Outpost

Inshore Fishing

Hatteras

On Pamlico Sound and the inlets, you'll be fishing for Speckled Trout, Red Drum, Flounder, Striped Bass, Black Drum, Spanish Mackeral, Blue, Cobia and Tarpon. Of course, you or your kids may also bring in Manta Rays, Lizard Fish, Sea Robbins and other nonedible species, which you'll release, but which, especially for the kids, are just as exciting to see and learn about as the fish you'll keep. Abby at left is fishing for Trout.

You may get to watch your guide throw a seine into the water, let it settle, then pull it in full of small bait fish. Or you may use artificial lures. It depends on what you're fishing for, where you are, and what month it is. You won't need to bring any equipment with you. The boat comes equipped with all the rods, reels, lines, bait, etc. There's different equipment for different kinds of fish.

You can schedule a trip from dawn to noon, noon til 4:00, or 6 pm til 10.

Outer Banks fishing fluctuates with the seasons and weather conditions. Spring and Fall are ideal. August is always the slowest, although boats still come back with their legal limit. There are many families who come to Hatteras in Summer for the beaches, then come back in the Fall for the fishing.

"Inshore" does not necessarily mean only Pamlico Sound fishing. The guides may take you into the inlets, or even out onto the open ocean along the front beaches, Diamond Shoals, above sunken ships, or right in the middle of Hatteras, Oregon or Ocracoke Inlet. Your guide knows where the fish are on any given day.

If you're fishing back in the Sound, you'll fish mostly on the grass flats, where fish hide among submerged grass. Your guide will probably let you fish for 30-45 minutes in one place, then move to a different location, and cover four locations during your four hour trip. But, of course, if you find the fish are biting as fast as you can pull one in and bait the hook for the next one, your guide will keep you there as long as the run lasts.

According to what time you return, your guide will either take the fish you caught over to the professional fish fileting service, or filet them himself right in front of you.

Generally, a half day trip costs about $400. The boats are supposed to have a capacity of six fishing customers, but the guides prefer to keep parties down to four so the deck doesn't get too crowded. If you only have two or three in your party, a guide will still take you but the price will still be $400. That's $100 per person, as opposed to $280 per person for offshore trips.

Pictured at right is Aaron Aaron piloting Tightline.

Several of the inshore charter boats also offer fly casting fishing trips and clamming and crabbing trips.

Unlike the big offshore boats, these smaller inshore boats do not have rest rooms. So you may want to stop at the Hatteras Harbor restrooms before heading out.

Generally, you should make your reservation about two weeks in advance if you want complete choice of days and times. Even in August, the year's slowest month, people come down for their annual one or two week vacation and book their fishing trips with the same boat year after year.