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To book offshore and inshore charters,
contact one of the marinas listed here.
You can request a certain boat and captain or let them offer you one. All of these
marinas represent reputable, licensed captains. Call at least a month ahead, but earlier if you know your schedule. Fishing
trips continue year-round. If everything is
booked, ask to be put on a waiting list;
somebody might cancel. You should know
that it is the captain's call on whether to
go out in inclement weather. Always defer
to the captain's judgment. Prices are for
full-day trips, unless specified otherwise.
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Pirate's Cove Yacht Club
Nags Head-Manteo Causeway, Manteo
(252) 473-3906, (800) 367-4728
www.fishpiratescove.com
Pirate's Cove is a world-class fishing center
known for its boats, captains, and large-
purse tournaments. By far the most modern marina on the Outer Banks, its prices
reflect its high quality. Seventeen sportfishing boats operate out of this marina, each
at a price of $1,375 cash, plus mate's tip,
for a full day of Gulf Stream fishing. Booking is centralized through the marina.
Pirate's Cove Yacht Club is about a 15- to
20-minute boat ride from Oregon Inlet, the
northernmost ocean-sound inlet on the
Outer Banks. The Gulf Stream is about a
two-hour ride from the inlet. Pirate's Cove
is the central booking agent for four
inshore boats. Half-day trips cost $425
cash, with a maximum of six people per
boat. Trips run year-round. Pirate's Cove
sponsors several fishing tournaments each
year; see our Annual Events chapter.
Custom Sound Charters
152 Dogwood Trail, Manteo
(252) 216-6765, (252) 473-8432
www.customsoundcharters.com
Captain Rick Caton has long been fishing
the Outer Banks waters, both inshore and
offshore, and offers a wide variety of trips.
Year-round, you can charter sound-fishing
trips with Caton, who specializes in catching striped bass. He'll take you fly fishing
or light-tackle fishing for trout, puppy
drum, flounder, striped bass, and bluefish.
Everything you need is furnished. Caton's inshore trips are offered on
the 42-foot Free Agent, and he charges
$425 for a half day and $850 for a full
day. Caton also conducts shrimping and
crabbing trips, inshore Spanish mackerel
trolling trips, and light-tackle bottom fishing over wrecks for triggerfish and black
sea bass. Or, you can choose to anchor
and chum for sharks, cobia, and king
mackerel. Call for more information.
Inlet Charters
(252) 441-2174, (252) 202-2174
Captain Billy Griggs offers inshore full or
half-day inlet trips for red drum, large
stripers, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, king
mackerel, and cobia onboard his 24-foot
custom Carolina-style boat. Trips range
from $350 to $700. Griggs can fish with
up to four anglers.
Tideline Charters
Thicket Lump Marina, Wanchese
(252) 261-1458
www.tidelinecharter.com
The 34-foot custom Carolina boat called
the Tideline takes full- and half-day inshore
and intermediate trips. Half-day inshore
trips cost $400, and half-day intermediate
trips cost $600. Full-day intermediate trips
cost $800.
Nags Head Guide Service
(252) 475-1555
www.nagsheadfishing.com
Captain David Dudley offers light-tackle
inshore trips for stripers, flounder, trout,
bluefish, mackerel, cobia, drum, and largemouth bass. Rates range from $200 to
$475, depending on the number of people
on board and the length of the trip.
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Oregon Inlet Fishing Center
NC 12, Bodie Island
(252) 441-6301, (800) 272-5199
www.oregon-inlet.com The Oregon Inlet charter fishing fleet is a
historic landmark on the Outer Banks.
Most of the 31 sportfishing boats in this
marina were locally made and have the
famous Carolina flared bow. Some of the
Outer Banks's most seasoned captains
fish from this marina and have done so
since it opened in the 1960s. All offshore
trips to the Gulf Stream from this marina
cost $1,360 for a party of six. Five boats
offer inshore and intermediate trips from
Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. Intermediate
trips of 5 to 10 miles cost $437 for a half-
day and $565 for a full day with up to
four people per boat.
