Want to experience what it’s like to be a working fisherman? One of the most popular and fastest-growing offerings of the charter fleet is the working waterman charter. The waterman charter is available from all of the major marinas and is guaranteed to be a family adventure that will make memories for a lifetime.
The waterman trip is a very popular choice for a lot of reasons. The idea is to allow you to experience a day in the life of an actual working waterman. The Outer Banks has a long and rich history of supplying seafood to people around the world. This trip allows you to go hands on and see where your seafood comes from.
The trips are short, usually two to four hours, and affordable. As a rule, you charter the boat and can bring up to six people. After a short boat ride, you’ll roll up your sleeves, put on some gloves and get a quick lesson on what to do. Typically waterman trips focus on two commercial fisheries. One is working a line of crab traps, and the other might be dragging a shrimp trawl through our inshore waters. There are other options too that could include hook and line fishing or shell hunting on local sand islands.
The kids love getting to see and touch all kinds of marine life. Under watchful supervision they will empty crab pots and sort the crabs to be sure they get to keep legal specimens. They will also love emptying a shrimp net onto a cull table and sorting through the catch. The best thing is, after culling and sorting, your group can keep the entire catch! The crew will give you instructions on how to process and prepare your bounty.
The trips are done in calm inshore waters, and the boats are equipped with sun awnings and bathrooms. This is a great way to introduce first timers of any age to boating. More info is available from the booking desk of any major marina. Just ask for information on a working water - man charter. This trip comes with the highest recommendation.
Photo courtesy of Silver Charters, Wanchese.
Want More Fishing Tips?
Pick up a free copy of Capt. Marty's Outer Banks Fishing Guide, a tackle box-sized reference guide for fishing on the Outer Banks. You'll find it in tackle shops and newsstand racks from Corolla to Ocracoke. And don't miss out on Capt. Marty's Fishing Reports and Stories Podcast. Follow on OuterBanksThisWeek.com or on your favorite podcast app.
