What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Nags Head, North Carolina for the first time?

Six of us chartered Game Changer Charters at Oregon Inlet for tuna fishing. We were thoroughly disappointed, not because we didn't land any fish—zero, nada—but more so because of how coldly we were treated. Half the time, the mate sat in the bridge while we were trolling. When he was on deck, he was stone-faced, barely spoke with us, only giving stiff commands to reel in the lines when he needed help with changing baits, which wasn't frequent. Throughout the day, the mate exchanged fewer than five words with us. Neither the captain nor the mate provided updates or discussed alternative strategies during the five-plus hours of trolling only with outriggers. It seemed like the mate had no interest in his profession or making an effort to communicate with customers. Despite this, we still gave him a $300 tip as a courtesy at the end of the day, although he neither earned nor deserved it. We definitely won't be booking with them again.

Be flexible as it's early in the season (mid-April) and fishing can be hit or miss then. I hoped for Drum and booked a charter trip. Unfortunately the fleet hadn't been catching them so we switched to catfish in the sound, but got skunked there. Three other charters got skunked that afternoon as well so I place no blame on Captain nor crew. I brought gear to surf fish (soaking bait) from the beach but got skunked there as well. The drum were in short supply. Plugging the surf was fruitless because I targeted the wrong species. Other surfcasters were doing okay on speckled trout, which I hadn't planned for. That's on me. The Nags Head and Jennette fishing piers were very productive (mullet) and my grandkids were happy catching them and the occasional skate (ray) and pufferfish. I would recommend checking in early with the tackleshops and gear up from their advice, rather than doing too much planning up front...

It's all about the weather in the fall. We lucked into a 2.5 ft at 9 seconds day with plenty of sunshine and a light breeze. It was the first day in 8 the boat was able to get out on the ocean due to the weather.

Communicate with your captain and first mate to know what to expect. Captain Duke and his first mate, Dillon, were professional, knowledgeable, and knew what they were doing and communicated what was biting and how far off shore we would be. If you have any questions, just ask.

Go with a big comfortable sport fisher instead of a smaller boat especially if you are bringing beginners or folks who are not familiar with or comfortable on the water. The Game Change is a first class vessel piloted by a first class skipper and crew. Our day was flat and sunny but this vessel can easily handle much more challenging conditions with ease if needed.

Talk to the captain before the trip to get specific information on the trip. Certain types of fish are caught at different times of the year, they will tell you what type of fish you that you can expect to catch while your there.

We have fished the surf and sound in the early season for years, but we would end up buying our fish at the seafood market. With the "Poacher" we went out 5 to 7 miles in the ocean and caught 25 sea bass. The 40 foot boat made us comfortable taking on large waves until we reached the fishing area. The captain and the first mate made fishing enjoyable for all. We are looking forward till we vacation again and book the Poacher for another fun time.

You never know what the spring weather will do... So this rating ONLY speaks to April when the weather is super unpredictable. As far as a destination to fish? Not sure how you can beat the Outer Banks. What a great place.

This was the first time fishing in the ocean - it was a calm day and we caught enough fish for many meals. Sound fishing in the past was excellent as well - but we were very satisfied being on the ocean side of the OBX.

July is a tough time for surf fishing sharks have come in but for children the first time boat fishing the sound is great, it was 20mph winds+ when I took my 7 yr old and he did great with it, but it did limit us to red drum fishing, which is always fun to pull in.

Ask locals for advice, cross the bridge on 12 to the preserve for privacy and of course book with jw charters for a couple hours, as soon as you get here. John’s knowledge and willingness to give free advice will only make you more successful during your stay.

We took two vehicles. Google Maps got one vehicle there fine. Apple Maps was a disaster and sent my daughter miles out of the way. Put the campground across the street in your gps if you are unsure you are going to the right place.

1. Make certain of where the boat is docked or sails from. This will help in planning for drive time depending on whether you have an early morning or afternoon charter. 2. Hats, sunglasses, and lots of sun screen (or long sleeves) are a must. 3. While a cooler of ice-cold beer is good, ice-cold water is better. 4. Have a second cooler in your vehicle to take home your catch.

Our Captain and 1st Mate were great. But the actual fishing time spent "on fish" was disappointing. After about 2 hours in good water and fish, we left them and took a long slow troll back. Even though lines were in the water, no fish. This was totally obvious and i have experienced this before. Just disappointing for what we pay.

This was fantastic first time ocean fishing for 5 out of six everyone caught atleast one fish and they fight great time highly recommend.

Be prepared for a long day in the sun, our day was absolutely perfect with minimal waves.

Use the email options to ask your questions and understand the expectations and approach depending on where you will be fishing.

If you want to catch ribbon fish on your charter and nothing else, then this charter is for you. Ribbon fish were not even on the list of fish to catch. I wonder why.

It’s a good time some of the target species might not be running but put trust into your captain to get you on something, Also make sure you pack plenty of sunscreen and water!

My three grandsons all said this was the best day of their lives. They are 18, 16 and 12. I would recommend the captain and his crew as my number one choice if you want to enjoy a day on the ocean.

Fishing in July can be hit or miss just depends on the weather. You can still catch some great fish but just go into your trip with realistic expectations and you will have a great time!

To use JW Charters. Totally professional made sure we got fish on the line and taught us about the area and fishing itself.

It’s warm, bring drinks to keep cool and sunscreen. Fish will not be as active as other times. Advice we got was that the fish would be more active as low tide hits.

Be wary of traffic during the summer months. It’s not horrible, but our 1 hour 25 minute trip there took 1 hour and 45 minutes. Just plan accordingly.

Be prepared for how much fish you can catch and how you’re going to get it home. We caught our limit and left with 343lbs of tuna!

Be ready for anything, with the changing tides and water temps you never know what to expect on the other end of the line! Keep them lines tight and have fun!

Always choose a well equipped and comfortable boat for your outing, and Captain with long time experience in the area.

We had a great time fishing Spanish Mackerel, blue fish and ribbon fish. Great assortment of fishing

Go to Austin's, Ethridge's, or Billy's Seafood Markets. Fish are fresh, service is superb, quality and selection are outstanding. And you will save yourself over $400 the charter will cost!

Take dramamine and supplement it with coffee or an energy drink! It will make you drowsy, but it beats the alternative.