Hatteras Harbor Marina
NC 12, Hatteras Village
(252) 986-2166, (800) 676-4939
www.hatterasharbor.com
This marina represents about 20 vessels
that take anglers to the Gulf Stream via
Hatteras Inlet. Trips cost from $840 to
$1,150, depending on the size of the boat.
The Gulf Stream is about a 90-minute
boat ride from Hatteras Inlet. Inshore fishing trips are chartered year-round from
this marina on one of two 24-foot boats.
Half-day trips are available.
Hatteras Landing Marina
NC 12, Hatteras Village
(252) 986-2077, (800) 551-8478
www.hatteraslanding.com
Hatteras Landing Marina represents 12 offshore fishing boats. Prices range from
$700 to $1,350, depending on the size of
the boat. If you don't have a full party,
Hatteras Landing can put one together for
you if you're willing to wait on standby for
a couple of days. Winter bluefin tuna trips
run at about the same price range.
Oden's Dock Marina
NC 12, Hatteras Village
(252) 986-2555, (888) 544-8115
www.odensdock.com
Five or six offshore charter boats operate
out of Oden's Dock. Prices range from
$850 to $1,030, and winter bluefin tuna
trips usually cost around $1,200. Oden's
books inshore charters on a 22-foot boat
and a 24-foot that each handle four people. These boats fish in the sound only. A
larger 42-foot boat operates in the sound
or ocean and accommodates six people.
Teach's Lair Marina
NC 12, Hatteras Village
(252) 986-2460
www.teachslair.com
Fourteen boats operate out of Teach's
Lair. Full-day offshore trips cost between
$750 and $1,250, and make-up charters
are available for $190 per person. Bluefin
trips are more expensive. Teach's Lair
books inshore charters on morning or
afternoon half-day trips. Morning trips run
from 7:00 A.M.to noon, and afternoon
trips run from 12:30 to 5:30 P.M. Prices
range from $250 to $500, depending on
the boat.
Albatross Fleet
Foster's Quay, Hatteras Village
(252) 986-2515
www.albatrossfleet.com
The Albatross Fleet of Hatteras, established by Capt. Ernal Foster in 1937, was
the first charter fishing operation on the
North Carolina coast. The original boat,
the Albatross, still takes anglers to the
Gulf Stream. The Albatross was designed
by Foster to perfectly accommodate offshore fishing parties, and it was built
across the sound in Harkers Island. The
fleet now consists of three boats, all
named Albatross, and is now operated by
Foster's son, Ernal Foster Jr., who began
working as a mate on his father's boat in
1958. The Albatross I, II, and III, all 44 feet, dock at Foster's Quay. Offshore trips
begin at $850 for a full day. Inshore half-
day trips cost $350.
Ocracoke Fishing Center
and Anchorage Marina
NC 12, Ocracoke Village
(252) 928-6661
Three boats offer full-day offshore charters out of this marina. Full-day trips cost
around $900 to $1,000. These boats use
Ocracoke Inlet when heading to the Gulf
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Headboat fishing can give you a great
fishing experience without the expense of
chartering a private boat. Several large
boats take parties into the intermediate
waters (in the ocean, though not as far as
the Gulf Stream) all day, while others ply
the inshore waters for half-days. Ocean
trips typically track bottom species, such
as black sea bass, triggerfish, tilefish,
amberjack, snapper, tautog, grouper, and
occasionally small sharks. The species
vary slightly from north to south. Generally on these trips you're dropping a line
down over artificial and natural reefs and
wrecks, not trolling. Inshore trips ply the
sounds and inlets and sometimes go several miles offshore to the wrecks on calm
days. The trips usually yield croaker, trout,
spot, flounder, sea mullet, blow toads, and
pigfish. There is one headboat, the Country Girl out of Pirate's Cove, that takes
trips to the Gulf Stream.
