Fishing the Outer Banks of North Carolina
Well folks, from the way it’s looking, 2020 is turning out to be a little bit different than anyone thought. With a certain virus going around, everybody’s plans around the world have seemingly come to a screeching halt, and that includes fishing. Since we’ve all been inside for nearly two months, having to work from home and do the best we can to stay safe and stay sane isn’t always an easy task. But while everybody’s been at home, with a little bit more extra time on our hands, everyone turns to the reigning king of streaming platforms, the one that’s been with us through it all: Netflix. On April 15th, Netflix added an all-new original series, an overnight success that is currently ranked in the Top 10 series on the platform right now. The show follows a group of self-proclaimed “Pogues,” or the poorer, working-class population of the outer banks, and their clandestine attempt to recover a lost treasure and uncover the whereabouts of John B.’s lost-at-sea father. The show stars Chase Speck (Stranger Things, One of Us Is Lying) as John B. Routledge, a teenager living on his own in the absence of his mother, who left when he was young, his father, who vanished while searching for a historic shipwreck holding over $400 Million worth in British gold, and his Uncle T. While this series rides the wave of popularity into the limelight, all the outdoorsy folks sitting inside have most definitely been itching to get out on the water. They do their fair share of fishing on the show, but in all reality, what’s the fishing really like in the Outer Banks of North Carolina?
The OBX and SOBX (Outer Banks and South Outer Banks) are fishing location known to many for having some of the best saltwater fishing in the United States. The area has a deep, rich history, dating back centuries to the original settlers of the land, the Native Americans. Natives of the Pamlico tribe lived on the Roanoke Island and the surrounding islands/peninsulas until the introduction of English settlers eventually introduced their people to foreign diseases such as smallpox, killing off a great deal of the native population. In 1587, the first Anglo-Saxon conceived of English parents was born in the New World on the OBX island of Roanoke, a little girl by the name of Virginia Dare. The Roanoke Colony, comprised of 115 English settlers, was the first unofficial English colony in the Americas, however the whereabouts of the entire colony remains a mystery to this day, as Governor of the colony John White returned to England for supplies. When he returned three years later, they all were gone, and the only clue as to the fate of the colonists was the word “Croatoan” carved into a tree nearby. Historical significance in the Outer Banks does not stop with the lost colony of Roanoke. On December 17th, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright made history by creating and successfully flying the first powered airplane flight on the beaches of a small town on the North Island: Kitty Hawk. With such a deep, historical connection to the founding and development of this country, the Outer Banks are a hotspot for tourists every year, and the number one industry in the OBX? Fishing.
For a chain of barrier islands that protect the mainland from getting battered by the frigid Atlantic, the Banks are a pretty hot tourist destination. With miles of open-ocean beaches and countless waterways and marshes in the region, it’s plain to see why so many tourists visit this area every year, and it has a lot to do with fishing. Commercial fisheries opened on the Outer Banks at the tail-end of the 19th century, as it was previously inconvenient and inefficient to travel to and from the islands and back to the mainland. Eventually, bridges were built between the islands in order to connect the island chain, allowing fishermen to travel back and forth between islands for a multitude of fishing locations. Fisheries that produced Shad and Herring for the area were left by the wayside in the 1890s, around the time when technologies, developed during the Industrial Revolution, made fishing and running a large-scale commercial operation easier than ever. Fishing for both finfish and shellfish makes up a sizeable part of the economy in the Outer Banks, and all throughout costal cities spanning all the way down the coast. While commercial fishing was a success at the time, overfishing practices nearly put an end to the native fish populations for good. By the 1940s, commercial fishing on a large scale had left several species of fish and marine life fighting for their continued existence in the waters of the banks. Since then, Marine life has returned to a new form of normal, and the network of islands in the OBX have once again become a hotspot for some of the best Atlantic fishing on the East coast. Commercially, the Outer Banks rely on all of its industry to keep it afloat. With small, tightly-knit communities like this, all of their businesses rely on each other, and while the real-estate business and other smaller markets make up a percentage of the workforce in the NC Banks, the true cornerstone of the region is commercial fishing. While the fish-factories once ravished much of the sea life here in the Banks, the rejuvenation of wildlife populations has greenlighted the reliance of the locals on fishing. Freshly-caught North Carolina seafood is a delicacy, meaning that restaurants located in the vulnerable fishing economy must rely, to some degree, on what the catch is for the day. If there’s no fishing, there are no fish, meaning there are less visitors flocking to coastal restaurants boasting “fresh seafood” on every sign. Regardless of the rest of the islands’ economic state, seafood restaurants on the water need fresh sea food to stay in business. The majority of the land in this region is owned by the government, never to see the light of the private eye, however the rest of the population finds a way to make money and keep themselves in business when the tourists get back in their rental cars at the end of the summer and drive back home. While the North Carolina OBX has over 100 miles of coast, the small-town economy and even smaller-town feel makes this tourist trap an amazing place to get on some fish.
