Discover the Beauty of Fishing in the Outer Banks, NC, with Capt. Andy Ennis

A Little Something About Me

I’m Captain Andy Ennis of Old North State Fishing in Outer Banks, North Carolina. I’ve been a professional angler for 17 years, and in 2021, I decided to take the plunge and take the next step in my passion — becoming a certified fishing charter guide.

I’ve been passionate about fishing all my life. Every memory I have of my childhood involves fishing, whether it was going out with my grandfather and uncle, both avid anglers, fishing off the coast of Topsail Island for king mackerel, watching shows like the Southern Sportsman with Frank White, Spanish Fly with Jose Wajabe, Walkers Cay with Flip Pallot, or reading about anglers like Mark Sosin. When I wasn’t fishing, I was just thinking about it. It was something that consumed me.

However, it did not occur to me to turn it into a career, even when I moved to the Outer Banks 15 years ago. But the pandemic happened, so I had to stay home for a while. When the world began to open up, that was when I finally decided that I was going to start my fishing charter business.

Upon deciding that running a charter fishing business was my next move, I knew exactly what boat I wanted to do it on. I reached out to my uncle because I knew he still had the boat I had grown up fishing on — a 1988 20’ Hydrasports Dual console. It was originally my granddad’s. He bought it brand-new in 1989 from Bush Marine in Topsail Beach and named her after my mom, Mary Kathryn, who passed away in 1986. I still call her Mary Kathryn to this day. To get her up to snuff, I completely gutted all the wiring, painted her inside and out, resurfaced the deck with Seadek, and added all new electronics plus a Minn Kota talon. Now she’s good as new and as wonderful as I remember. When you book an Outer Banks fishing trip with me, I’m sure you will feel my history with this beautiful boat.

Spots I Like to Frequent

I will always love Topsail Beach and the fishing spots surrounding it. It’s the place where I honed my fishing and boating skills, so it will forever hold a special place in my heart. So many of my early fishing memories revolve around this beautiful place. I was mostly with my beach bum grandad and my Uncle Rick. Every school break meant going out to the beach. Eventually, even my grandma joined us.

I spent countless hours on the Jolly Roger Pier in Onslow Bay, where I could access the Atlantic Ocean. I remember spending hours on end with my grandad catching buckets of spots with two to three bags of blood worms. When I got older, my uncle taught me the plugging fishing technique to catch Spanish mackerel and bluefish. By then, I was so hooked on fishing, and there was no turning back. I often got grounded because I was so obsessed with pier fishing that I wouldn’t come home on time!

Over the years, I’ve seen just how rich the fishing is at Topsail Beach. I truly believe it's one of the best places to fish in North America. Its nearshore waters have some of the best king mackerel fishing in North Carolina. There were times when I could fill garbage cans full of kings in the summer and fall. Springtime fishing at Topsail is also topnotch — you could go surf fishing for big fish like cobia and troll for Spanish mackerel right on the beach itself. 

My Fishing Charter’s Main Targets and Techniques We Use

As an angler, I target speckled trout, redfish, and rockfish. But the Outer Banks island has so many more fish species in store. If you look at my Facebook page, you’ll see that my guests can catch and spot a variety of fish species because we like to roam around. We can go to the Atlantic Ocean, Roanoke Marsh, Outer Banks or OBX, Croatan Sound, Manns Harbor, Wanchese, Roanoke Island, Manteo, Stumpy Point, Kitty Hawk, and Kill Devil Hills — literally where all the fish are! We mostly target southern flounder, spotted weakfish or sea trout, summer flounder or fluke, and striped bass — all the North Carolina favorites. 

Because we fish for so many different types of fish, we also try various techniques to catch them. On my fishing charter, you can try your hand at jigging, light tackle, spinning, and popping.

Why Book Your Trip With Me

After exploring the many wonderful attractions of the OBX region, like the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and Nags Head, book your charter fishing trip with me if you want to experience the beauty of OBX fishing. I know this place like the back of my hand! And I don’t guard any of my secret fishing spots. The moment you step on my boat, we’ll be heading there, no questions asked. 

Let me tell you, I didn’t just come upon these secret fishing spots by chance. I had to work hard for them for years! When I began fishing the OBX, I didn’t have a boat. I had to borrow my friend’s boat and comb through the area without any equipment — no sonar, no nothing! Just me and my grit and my love for fishing. It took me years of riding and casting all over the area to find my spots — so you won’t have to! My main aim with each Outer Banks fishing trip I host — whether a half-day or a full-day trip — is to get you to where the fish are and fill your cooler with just enough to eat. And if you still want to fish after filling your bucket, so to speak, we’ll go around some more and do some catch-and-release fishing. If it’s your first time doing so, I’ll take you through the best handling practices so that you can do it yourself.

Please visit my website to learn more about the fishing trips I host with my crew, our trip schedules, rates, fishing report, and more. Follow me on Facebook, where I share most of my trips and catch. I hope to see you in the OBX soon!