Soundside Adventures

Fish the scenic barrier-island sounds of North Carolina's Outer Banks with Captain Gene Maready aboard a 21-foot Champion—from kid-friendly three-hour adventures to trophy red drum charters and fall duck hunts.

Soundside Adventures runs inshore fishing charters and duck hunting trips across the sounds surrounding North Carolina's Outer Banks, including the waters around Nags Head, Oregon Inlet, Manteo, Wanchese, and Manns Harbor. Captain Gene Maready—who took over the business after founder Captain Lenny Leta retired following 15 years on the water—guides all trips aboard a 21-foot Champion. The operation has merged with Sawgrass Guide Service and targets saltwater game fish including spotted seatrout, flounder, red drum, striped bass, sheepshead, bluefish, black drum, and weakfish using live baits, artificial lures, or both via casting, bottom fishing, or trolling. The charter lineup spans three distinct fishing trips: a Kid's Soundside Adventure and a Family Fishing Adventure (both three-hour inshore trips running Memorial Day through Labor Day, priced at $375 for up to four passengers), plus a year-round four-hour Inshore Fishing Charter at $450. A seasonal Bull Red Drum Fishing Charter, also four hours and $450 for up to four, typically runs late August through September. Captain Gene supplies bait, tackle, and coast guard-approved life jackets; no fishing license is required when booking a paid charter. In the fall and winter months, Soundside Adventures also offers duck hunting trips in northeastern North Carolina at $200 per person (maximum five hunters), with breakfast and a hunting blind included. Founding in 2009 as an eco-tourism and children's fishing-focused excursion business, the operation has evolved into a year-round guide service covering both inshore saltwater fishing and waterfowl hunting.