Fishing the waters of the Outer Banks, you find yourself with a wide variety of species to hook up on. While the banks are Oceanic islands and saltwater channels that provide a haven for saltwater species and marine life, freshwater fishing in North Carolina can be a whole other can of worms. For North Carolinans looking to head to OBX for some saltwater fishing will need to purchase a saltwater fishing license, which are available on the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries website. In the “Outer Banks” show, John B. mentions that fishing is always good after a hurricane because the storm pushes the crabs out, and the Drum chase the crabs. With the North Carolina shores being a prime location for hurricanes to form, tropical storms and hurricanes are a more-likely-than-not occurrence for those living on the islands. There are several plentiful saltwater fish species that reside in the waters in the Outer Banks. 
Photo by Ryan Rhodes @rrhoyography on insta.
Black/Red Drum:
Black and Red Drum are some of the most plentiful species in the region, and as most drum populations follow the crab populations, anglers can expect to see and catch Drum just off shore or in coastal reefs. Known to be able to grow to over 5 feet, and weigh-in at well over 100lbs, these species are recognized by East-coast fishermen as staple species. These fish use special teeth to allow them to eat shellfish and other prey with protective shells. Drum respond well to bait, preferably live, as artificial lures have not been as successful.
Sea Bass/Striped Bass:
Sea bass and stripers are notorious for their powerful bite, and they too are plentiful in the Outer Banks. Sea bass only grow to about two feet in length, and while they aren’t as big as some of the other species for the region, it doesn’t make sense to categorize the sea bass as anything other than an anomaly. Black Sea Bass are actually able to change their sex based on any given need in a population. For example, in a population more predominantly-female, these fish can use their evolutionary abilities to transform and biologically change their body to function as that of a male fish, thus completely changing sex for the purpose of repopulation. Another Bass species to find is the Bank Sea Bass, which resides mostly in Coastal waters, preferably hard-bottom areas. These fish are not the same color as the black sea bass, taking on more of an olive-greenish-brown appearance. While these Bank Bass struggle to make it past the 12-inch mark, there’s another Bass species lurking in the depths, which can grow to incredible sizes in both fresh and saltwater fisheries. The other very popular bass to chase after in the Outer Banks is the famed Striped Bass, or “Striper.” Stripers in the OBX are notorious for growing to outlandish, enormous sizes. For example, the State record for the largest saltwater Striped Bass came out of the Oregon inlet in the Outer Banks, when Keith Angel reeling in a 64lb monster from the salty depths in 2005. However, there are some land-locked regions of North Carolina’s eastern banks, and in 2012 a teenager named Tyler Shields of Murphy, NC and his buddies pulled a 66.1lb Striped Bass into their boat on the Hiwassee Reservoir, surrounded by the Nanhala and Cherokee National Forests. To this day, Tyler holds the state record for the largest Striper caught, and to think, he caught it in a landlocked area of the Outer Banks. 
Photo by Ryan Rhodes @rrhoyography on insta.
