Whatever Sport Fishing
Whatever Sportfishing gives you the chance to experience Hatteras fishing with a captain who has spent his life on these waters.
Captain Freddy James was raised on Hatteras Island and grew up fishing from the beach and aboard his family’s commercial fishing boats. That lifetime of local experience means your trip isn’t built around a canned plan. Where you fish and what you target depends on the season, the conditions, what’s biting, and what kind of experience your group is looking for.
Whatever is a 34-foot Custom Carolina Express built for fishing the waters around Hatteras. The express layout gives anglers a spacious cockpit while allowing the captain to stay involved with the group throughout the trip.
Depending on the season and the trip you choose, you may fish the calm waters of Pamlico Sound, target inshore and nearshore species around Hatteras, or head farther out to the wrecks. Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, Cobia, King Mackerel, Amberjack, Triggerfish, Black Sea Bass, Grouper, Mahi and other species may all be available depending on the time of year.
Trips are designed for everyone from families and first-time anglers to experienced fishermen. Freddy and the crew are happy to teach, answer questions, and help everyone aboard get involved.
Rods, reels, tackle and fishing licenses are provided. Your catch can also be cleaned after the trip so you can take fresh Hatteras seafood home with you.
The goal aboard Whatever is simple: fish hard, treat people right, and give you the kind of day on the water that makes you want to come back to Hatteras and do it again.
Whatever Sportfishing gives you the chance to experience Hatteras fishing with a captain who has spent his life on these waters.
Captain Freddy James was raised on Hatteras Island and grew up fishing from the beach and aboard his family’s commercial fishing boats. That lifetime of local experience means your trip isn’t built around a canned plan. Where you fish and what you target depends on the season, the conditions, what’s biting, and what kind of experience your group is looking for.
Whatever is a 34-foot Custom Carolina Express built for fishing the waters around Hatteras. The express layout gives anglers a spacious cockpit while allowing the captain to stay involved with the group throughout the trip.
Depending on the season and the trip you choose, you may fish the calm waters of Pamlico Sound, target inshore and nearshore species around Hatteras, or head farther out to the wrecks. Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, Cobia, King Mackerel, Amberjack, Triggerfish, Black Sea Bass, Grouper, Mahi and other species may all be available depending on the time of year.
Trips are designed for everyone from families and first-time anglers to experienced fishermen. Freddy and the crew are happy to teach, answer questions, and help everyone aboard get involved.
Rods, reels, tackle and fishing licenses are provided. Your catch can also be cleaned after the trip so you can take fresh Hatteras seafood home with you.
The goal aboard Whatever is simple: fish hard, treat people right, and give you the kind of day on the water that makes you want to come back to Hatteras and do it again.
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Customer reviews
Rating
Anglers' gallery (11)
Reviews (15)
Jonathan Campbell5.0VerifiedKnew the 2 most important things!
Half Day Trip – In/Nearshore (AM) on June 25, 2026 • 4 adults • 1 childIn fishing, there seem to be 2 things you need to know, where the fish are and how to bring them up. Our captain Freddy knew both. We went out in the boat to the first spot he had, and it was a very small wreck... A set of WW2 era ship stacks sticking out of the sand, an area no bigger than the footprint of a house, if that. A secret spot not many know. When we got there, it was being fished by a vessel with which he was unfamiliar. He said something like, "How did they find it?" Then, moved to the second spot. It took a little bit to get there, but once there, he gave us the DTM's (details that matter), and we dropped the baited hooks. Once the bottom , two jerks, and they were live. My kids reeled up 3 sea bass at a time until we had our caught penty. Then off to the.next spot. There, we caught 3 trigger fish and more bass. We went to the next spot with live bait this time, and we hoked 2 very bg ones, but they got away as we were perfecting our bigger fish skills. Captain said ok lets see if they are off the spot."" They weren't, but he realized it was his buddy in a new boat. Hs buddy moved off the spot, and we got a turn. We dropped live bait in a few times, but the fish just ate the bait without getting hooked because they were big. He hooked the live bait from the tale, and that did the trick. My son fought a nice Cobia 36# to the surface, and a captain hooked it and threw it on the deck. The other boat had been fishing there for hours with nothing to show for it. After that, he helped with pictures and gave us his tips for cooking each kind of fish. With a super last catch, we headed back to the dock where Feddy helped unload our fish, helped take pictures, and got us set up with cleaning and fileting our catch. He even gave us ice to put with the fish for the drive ack to Avon. After we got back was when we paid for the trip. It is helpful to pay the captains in cash since most don't have a terminal and it would cost him 5% more to run a card. Where I'm from we always look for a "good ole boy" cause they know what's going on. Freddy was our good ole boy down here and my stoic son said he was our kinda people and wouldn't mind just hanging around the dock more next time we charter because of how welcome we felt by Freddy and his dock friends.
Ben Weil4.7VerifiedVery good.
Half Day Trip – In/Nearshore (AM) on August 12, 2026 • 6 adults • 2 childrenThe captian was very helpful and kept us from sinking and many fish were caught. He even told us how to cook the meat for the most satisfactory meal.
Myra Steppe4.7VerifiedGreat wreck fishing trip!
8-Hour Wreck & Bottom Fishing on July 30, 2026 • 4 adults • 2 childrenCaptain was great with the kids and kept them catching! Laid back boat and atmosphere...our style.
Scott Murray4.0VerifiedWe Caught Fish
3 Hour Pamlico Sound Trip on September 25, 2025 • 6 adultsOverall , a good trip. Captain Freddy is friendly and very knowledgeable. Because of his experience, we caught a variety of fish on a day where not many other boats did. The only drawback of the experience is the condition of the boat itself. We would definitely go out with Captain Freddy again, on a boat in better repair.
Chris Armstrong4.7VerifiedAugust fishing trip
Half Day Trip – In/Nearshore (AM) on August 14, 2026 • 2 adults- Chester Phillips4.0Verified
fun trip
Half Day Trip – In/Nearshore (PM) on June 24, 2026 • 6 adultsCaptain was great however he needed a first mate to help with the group. overall a good experience.
William Hutchison4.0VerifiedAugust fishing trip
Half Day Trip – In/Nearshore (PM) on August 25, 2026 • 3 adults • 1 child
Ryan Vanvoorhis4.7VerifiedGreat time catching blues and Spanish
3 Hour Pamlico Sound Trip on July 10, 2025 • 6 adults • 1 childCaught about 20 blues and Spanish. Had a great time. Learned a lot about the sound and fishing the area. The captain worked hard to find fish and did a great job helping us get a good catch in the boat. Had a 9 yo with us and he had a blast on his first trip. Would recommend Whatever Sport fishing and Captain Freddy James to anyone looking for a great time catching fish in the Outer Bank’s.
Michelle Raneri-jeffreys5.0VerifiedFishing with Freddy
3 Hour Pamlico Sound Trip on July 25, 2023 • 4 adults • 1 child
Edward Long5.0VerifiedWhatever fishing charter
3 Hour Pamlico Sound Trip on July 4, 2025 • 2 adultsCaptain Freddy, and the whatever fishing boat will not disappoint. We had a great day out on the water very knowledgeable captain don’t hesitate to reserve for a great day out.
