Deep sea fishing

YotaOnRocks

YotaOnRocks

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2007
Location
Madison
Thinking I would like to take a deep sea fishing trip sometime. Maybe suprise my father and brother in law. No of us have much fishing experience.

Is this something we would enjoy with little fishing experience?

What is the best time of year to go?

What is a good way to find a charter?

Any idea what I should expect to pay?

Thanks for any advise or insight you have to offer.
 
Outer Banks Charter Fishing | Offshore, Inshore, Marinas & Headboats | OBX Guides


Most any boat out of Teach's Lair would be fine. Hatteras is the place because it's so much further east than Wilmington and even Morehead so you have less travel time to get to decent fishing grounds. Oregon inlet has just recently been dredged, so it's not nearly as treacherous of an inlet as it used to be.

If you want to bottom fish for grouper, snapper, trigger fish, etc, then most any near shore charter in your favorite beach town should be fine. If you want Gulf Stream blue water fishing for dolphin, wahoo, tuna, bill fis, etc, then I'd find a boat out of Hatteras.

Are you looking for 50+ person head boat fishing or a 6-person private charter? A charter is worth the $ most of the time. Most are $1500-2500 for a full day. Not bad. When I take my boat out to Big Rock or similar spots it's at least a $500 day with fuel, bait, gear, food, etc. and I'm not running a 3/4 million $ custom Buddy Davis 60' boat.

I think best fishing is mid to late summer to early winter. I've had success all year but it really depends on your target fish as some are around in spring and not winter and vice versa.

@Franklin has some good knowledge on the Hatteras fleet
 
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Does anyone get sea sick? Heading to the gulf stream is quite a haul, like hours, so just be prepared.
 
Gulf Stream from Hatteras is 2 hours max depending on seas and the boat. I can get to Big Rock from Beaufort inlet in 2 hours in my dingy so it's not real long of a haul, unless you are sea sick. Then it really sucks. :lol:
 
From Hatteras is like 45mins top. I usually get sick but used the patch that goes behind your ear when I went last month and didn't get sick the whole 10hrs on water. It's called Transderm Scop, you have to get a perscription to get it. It last 3 days so I put it on the day before we go out.
Hatteras Harbor is my favorite to go from. I've been out on Big Eye 3 times and it's always a fun trip.

Bigeyefish.com is his website or you can go to the Hatteras Harbor marina website and see all the charters. Captain Donnie is a nice guy and his mate is always good. I like fishing for Mahi so that's about done for the year, at least the best of it anyway. Planning on next May already.
 
Wow thanks for all the suggestions. I figured many of y'all would be experienced so I'm glad I asked.

I used to go out a lot with my ex's dad on his boat down in Wilmington but we fished the icw 90% of the time. The few times we did go to the ocean I could see land the whole time. I never got sea sick but would probably take medicine as a precaution.

As far as what type of fish I have no idea or preference that I know of. I was just thinking we would all enjoy it and would be a memorable experience.
 
.....from central N.C. or further west I'd head for Morehead City/Atlantic Beach every time, Oregon inlet/Hatteras arrrrh a good hour + further drive than the crystal coast from points west and the fishing is almost always good if the weather is.
 
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1 hr additional drive time by road to get to Oregon inlet with a 45-60 minute boat ride to good fishing > 2-2.5 hr boat ride to get to the same fishing grounds from Atlantic Beach.

I go out of Morehead only because it's close and where I keep the boat and family. But if I were taking a charter, the extra drive time to hatteras is well worth it as you'll have more time to fish and less time cruising to the fish.

OTOH, the boats out of Morehead tend to be slightly cheaper.
 
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IMO booking a "Deep Sea" offshore trip is a crap shoot. If the weather/sea sucks so will the trip unless you like puking and reeling and you may end up just fishing nearshore. If the weather is fine a smaller/cheaper charter boat can take you to the gulf stream or put you on fish at many wrecks or artificial reefs. Big boats are great for offshore but smaller/capable boats can often comfortably offer more variety of inshore/offshore and more fish caught even if the seas a bit shitty.
 
mommucked said:
.....from central N.C. or further west I'd head for Morehead City/Atlantic Beach every time, Oregon inlet/Hatteras arrrrh a good hour + further drive than the crystal coast from points west and the fishing is almost always good if the weather is.
Click to expand...

Hatteras is a little bite more of a drive but the boats are about $200 less and the ride out is a little shorter too.
 
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