Bluefish/Snapper:
Bluefish, snapper, “blues.” All nicknames for one of the most popular saltwater fish to chase after, the Bluefish. Bluefish are native to the OBX, with populations of the species sticking around the coastal reef areas and just off-shore. Blues are known to be a delicious eating fish, and the locals in the Outer Banks know the Blue better than anybody as a good eating fish. Some will tell you that Bluefish have an overtly “fishy” taste, almost to a fault, however the way this fish is cooked and prepared has a lot of say in what tastes “fishy” and what doesn’t. Bluefish have extremely sharp teeth, and they’re likely to bite on anything you toss in, artificial or otherwise. In the same family as the “blue snapper,” we have the Red Snapper, Vermillion Snapper, Yellowtail Snapper, and the Silver Snapper as well. These fish, while different in appearance, all can be found and caught in the Outer Banks’ waters.
Butterfish:
Peprilus triacanthus, otherwise known as the Atlantic butterfish, is also a species to keep your eyes open for when fishing on the North Carolina coast. For anglers looking to hook up on this schoolie, they should fish in brackish water, as the butterfish thrive in the mixed-salinity of the water. This panfish is often fried, boiled, or baked and is a common eating-fish both among commercial fishermen and residential fishermen alike. Young butterfish exist and survive along the sandy sea floor, seeking refuge from predators by hiding underneath schools of jellyfish. This is a real-world example of commensalism, wherein the butterfish are protected by the jellyfish, while the jellyfish remain unaffected by the butterfish. These little guys will bite on small fish chunks, squid, shrimp, and worms.
Cobia:
Cobia are large opportunistic predators that reside in the waters of the Banks as well, however these fish are often much larger than anticipated. The Cobia, reddish-brown in color, can grow up to 6 feet in length and weigh more than 100 lbs. These fish are so large, in fact, that they are sometimes mistaken by fishermen as sharks. They are a migrating fish species that requires warmer water in order to survive. During the spring and summer months, the warm water of the Outer Banks provides refuge for the huge fish species, but when the cold winter temperatures start to set in, the Cobia will head south, much like the migration patters of birds. Being opportunistic means that the Cobia will feed on just about anything when given the chance, however their diet is mostly made up of crustaceans and shellfish.
Croaker:
The Atlantic Croaker is a fish species referred to by many as “hardheads.” Croakers in the OBX grow to about 9-10 inches, and usually weigh less than a pound each. These little guys, relatives of the Drum family, are called “croakers” because of the peculiar “croak” noise they make when vibrating their internal swim bladder. Drum make a similar, deeper-pitched noise, however this noise is used by male fish as a mating call when attracting female Croaker. The species are delicious when cooked, producing a white flakey meat with rich flavor. Because of their small size, Croaker make for a good-sized portion for one, and its not uncommon to eat a Croaker by oneself.
Flounder:
There are three predominant flounder species in North Carolina’s Atlantic waters, each with a different name, region, and appearance. The first one we’ll take a look at is the Gulf Flounder, an oval-shaped fish that lays flat against the sandy ocean floor as a way to Camouflage itself from predators. The Gulf Flounder grows to around 30-35 inches, and has a unique pattern on its body to help mask its location. The Southern Flounder is another flounder species commonly fished in the area, with an average length of 15-18 inches. A third and final Flounder species is the Summer Flounder, with a different pattern on its upward-facing side of its body and measuring around 10-16 inches on average. Although there are three flounder species in the region, they can all be found throughout various areas of the OBX. Flounder prefer to bite on live bait, and shad, minnow, mullet and croaker should get the job done should you need them.
Hickory Shad:
The hickory shad is another common fish species found in North Carolina’s eastern waters. This species, a shad, can grow to a maximum of nearly two feet in length, although they typically are found to be about 12-13 inches on average. Although some choose not to eat shad, as they are known to be bony and harder to eat, the white flakey flesh of the hickory shad is often seen as a delicious delicacy for those willing to pick out a few pin bones here and there. Hickory shad, and most shad for that matter, will follow the “light and bright” rule when it comes to picking out your bait. Small jigs in brighter colors near the surface of the water will almost always get some action.
