Fishing | Insiders' Guide® North Carolina's Outer Banks, 26th Edition

		Pier Fishing Pier fishing is a true Outer Banks institution and has delighted anglers young and old for decades. The appeal is obvious: low cost and a chance to fish deeper waters without a boat. The variety of fish available also lures anglers. Depending on the time of year, you can catch croakers, spot, sea mullet, red drum, cobia, and occasionally a tarpon, king mackerel, sheepshead, or amberjack. Bait and tackle are sold at each pier, or you can rent whatever gear you need. Avid anglers usually come prepared, but newcomers to the sport are always welcome on the pier, and staff are more than willing to outfit you and offer some fishing tips. Pier fishing is a good way to introduce kids to the sport. Many Outer Banks locals spent their youth on the pier soaking in know-how and area fishing lore. For instance, Garry Oliver, who owns the Outer Banks Pier in South Nags Head, spent many a summer day at the Nags Head Fishing Pier when he was a lad. Today, Garry is a member of an award- winning surf-casters team. The Outer Banks has no oceanfront boardwalks, but the piers more than make up for it. The smells of salt air and creosote-treated lumber greet you as you walk the wide planks over the ocean water. Looking down between the cracks, you see the waves crashing beneath you. You don't have to fish to appreciate the piers. For a small fee, you can just walk out on the piers to enjoy the vantage points. Avalon Fishing Pier NC 12, MP 6, Kill Devil Hills (252) 441-7494 www.avalonpier.com Avalon Pier, in the heart of Kill Devil Hills, was built in the mid 1950s and is 705 feet long. The pier has lights for night fishing, a snack bar, a bait and tackle shop, ice, video games, and rental fishing gear. A busy place in-season, the pier is open 24 hours a day. The pier house is open from 6:00 A.M. until midnight. The pier is closed December through mid-March. Admission prices are $8.50 for adults and $4.00 for children younger than age 12. A weekly pass is $40. A three-day weekend pass is $20; ask about season passes. People with disabilities are admitted free. Nags Head Fishing Pier NC 12, MP 12, Nags Head (252) 441-5141 www.nagsheadpier.com This is one of the most popular fishing piers on the Outer Banks. It is 750 feet long and has its own bait and tackle shop. Enjoy night fishing, game tables for the kids, and a restaurant. The Pier House Restaurant features fresh seafood and wonderful views of the ocean. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (See our Restaurants chapter for more information.) The pier closes in December and reopens in March or April, depending upon whether the fish are biting. It is open 24 hours during the season. Admission is $8.00 per day for adults and $4.00 per day for kids age 11 and younger. Passes for three or more days cost $21. Season rates are $150 for singles and $240 for couples. Sightseeing costs $1.50 for adults and 75 cents for children. Outer Banks Pier and Fishing Center NC 12, MP 18 1/2, South Nags Head (252) 441-5740 This 650-foot ocean pier was originally built in 1959 and rebuilt in 1962 after the Ash Wednesday storm. Owner Garry Oliver has all you need in the bait and tackle shop for a day of fishing along this stretch of beach. A 300-foot sound fishing and crabbing pier is also available on the Nags Head-Manteo Causeway. The piers are open 24 hours a day from Memorial Day until mid-October and close from Thanksgiving through Easter. Rates in 2005 were $7.00 per day, $18.00 for three days, $35.00 per week, $135.00 per season for one person, and $250.00 per season for a couple. Tackle rental was $5.00. Senior citizen discounts and group rates are available. Snack at the pier's on- site oceanside deli.
