For the more advanced fishermen, the opportunities are endless. Early June is a tremendous month to target cobia around Hatteras or Ocracoke inlets. The big tackle-busters usually make an appearance around those inlets in late May, and they tend to stay a month or so. Fishing deep sloughs in the Pamlico Sound close to the inlets has always been a good tactic, but in recent years, more fish have been staying around the inlets or in the ocean, around Diamond Shoals.

Soaking cut bait on the bottom on heavy tackle is the accepted way to draw strikes from cobia, which generally range in size from 25 to 50 pounds, with dozens of real behemoths in the 75- to 90-pound class caught every year.

Guides Ken Dempsey of Hatteras, (252-986-2102) and Doug Martin of Frisco (252-995-5643) are crackerjack fishermen who guide for cobia and some of the area's other desirable inshore species, such as gray trout, speckled trout, puppy drum and flounder.

Specks really don't show up in good numbers until midsummer; they cruise dropoffs and the edges of grassbeds all across the sound. Gray trout generally get cranked up earlier than specks -- they're most often found in the deeper channels and sloughs. Flounder are most likely caught on the edges of those sloughs by fishermen drifting live minnows or strip baits, and puppy drum can be found just about anywhere in the expansive, relatively shallow waters of the sound.

For the fisherman interested in bigger fish, charter boats carry anglers offshore to the blue waters of the Gulf Stream from a handful of Outer Banks ports, from Oregon Inlet, Hatteras Inlet and Ocracoke Inlet. The summertime fishing for tuna tends to be a little better out of Oregon Inlet, so the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center (252-441-6301) does a brisk business filling its fleet. Out of Hatteras and Ocracoke, the best tuna fishing is in early June; dolphin fishing remains good all summer, and a number of wahoos start to show up as September approaches. Oden's Dock (252-986-2555) and Hatteras Harbor Marina (800-676-4939) have active offshore charter fleets and headboats that will patrol the area around the inlets for panfish.

BRYSON CITY & GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS
In the extreme southwestern corner of the state, North Carolina shares with Tennessee one of the nation's greatest natural treasures -- the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Camping opportunities are endless in the park, which is filled with some of the Southeast's finest trout streams. Many are accessible only by boat -- trips are available from Fontana Village Resort (800-849-2258) on the western end of the lake near Fontana Dam -- but there are dozens that campers entering the park from the Bryson City (east) end can access on foot from their campgrounds.

For maps and camping information, call the park office at (865) 436-1200.

Fishermen who spend time only in the park miss one of the area's greatest fishing attractions: 10,665-acre Fontana Lake, the largest impoundment in western North Carolina.

Fontana forms the park's southern boundary for much of the lake's length, which is close to 20 miles. Some of the best fishing during the summer is on the Bryson City end, where the Nantahala, Little Tennessee and Tuckaseegee rivers converge.

Walleyes may be a little difficult for many beginning fishermen, but the lake's shallow waters are full of panfish like bream and crappie, which will readily hit baits such as worms, crickets and minnows.

What really turns a lot of fishermen on is the great topwater fishing for largemouth, smallmouth and white bass. It's usually limited to the first and last hours of daylight, but the action can be intense and furious. Smallish topwater plugs, such as Pop-Rs and Tiny Torpedoes, are local favorites, along with in-line spinners and curlytail grubs cast into feeding fish on leadhead jigs.

White bass will school more than largemouths or smallmouths, but large groups of breaking fish will often include all three species.

Jim Mathis, who operates Almond Boat Park (828-488-6423) close to the junction of the Nantahala and Little Tennessee rivers, is a wealth of fishing information. His operation includes cabins and RV hookups as well as a boat ramp. For other lodging and tourist information, contact the Bryson City Chamber of Commerce at (800) 585-4219.