by Jake Worthington
Many times people will ask me for a good charter recommendation for them, or a group of friends. When I tell them what an offshore charter costs these days and I realize they don’t want to invest that much money into a trip, I ask them have they considered go on a offshore party trip. Most trips will allow the angler to catch several different species of fish. Going out on one of these trips will not be as expensive as a 6 person offshore charter but you will have a great day on the water with your family building some memories. I am going to talk about two different boats on which I frequently go.
The first boat is out of Oden’s Dock in Hatteras Village and is the Miss Hatteras. She is captained by Captain Spurgeon Stowe a lifelong Hatteras native. The Miss Hatteras can carry up to 40 anglers and offers trips every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The trips are 120 dollars a person and that includes using their rods, reels, tackle and bait which makes it a bargain. You can bring your own equipment if you prefer, which I do. Captain Stowe knows the waters out of Hatteras like the back of his hand, and you will be fishing off of wrecks, which are fish havens. On your trip you will catch Triggerfish, Sea Bass, and an array of different members of the Snapper family. You will also sometimes catch Amberjack, Cobia, Sharks and Mahi. If you have your own speed trolling gear, you can also fast troll on the way out and in for Wahoo. Miss Hatteras also does live baiting King Mackerel trips in October and November.
The second boat I fish on is the Country Girl out of Pirates Cove Marina on the Nags Head Causeway. Captain Charles Foreman is another great Captain that knows where the fish are and will get you on some productive grounds. His boat will hold up to 27 anglers for a day trip on the ocean. Like the Miss Hatteras, his price is 120 dollars per angler and he also provides rods, reels, tackle and bait. Capt. Foreman’s bottom fishing trips are on Tuesday through Friday. He does Offshore Trips the other days of the week fishing for Billfish, Tuna and Mahi. Captain Foreman fishes off of wrecks out of Oregon Inlet putting you on the same bottom fish you will catch on the Miss Hatteras. My favorite trip is the Tilefish trip. With this trip, you will go offshore 40 miles and deep drop 175 to 300 feet for Tilefish. Either trip is a great day, but the Tilefish trip is dependent upon sea conditions.
Both boats have great experienced mates, and they will work hard to see you have a great day. The only thing you will need to bring is food and beverages. With either trip you decide to try, be prepared to be entertained. Both Captain Charles Foreman and Captain Stowe are very fun to fish with and kid friendly. Also don’t forget to tip your mates!