feature Tracy Mastin, Capt. Joe Seegers and Capt. Jerry Dilsaver presenting tips and techniques on catching a variety of saltwater species.
Tracy Mastin will host the session on surf fishing and this will include tips and tactics for catching many species from the beach. Capt. Joe Seegers will host the sessions on offshore trolling for tuna, dolphin, wahoo and more and offshore bottom fishing for snapper, grouper, black sea bass and more. Capt. Jerry Dilsaver will host the sessions on inshore fishing for trout, drum and flounder, plus catching Spanish and king mackerel. All will help with a hands on session on choosing and using cast nets. It will be a full day, beginning at 9:00 A.M. and running to approximately 4:30 P.M. Lunch is included and there will be lots of door prizes.
Tracy Mastin
Tracy Mastin, who will lead the surf fishing session, moved to Oak Island from Kentucky. He suffered from a major mining accident and nearly died. He moved to Oak Island to recover and fell in love with surf fishing. He began going at every opportunity and went with others, plus read all he could find and became a very good and knowledgeable surf fisherman.
Now, Tracy operates Faith Surf Fishing (www.faithsurffishing.com), where he takes many clients each year and introduces the beginners to surf fishing and helps experienced surf fisherman improve their skills and knowledge. He also teaches the Surf Fishing Schools offered by the Oak Island Recreation Department. Tracy is a wealth of information on surf fishing, especially from the beaches of Oak Island.
Capt. Joe Seegers
Capt. Joe Seegers also moved to the area, but is from a little closer and was introduced to Oak Island as a youngster when it was still Yaupon Beach and Long Beach. He is from Newland, in the N.C. Mountains, but began coming to Oak Island with his parents at about 7-8 months old. This was the family vacation spot every year. He began fishing on the beach at 4-years-old and graduated to the pier at 5. The big influence came at 6, when his dad chartered the Salty Dog V for a day of offshore fishing and he became hooked.
While in school he would daydream about offshore fishing. At some point he learned about Hatteras and fishing there became an obsession. After graduating from UNC, he moved to Hatteras to fish for a year and decide what he wanted to pursue in the future. He landed a job mating for Capt. Fred Parsons on the Citation and his 1 year turned into almost 8 and around 1100 fishing trips, plus earning his Captain’s License.
While in Hatteras, he met his wife, Becky, and they moved to Southport in 2007. He won’t admit it, but part of the draw was that his dad had just purchased a 40-foot Fitz Sportfisherman that was docked at Safe Harbor Marina. He hasn’t chartered the “Hooked Up,” but fishes it regularly with friends and family. He travels occasionally to fish billfish and wahoo tournaments with friends. Capt. Seegers enjoys fishing for anything that is biting and says nothing is wasted as they use their fish scraps for crab baits during the summer. It will be a pleasure to learn from someone who enjoys fishing so much and has top notch skills he learned from some of the best.
Capt. Jerry Dilsaver
Capt. Jerry Dilsaver is the native in this group. He proudly announces he was born in Dosher Hospital and even though he left at times for other opportunities, he keeps returning and has owned his current home in Oak Island for 30 years. He says he has misjudged the tide and been stuck in the mud in most of the creeks around Southport, Oak Island and Bald Head Island, bumped bottom in the local inlets learning his way around and it was all good. He laughed as he said “Some experiences teach what to do and others teach what not to do.”
Capt. Dilsaver began fishing with his dad and uncles at 4-years-old and has continued since. He has fished as a charter captain, a commercial fisherman, a professional tournament angler and just for fun. He has worked as an outdoor journalist and photographer for 40 years and currently does the Outdoor Page for The State Port Pilot newspaper and contributes freelance for several magazines, including Carolina Sportsman. His tournament fishing accolades include a Southern Kingfish Association National Championship, being honored as the U.S. Anglers Association Angler of the Year and being a member of the Southern Kingfish Association Hall of Fame.
Capt. Dilsaver enjoys all kinds of fishing and is ready to go whenever asked. However, he also believes in giving back and really enjoys participating in events like this fishing school, giving seminars at boat, fishing and outdoor shows across the southeast and speaking to fishing clubs and civic groups.
New fishermen, fishermen looking to shorten their learning curve and even experienced fishermen should all benefit from attending the 2026 Oak Island Saltwater Fishing School. The speakers are all knowledgeable, personable and welcome questions. The school will be held March 14 at Ocean View United Methodist Church in Oak Island. It is presented by the Oak Island Friends of Parks Foundation and serves as a fund-raiser for equipment, programs and training for the Oak Island Recreation Department. There is a registration fee of $80 in advance and $90 at the door, if seats are available. The school does not have a website, but there are links to a flyer and a registration form at www.captjerry.com.
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