North Carolina has so many different species of fish inhabiting so many different kinds of water that it can be difficult for an angler to decide what to go fishing for and where to go after the fish.

Therefore, we've put together this year's selection of trips based on the most recent experiences of anglers from all across the state. These 36 fishing destinations are arranged by months to create a fishing calendar to give anglers a start on their planning for the upcoming year.

JANUARY
Walleyes
Lake James
Outside of some residents who live in the mountains, most North Carolina anglers have never even tried catching a walleye. But in more northern climes, walleyes are among the most highly sought winter fish. They fight well, form large aggregations and bite best in cold months. Along with all of that, they are also great to eat.

Lake James is one of the best places to catch walleyes in the state, and January is an excellent time to try it if you can stand fishing in the cold. The huge mountain lake has several ramps and high mountains along the shoreline to block the wind.

Walleyes love deep water and are likely to congregate along creek channels and the sides of underwater bluffs. Sometimes they also form large schools where creek channels enter the lake's main river channel.

Walleyes feed on baitfish concentrations and the sure way to find them is by trolling along slowly and scanning the nether depths with electronics. Once a school of baitfish is spotted on the depthfinder, the angler can continue slowly trolling with jigs, spoons or jigs tipped with minnows. A downrigger can come in handy because walleyes are often found in water as much as 100 feet deep.

Blue Ridge Fishing Adventures, (828) 385-1220.

FEBRUARY
Red Drum
Bogue Inlet
Almost unheard of a decade ago, Bogue Inlet has become one of the hottest destinations for red drum fishermen in the state. Bogue Inlet shifts and shoals like all non-jettied inlets, with the result being sometimes there is funding for dredging and sometimes the channel becomes precarious without maintenance.

The good news is that the channel is open and red drum form huge schools in the colder months after having left the sounds and rivers for the warmer ocean waters. Fishing early in the morning, when the sun is slanting, is the best way to spot the fish. A westerly wind that blows down the breakers is the best wind for fishing. Once the fish are spotted, there may be so many the water seems to turn purple.

The anglers can take turns casting and driving the boat, or approach near and allow the boat to drift to the fish on the wind and current. The fish also swim along the nearby beaches, and can be caught from the beach at Hammock's Beach State Park or from boats riding the surf.

Anchoring the boat just off the beach and outside the breakers is a great way to get in on the action. Red drum schools are often feeding in a concentrated location, moving in and out of casting range if the angler has the common sense to stay still and not chase them and alarm them.

Scented soft-plastic trailers hooked on jigheads are the most popular lures. But squid, shrimp and cut baits are also good baits for sight-fishing red drum schools.

Fish'n 4-Life Charters, (336) 558-5697.