Tuna:
Tuna fishing is great in the late-fall to early-summer, when the water reaches around 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit. The OBX makes for an amazing place to venture out onto the water and try your luck at reeling in a big one. With several different species of Tuna plentiful in the area, getting out on the water and testing your fishing skill is never a waste of time. There are few places in the nation, let alone the world, where Tuna fishing is really good, and there’s no topping the warm waters and plentiful fish supply in the Outer Banks. There are several Tuna species that exist here in the region, namely Bigeye Tuna, Albacore Tuna, Skipjack Tuna, Atlantic and Spotted Bonito, Yellowfin Tuna, Blackfin Tuna, and last but certainly not the least: The Giant Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. It’s true, the OBX is one of, if not the best, Tuna fishing location in the US. Yellowfin, Bigeye, and Blackfin Tuna fishing ranges from November to late April/early May. While the early-season bite is rewarding, the true anglers getting out there looking to hook up on a prized Giant Bluefin, and the late-season bite is what they’re after. In March of 2018, a retired Army General named Scott Chambers reeled in the biggest fish of his life, a Giant Bluefin Tuna that weighed in at 877 lbs. The fish measured 113 inches and sets the state record for the largest Bluefin ever caught in North Carolina. The fish was landed on the Oregon inlet of the Outer Banks. For fishermen looking to get in on the action, these massive creatures require the best gear possible, double and triple checked for safely. Bluefin, amongst the other tuna species in the area, will bite on large popper-type lures, as well as plugs. For those bait fishermen out there, Bluefin feed on Bluefish and other smaller baitfish, many of which can be used as bait in order to hook up on a monster.
Grouper:
Grouper are another family of fish species that are a particularly sought-after species when fishing in North Carolina’s coastal waterways. There are several grouper species, including the Gag Grouper, the Red Grouper, the Black Grouper, the Scamp, the Calico Grouper or “Speckled Hind,” and finally the Yellowedge Grouper. Gag Grouper are one of the most abundant fish in the Oceans, with the species being found from North and South Carolina all the way to Brazil. These fish follow a similar biological sex-change process as the Black Bass. All grouper fry are born as females, however their evolved bodies have allowed a portion of their population to develop into males. Once they hit sexual maturity at the age of four, the body slowly begins to change into that of a male fish, typically reaching “male” at around eight years old. Because these fish can live for up to 30 years, the Grouper is a slow-developing species that takes its time to complete its biological transformation from female to male, and from adolescents into mature adult fish. For those fishermen looking to catch one of these bad boys, live-bait is the way to go. Whether it be squid, pinfish, etc, the species enjoys chasing after living bait, while artificial baits have been less successful.
Baitfish:
Baitfish play an important roll in any fishing community, and for good reason. Think about it, if there are no bait fish, there are no fish in general. Before going out to spend money on baitfish, do a little research on baitfish in your area. Who knows, you might just find a spot to catch your own bait. In “Outer Banks,” John B. describes himself and his rag-tag group of misfits looking for the hidden treasure as “Pogues,” a slang term deriving from the word “Pogies,” another name for Menhaden fish. These small, unattractive-looking fish swim together, and John B. understands this as he compares life on “the cut” to life in the fancier, more upscale areas of the OBX. Menhaden fish make for excellent bait for a number of off-shore and deep-sea species, and they can be caught and used by fishermen going after larger game fish. Other species of baitfish exist here as well, including shad, mullet, minnow, and other smaller species.
