Fishing and crabbing from piers is a favorite pastime along the Crystal Coast. While hurricanes in recent years have wreaked havoc on several favorite spots, there are still two piers open for business. These piers are popular spots during the spring, summer and fall. Take along your kids or anyone who has never fished — it's fun!


The Crystal Coast is renowned the world over for its offshore fishing.
Photo: NC Travel & Tourism

This lighted pier is part of the Oceanana Family Resort Motel, but you don't have to be a motel patron to fish here — the pier is also open to the public. You will find the lowest cost fishing passes on the Crystal Coast, and motel guests fish for free in the off-season. No saltwater fishing license is necessary; a blanket pass is provided by the pier, which remains one of the last fishing piers on the Crystal Coast. The Oceanana also sells bait, rents rods and reels and has an arcade, a tackle and snack shop, plus plenty of parking. The pier's grill offers delicious breakfast and lunch menus.

Bogue Inlet Fishing Pier
MM 19, N.C. Hwy. 58, Emerald Isle
(252) 354-2919

This 1,000-foot, lighted pier is a popular spot for anglers and beachgoers. Parking in the large lot is free weekdays if you are fishing and $5 on Saturday and Sunday; from there access to the ocean beach is a short walk through the lot and down some wooden stairs. People who want to fish may do so from the pier all day at rates starting at $8.50. Bathrooms, a fish-cleaning station, tackle, bait and a snack bar are on the premises.

Fortunate anglers can fish from their own boats, but lacking your own (or a friend's) you can choose from the dozens of commercial rentals and charters. One good way to enjoy a day of inexpensive fishing is on a head boat. These large vessels take as many as 50 people out into the Gulf Stream for a day's worth of deep-sea fishing. The name came about because you pay by the head, or per person, for the trip. You don't hire the entire boat, just a spot on the deck. The crew provides the rods, reels and bait; you just take your personal belongings, such as a cooler of drinks and snacks, seasickness prevention, weather gear and sun protection.

Charter boats are smaller vessels hired by a private party of four to six individuals. A typical half-day excursion will take you bottom fishing offshore where grouper, red snapper, triggerfish and grunts are plentiful. A whole day of deep-sea fishing involves motoring some 40 miles offshore to the Gulf Stream. Chartering a boat to troll the Gulf Stream is what you want if you hope to catch tuna, wahoo, dolphin, marlin and sailfish. Offshore charters are expensive — daily fees can top $1,200 or more for a full party — but if you split the cost between six anglers it's a pretty good deal. If you don't have a complete group, a charter captain may be able to hook you up with another half-party willing to share the expenses of chartering the boat.

Most head and charter boats operate year round, with less frequent trips in the dead of winter. For more information about head and charter boats, we recommend you walk along the Morehead City and Beaufort waterfronts, check out the marinas on the Atlantic Beach Causeway or talk with other anglers.

More than 70 licensed charter boats and head boats operate year-round on the Crystal Coast so we can't list them all here. Our descriptions are representative samples of the vessels available for hire.
 

Continental Shelf, Inc.
406 Evans St., Morehead City
(252) 726-7454, (800) 775-7450

The Continental Shelf has an ideal charter for the fisherman who wants to have something to talk about for years to come. Select from a half-day adventure that includes pirate tales, dolphin watching and near-shore fishing on the Crystal Coast or try a full-day of fishing for grouper, triggerfish or vermillion snapper. For the more adventuresome, head out overnight for some fast-paced excitement hunting the big fish offshore. All you have to bring is your good luck and a big cooler. The Continental Shelf provides rod and reel, bait and tackle, and they will ice the fish for the trip home. A snack bar aboard the boat has sandwiches and snacks to sustain you during a long day of reeling. The Continental Shelf is a 100-foot sportsfisher and can easily handle 40 or more anglers. She has three V-8 turbo diesels and enough electronics to find the wiliest fish. You can fish in comfort from the boat’s upper or lower deck or stern as the Continental Shelf has a broad beam and plenty of elbow room. The boat docks on the Morehead City waterfront next to Olympus Diving.
 

Fishead Charters
106 Lion Glenn Dr., Swansboro
(910) 459-2257

With 22 years of boating and fishing experience, Captain Chris Sewell of Fishead Charters can make your day a truly enjoyable experience. Offering inshore and near-shore fishing charters, Chris can customize your half-day (four hour) or full-day (six hour) trip to be exactly what you want. Chris supplies rods and reels, tackle, ice and bait. He will clean the fish and can offer quite a few recipes on how to cook them. If you want to go clamming, crabbing, cast netting or are interested in a brief history of Swansboro, Emerald Isle or Cape Carteret, Chris has got you covered. You will not need a fishing license — he has a blanket license for his boat, a 21-foot Bay boat.. All you need to bring are sodas, water, snacks and sunscreen. Chris keeps his charters clean and non-smoking and he operates in a Christian environment. Year round, depending on the weather and the season, you can catch flounder, speckled trout, redfish, sheepshead, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, black drum, spot and croaker. If the fish aren't biting, Fishead Charters is also available for eco-tours. Explore the local islands or hunt for fossilized shark's teeth. Chris likes to keep his tours to two passengers, but if you need more room, he can help you find what you need. He is U.S. Coast Guard certified and fully insured.
 

Nancy Lee Fishing Center
N.C. Hwy. 24 E., Swansboro
(252) 354-3474, (910) 326-4304