		Hatteras Island Resort Fishing Pier NC 12, Rodanthe (252) 987-2323, (800) 331-6541 www.obxfishingpier.com After massive poundings by Hurricanes Dennis and Floyd, this pier collapsed in the fall of 1999. Even the land on which the pier house stood disappeared due to storm erosion. The land was refilled and in fall 2000 the pier reopened, a little farther back from its original location. The pier house sells drinks, snacks, sandwiches, tackle, and bait. The pier and pier house are open every day in the summer, 7:00 A.M.to 11:00 P.M.from Memorial Day to Labor Day and 7:00 A.M.to 10:00 P.M. the rest of the season. The Rodanthe Pier is closed December 1 through April 1. Prices are $8.00 per day to fish and $1.00 to walk on. Weekly and seasonal passes are available. Avon Golf & Fishing Pier NC 12, Avon (252) 995-5480 www.avonpier.com Avon Golf & Fishing Pier has a reputation for being a hot spot for red drum. The all- tackle world-record red drum, weighing in at 94 pounds, 2 ounces, was caught about 200 yards from the pier in 1984, and the record holds to this day. The pier opens at the beginning of April and remains open through Thanksgiving. Purchase or rent your fishing supplies here, buy sandwiches and drinks, and pick up nautical gifts, including T-shirts and sand mirrors. They also offer an 18-hole natural-grass putting green on the premises. Play is unlimited, and you can come and go as you please for $8.00. After Memorial Day, the pier remains open 24 hours a day until it closes for the season. Rates are $8.00 per day for adults, $5.00 per day for kids, and $1.00 to sightsee.
		Citation Fish Citation fish are caught in the waters off the Outer Banks every year. The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries manages the North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Tournament, which recognizes outstanding angling achievement. The tournament runs yearlong. Other than charter boat captains and crews for hire, everyone is eligible for a citation fish award. Eligible waters include North Carolina sounds, surf, estuaries, and the ocean. This tournament is for the hook-and-line angler; use of electric or hydraulic equipment is not allowed. There is one award per angler per species, and all fish must be weighed in at an official weigh station. Anglers receive a certificate after the close of the tournament. There is no registration fee. Following is a list of the area's weigh stations, where you can pick up a species list and receive rules for the tournament. Citations are also awarded for the catch and release of some species.
		Official Weigh Stations Corolla TW's Bait & Tackle NC 12, (252) 453-3339 Duck Bob's Bait and Tackle NC 12, (252) 261-8589 Kitty Hawk Kitty Hawk Bait & Tackle US 158, MP 4 1/2, (252) 261-2955 TW's Bait & Tackle Shop US 158, MP 4, (252) 261-7848 Whitney's Bait and Tackle US 158, MP 4 1/2 (252) 261-5551 Kill Devil Hills Avalon Fishing Pier NC 12, MP 6, (252) 441-7494 Stop eN' Shop Convenience and Deli NC 12, MP 8 1/2, (252) 441-6105 Nags Head TW's Bait & Tackle Shop US 158, MP 10 1/2, (252) 441-4807 Nags Head Fishing Pier NC 12, MP 12, (252) 441-5141 Outer Banks Pier and Fishing Center NC 12, MP 18 1/2, (252) 441-5740 Outer Banks Fishing Unlimited Nags Head-Manteo Causeway (252) 441-5028 Whalebone Tackle Nags Head-Manteo Causeway (252) 441-7413 Manteo Pirate's Cove Nags Head-Manteo Causeway (252) 473-3906 Oregon Inlet NC 12, 8 miles south of Whalebone Junction, (252) 441-6301 Rodanthe Hatteras Jack NC 12, (252) 987-2428 Mac's Tackle & Island Convenience NC 12, (252) 987-2239 Salvo The Fishin' Hole NC 12, (252) 987-2351 Avon Frank and Fran's Fisherman's Friend NC 12, (252) 995-4171 Buxton Dillon's Corner NC 12, (252) 995-5083 Red Drum Tackle Shop NC 12, (252) 995-5414 Frisco Frisco Rod & Gun NC 12, (252) 995-5366 Frisco Tackle NC 12, (252) 995-4361 Hatteras Village Hatteras Harbor Marina NC 12, (252) 986-2166 Oden's Dock NC 12, (252) 986-2555 Pelican's Roost NC 12, (252) 986-2213 Teach's Lair Marina NC 12, (252) 986-2460 Willis Boat Landing 57209 Willis Lane, (252) 986-2208 Ocracoke Ocracoke Fishing Center NC 12, (252) 928-6661 O'Neal's Dockside Tackle Shop NC 12, (252) 928-1111 Tradewinds NC 12, (252) 928-5491