Mackerel:
There are two species of Mackerel in the Outer Banks, the Spanish Mackerel and the King Mackerel. Originally thought to be a Mackerel, the Wahoo is a close relative of the highly sought-after King Mackerel. These fish are known to be a delicacy among locals and tourists of the area, as the Outer Banks are heavily reliant on the saltwater fishing industry. Mackerel, with their thin, arrow-like bodies, are very fast swimmers, and can dart away in the blink of an eye, thus making landing one an even bigger accomplishment. Wahoo, despite not “technically” being Mackerel, are closely related and are a delicacy in Hawaii, where they are traditionally called “Ono.” While not in the Mackerel Family, the Dolphinfish, a.k.a. “Mahi-Mahi,” also reside in the Banks, and are also an off-shore gamefish any fisherman would go after. Mackerel, King, Spanish or otherwise, respond the best to a less traditional lure: feathers. The movement of the feathers on the end of the line actually mimics the motion of baitfish, effectively enticing the targeted Mackerel to bite and not let go. This neat little trick is a tried-and-true method for reeling in some of the best saltwater filets you can hook up on.
Billfish:
Billfish are a category of fish most easily identified by their sharp nose-like bills and their dinosaur-esque fins erupting out of their backs. There are four primary fish that fall under this category in the Outer Banks: White Marlin, Blue Marlin, Sailfish, and Swordfish. These fish are all known to be delicious when prepared and cooked by the skilled seafood chefs in the heavily-visited tourist areas. Marlin prefer to stay in warmer water, and they will migrate to follow the warm currents near the surface. North Carolina is home to some of the best fishing spots in the world, and the Blue Marlin is what helped keep this region on the map. To this day, the World Record-Breaking Atlantic Blue Marlin, measuring 14-feet in length and weighing a scale-breaking half-ton, is on display at the Graveyard of the Atlantic museum on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks. Between Blues and Whites, Marlin are a highly-sought-after species of fish. Another big-ticket species that locals and visitors alike try to get their hands on is the Swordfish. While this species is also highly-popular, they are often mistaken for Marlin or Sailfish. Sailfish are easy to spot, as their fans on their back are much larger and wider than the smaller fans of its relative species. All of the billfish in the region make for excellent meals, but you have to know how to get one on your line. According to locals, billfish will bite on both natural and artificial lures, and trolling seems to be the best bet when going miles out to sea to fish for them.
Inshore:
With a whole mess of amazing, exotic-looking fish to catch offshore in the outer banks, there’s often a whole lot that goes unnoticed. While the big, flashy charter boats are charging people money to go out to sea and catch fish, the rest of the island population, who work jobs in towns, may also be fishing off of the shore and providing themselves with food that way. In any case, there are amazing fishing spots all throughout the scattered islands that make fishing off the dock just as exciting and rewarding as fishing offshore. A number of coastal and inshore species are staple food items for those living in the OBX. In the Netflix show, John B. is pretty much a ward of the state. Fending for himself by fishing is how he keeps himself fed, and while there’s clearly a difference between TV and reality, he might not be that far off. One species in particular that tickles the fancy of a lot of locals looking to bring home a decent mess of fish is the Spotted Sea Trout. Sea Trout, much like their land-locked, freshwater counterparts, make for a delicious meal, with flakey-white meat that oozes flavor when cooked. Another staple fish species would be the Weakfish. This fish, also known as the Gray Trout, is a relative of the Spotted Sea Trout that always seems to be around. There are numerous other species in the Outer Banks on which locals can rely, including Pigfish, Pinfish, Kingfish, Sheepshead, and a number of other fish that can be caught in the surf, including perch and other small fish. Who says fishing in the Outer Banks requires a fishing charter?
The Outer Banks of North Carolina is one of the most beautiful, naturally-occuring wonders of North America, with rich historical ties and some of the best fishing in the World. Not a lot of people know about this island chain. Hell, when you think of the world “island,” chances are good the first state that pops into your head isn’t North Carolina. Netflix has a way of taking a little-known corner of the world and making it a fast tourist destination. “Outer Banks” puts that island chain, the same little island chain that provided shelter to explorers, housed the first colonists, and saw the birth of the first English-born settler in America, on the map, and this time it’s much bigger. While the OBX has, for years, been a getaway for North Carolinians, this series has the potential to keep visitors coming for years in the future, desperate for a chance to toss in a line, kick back, and enjoy fishing in “The Graveyard of the Atlantic,” a graveyard teeming with life below the surface.