If fishing is your passion, these barrier islands should be enough to send you reeling. Situated as we are in the Atlantic, not only do we have fabulous close-range ocean and inlet fishing, but we're so close to the Gulf Stream and its bounty that offshore trips are just as popular. Half-day and full-day charters are available year-round, or if you're a seasoned boater with an ocean-worthy vessel, you can make the trip yourself. If you're looking to spend only a couple of hours' worth of angling, you can surf fish along nearly 100 miles of wide sandy beaches, or you can wet a line at any one of a number of fishing piers. And that's just covering the ocean. Our sound waters are home to numerous finned species, and interior freshwater ponds are stocked with fish. Outer Banks angling is the stuff of which dreams are made. The following fish stories are for real.

The International Game Fish Association lists 92 world records for fish caught in Outer Banks waters, though some of those are now retired. These record holders include a 405-pound lemon shark caught off of Buxton, a 67-pound amberjack caught in Oregon Inlet, a 41-pound bluefish, and a 72-pound red drum landed off Hatteras. A 348-pound bluefin tuna was caught in Hatteras waters as well, along with record-size black sea bass, Spanish mackerel, oyster toadfish, bigeye tuna, kingfish, and sheepshead landed in waters from Kill Devil Hills to Ocracoke. Even if you don't tip the scales with a record-breaking catch, you're bound to fill your coolers with anything from albacore to wahoo. Depending upon the season, where you fish, and your choice of bait, you'll also find speckled trout, gray trout, flounder, striped bass (or rockfish), black drum, largemouth bass, tautog, cobia, a variety of pan fish, and the big attraction, billfish.

You might think that the variety here draws expert anglers, hence the great catches. Chances of a good catch are enhanced by physical conditions existing here that don't exist anywhere else. And that's no fish story! We outline these characteristics in the offshore section that follows.

Another factor that hugely influences the catch is our charter fleets. Many consider the local sportfishing boats, called Carolina boats, the most beautiful in the world, and these vessels house the complete package of brains, talent, and beauty. Our experienced captains are without peer, and their charter mates will awe you with their knowledge, skill, and the manner in which they work. Some mates move as if their actions are choreographed: simultaneously working lines, assisting members of the fishing party, keeping the captain apprised of catches- in-progress, arranging poles, gaffing fish, and encouraging you to keep reeling when it feels as if your arm just won't manage another revolution. A good mate is worth his or her weight in gold.

While anyone who's ever gone fishing knows you can't predict catches, the local charter boat captains know what species may be in the area, and they will guide you. Charters leave the docks for inshore and offshore fishing every day that the weather permits. When you call to book a boat (see our Marinas listings in this chapter), you may find it hard to decide what kind of trip to choose unless you've fished before. Booking agents at each marina will help you.

In the following sections, we describe offshore and inshore angling, backwater, surf, fly, and pier fishing. Offshore trips generally leave the docks at 5:30 A.M. and return no later than 6:00 P.M. Inshore trips are half-day excursions that leave twice daily, generally at 7:00 A.M. and again around noon. Intermediate trips can last all day but generally don't travel as far as the Gulf Stream.

If you decide to fish without a guide or charter captain, the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (800-682-2632) is a wealth of information. It's your resource for all available licenses, including recreational, commercial gear, and standard commercial licenses. A license to land flounder is available only through this Morehead City office. The division publishes an annual recreational-fishing handbook, the North Carolina Coastal Waters Guide for Sports Fishermen, a comprehensive guide to licenses, limits, and sizes. The helpful staff will also direct you to the appropriate contacts for obtaining federal permits for tuna and other controlled species.

For information on freshwater fishing permits and regulations, you'll need to contact the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission in Raleigh. The number for hunting and fishing licenses is (919) 662-4370. A regulations digest is available at sporting goods stores and tackle shops. Call either Wildlife Resources or the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries for information on motorboat registration. Official weigh stations are listed toward the end of this chapter.