		Bait and Tackle Shops Full-service tackle shops are scattered from Corolla to Ocracoke. They are good sources for not only rods, reels, bait, and other fishing equipment and accessories, but also for tips on what's biting and where. You'll find bait and tackle at all Outer Banks fishing piers and most marinas, too. Just about every department store and general store on the barrier islands carries some sort of fishing gear, and many shops also offer tackle rental. You can ask for guide information at any one of the following shops. Duck Bob's Bait & Tackle NC 12, Duck (252) 261-8589 Stop in Bob's if you're looking for advice on where to catch the really big one. The old building is left over from Duck's early days, when a soundside dock out back was the distribution point for shiploads of fresh ocean fish. The shop carries a good supply of rods, reels, bait, and tackle. Bob's also books offshore charters and provides a hunting and fishing guide service. Kitty Hawk TW's Bait & Tackle US 158, MP 4, Kitty Hawk (252) 261-7848 TW's Bait & Tackle, next to the 7-Eleven in Kitty Hawk, is a great place to find the right stuff for your fishing adventure. Owner Terry "T. W." Stewart has been in business since 1981 and can sell you what you need, including ice and live bait. TW's also books inshore and offshore charter fishing trips. There is another location in Corolla (252-453-3339) at the Food Lion Shopping Center, but it's closed during January and February. The Kitty Hawk location stays open year-round. TW's has a Nags Head store at milepost 10 1/2; call (252) 441-4807. The Nags Head location is open all year also. Whitney's Bait & Tackle US 158, MP 4 1/2, Kitty Hawk (252) 261-5551 Whitney's specializes in custom rods made by Whitney Jones, plus offshore and inshore bait and tackle. The shop also offers rod and reel repairs. The walls at Whitney's are lined with Jones's impressive freshwater and saltwater citations and trophies. Call for Whitney's fishing report. Kill Devil Hills Stop N' Shop Convenience and Deli NC 12, MP 8 1/2, Kill Devil Hills (252) 441-6105 Located on the Beach Road across from the Kill Devil Hills beach access, Stop N' Shop has about anything you might need for a day of fishing or a day at the beach. This is a full-service tackle shop, with fishing and beach items that include bait, tackle, local information, beer, ice, gas, and rental equipment. Owners Tom and Vickie Byers stock a surprising amount of goods for anglers. Stop N' Shop is open seven days a week year-round. T.I.'s Bait & Tackle US 158, MP 9, Kill Devil Hills (252) 441-3166 T.I.'s is a member of the North Carolina Beach Buggy Association. The shop offers quality tackle and fresh bait and is an authorized Penn parts distributor and repair station. T.I.'s is also a factory- authorized Daiwa service warranty center. The shop is open year-round. Check out their other location across from Cahoon's grocery on NC 12, milepost 16 1/2, in Nags Head; call (252) 441-5242. Nags Head Whalebone Tackle Nags Head-Manteo Causeway Nags Head (252) 441-7413 Whalebone is a full-service tackle shop offering ice, fresh bait, tackle, and rod and Penn reel repairs. As they say at the store, "All roads lead to Whalebone Tackle, the center of the universe." The store is open year-round. Fishing Unlimited Nags Head-Manteo Causeway Nags Head (252) 441-5028 Fishing Unlimited specializes in fresh bait and is a full-service tackle shop. You can purchase live bait, custom rigs, and lures here as well as crabbing supplies, snacks, and drinks. Services include 16-foot outboard and 20-foot pontoon boat rentals. Fish or crab from their 300-foot sound pier for a fee of $2.00. You can rent rods and reels for $5.00 a day. The shop is open from Easter until early December. Salvo The Fishin' Hole NC 12, Salvo (252) 987-2351 Operating on the Outer Banks since 1976, The Fishin' Hole is a full-service tackle shop that sells live bait, tackle, beach supplies, groceries, and T-shirts. Rod and reel repairs