Headboats are built to accommodate a
multitude of passengers, each person paying "by the head," hence the name. Open
deck space from bow to stern holds
anglers comfortably, and sometimes there
is an enclosed cabin area. The boats are
generally between 60 and 75 feet long and
can hold up to 50 anglers. All gear and
bait are supplied. All you have to bring is
food, drinks, and sunscreen. Some boats
provide snacks and drinks, so you should check when making reservations. You don't
even need a fishing license. If you're new to fishing, the mates will
help you with everything from baiting your hook to identifying your
catch. Be sure to dress in layers if you're fishing any time other
than summer. Mornings and evenings can be cool, even when days are
warm. Inshore headboat trips are the most suitable choice for families
with young children, mainly because they're shorter.
Deep-sea trips
are full-day trips that can be as long as 8 to 10 hours, and the
captain will not turn around except in a real emergency. Seasickness
is not
an emergency. Inshore trips are typically a half-day. Watch the kids
carefully on the boats. The decks are often slippery, so you should
enforce a no-running policy. Plus, these boats carry large crowds
of people and fishing gear. Getting hooked can ruin a trip. That said,
headboats are great places to teach children how to fish for a very
small amount of money. Remain positive when fishing with kids. Everywhere
in the world, there are days when the fishing is slow. If you're
having
one of those days, let the trip be a positive lesson in nature, patience,
and people. A positive attitude will go far in hooking your kids
on fishing for life. Besides, you often see dolphins, birds, turtles,
and sometimes whales on these trips, so the day won't be a total
loss.
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Crystal Dawn
Pirate's Cove Yacht Club
Nags Head-Manteo Causeway, Manteo
(252) 473-5577
www.themefifty.com/crystaldawn
This 65-foot, two-story vessel offers inshore (inlet and sound) bottom-fishing trips from May through October. The boat holds up to 55 passengers. All bait and tackle are provided, but you have to bring your own snacks and drinks. Tickets cost $30 per person for everyone older than 10, and $25 per child age 10 and under. In peak season (Memorial Day to Labor Day), trips run from 7:00 A.M. to noon or 12:30 to 5:00 P.M. The rest of the time, the boat heads out from 8:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. The Crystal Dawn also takes sight-seeing trips in the evenings (see our Recreation chapter).
Country Girl
Pirate's Cove Yacht Club
Nags Head-Manteo Causeway, Manteo
(252) 473-5577
The Country Girl heads offshore from 5 to 35 miles, depending on the weather and the fishing. The 57-foot boat holds 27 passengers, each paying $85. This is a fullday trip, lasting from 7:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Older children and teenagers are welcome, but younger children are not. The Country Girl offers trips from May through October.
Miss Oregon Inlet
Oregon Inlet Fishing Center
NC 12, Bodie Island
(252) 441-6301
www.oregon-inlet.com The Miss Oregon Inlet is a 65-foot head-boat that offers half-day, inshore fishing trips for $31 per person or $21 for kids age six and under. In early spring and fall, the boat makes one trip per day (except Sunday), leaving at 8:00 A.M. and returning at 12:30 P.M. From Memorial Day through Labor Day there are two trips: 7:00 to 11:30 A.M. and noon to 4:30 P.M. Buy tickets one day in advance, if possible, because the boat often fills up.
Miss Hatteras and Captain Clam
Oden's Dock, NC 12, Hatteras Village
(252) 986-2555, (888) 544-8115 The Miss Hatteras headboat ties up at Oden's Dock in Hatteras Village and operates from February through November. She offers half-day fishing trips for $35 per person on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday morning from 8:00 A.M.to noon and Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 5:00 P.M. On Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, she offers full-day bottom-fishing trips from 6:30 A.M.to 4:30 P.M. for $90 per person. The boat accommodates 45 people. In late October and early November, she offers full-day king mackerel fishing trips for $125 per
person. All gear is included in the cost of
the trip, and a snack bar is on board. In
the summer, when the Miss Hatteras is
booked, Oden's Dock also offers the Captain Clam, a 40-person-capacity headboat
that conducts half-day, inshore sound, and
inlet fishing trips for $36 a person. These
trips run Monday through Saturday from 8:00 A.M.to noon and 1:00 to 5:00 P.M.
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