for Daiwa, Penn, and other brands are available here. It's an official weigh station for the North Carolina Beach Buggy Association. The shop is open from the end of March through mid-December. Avon Frank and Fran's Fisherman's Friend NC 12, Avon (252) 995-4171 A full-service tackle shop, official weigh station, and headquarters for the local Red Drum Tournament held every October, Frank and Fran's is an emporium of fishing gear. This is another official weigh station for the state and the North Carolina Beach Buggy Association. Buxton Dillon's Corner NC 12, Buxton (252) 995-5083 (252) 928-5491 Stop here for an assortment of tackle, including custom rods and bait. The shop also carries a wide selection of gifts, T-shirts, and lighthouse replicas (see our Shopping chapter). The shop also offers rod repairs and has gas pumps. Dillon's Corner is open all year but has shorter hours in winter. Red Drum Tackle Shop NC 12, Buxton (252) 995-5414 Get the latest in fishing information and select gear at Red Drum Tackle Shop. It offers everything you need in the way of custom rods, bait, and tackle, plus reel repairs. They're a Penn warranty center and official weigh station for the state, the North Carolina Beach Buggy Association, and the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club. Frisco Frisco Rod and Gun NC 12, Frisco (252) 995-5366 www.friscorodgun.com Frisco Rod and Gun is a one-stop shop for everything you need for a hunting or fishing trip. The owner calls it his "hobby gone wild." You'll find inshore and off- shore fishing equipment, fly-fishing gear, custom rods, guns, ice, bait, tackle, and one of the biggest and best selections of knives you'll ever see. They also offer rod and reel repairs and can help you find a hunting or fishing guide. Taxidermy services can be arranged. Camping supplies, name-brand outdoor apparel, Sperry footwear, T-shirts, groceries, gas, and convenience items round out the offerings. Ocracoke Tradewinds NC 12, Ocracoke Tradewinds is a one-stop tackle shop that can supply all your fishing needs, including fresh and frozen bait, tackle, clothing items, and plenty of good advice about fishing. The shop also offers tackle rentals and rod and reel repair. Tradewinds is an official North Carolina weigh station and is open seven days a week from March through December. O'Neal's Dockside Tackle Shop NC 12, Ocracoke (252) 928-1111 O'Neal's offers fresh and frozen bait as well as fishing, marine, and hunting supplies and can furnish you with any license you need. They are a full-service tackle shop and offer tackle rentals. These folks have been in business for more than 20 years and are official North Carolina Wildlife and Marine Fisheries agents. If you have any questions on official regulations, stop here.
		Fishing Reports For the latest word on what's biting, check with the following sources: Nags Head Fishing Pier (252) 441-5141 Pirate's Cove Yacht Club (252) 473-3906 Oregon Inlet Fishing Center (252) 441-6301 Red Drum Tackle Shop (252) 995-5414 Frisco Pier (252) 986-2533 O'Neal's Dockside (252) 928-1111 Also read the Virginian-Pilot daily North Carolina section and the Carolina Coast for Damon Tatem's report. Check out Joe Malat's informative weekly column in the Outer Banks Sentinel. The ReelFisher News is a free quarterly tabloid available at retail outlets throughout the Outer Banks; it has folksy fishing editorials plus a directory to area piers, ramps, marinas, and weigh stations. For more Insiders' information, you can pick up a copy of the Sportfishing Report, the Outer Banks's first saltwater fishing magazine, which has expanded to cover the entire East Coast. This bimonthly magazine is available on newsstands. A subscription is $25 for one year or $50 for three years. For information, call (252) 473-1553, or visit the Web site at www.sportfishing-report.com. Inside every issue of the Hatteras Monitor Newsmagazine, distributed throughout Hatteras Island, authors tell tales of recent fishing adventures and give the latest reports and predictions. Call the Hatteras Monitor office at (252) 995-5378.