Well,

The last time I went in St Augustine Fl it was 75 a person whole day 50 a half day per person. I am not sure if the they rent tackle or not or if you are going to bring your own( On the pier).. So I say unless you get a REALLY GOOD DEAL from someone on here stick to the pier.

I got a deal one time out of Jacksonville Fl Montys marina ( a private boat smaller boat) 4 people 50 each all day they had tackle and food well....

The boat blew a engine about 10 miles out while we waited for a boat to come get us we ate the nasty sandwiches they had. They said they would give us another trip for free and we all said thats ok not again!!! So be careful of those

Let us know what you decide!

I was looking for a party boat near Emerald Isle or Atlantic Beach, NC. I would expect it to run about $50 pp for a 1/2 day trip. I've found two now.

Is the fishing on the pier that good?

I have always caught something ....look at it this way 50x4=200 . If you rent the poles and buy bait the most it would cost would be 50lets say 100 at most ( I doubt it) that leaves 150 that would be dinner for the family.. I would suggest the pier...

If you are looking to go out in the water the cheapest way to do it is to take a head boat. Try Captain Stacy, the Carolina Princess, or for a shorter trip try The Mystery.

http://www.carolinaprincess.com/default.aspx

http://www.captstacy.com/

http://www.mysteryboattours.com/

Sounds like good solid advice.

I'm pretty dumb when it comes to fishing. Would there be someway to know what is decent for eating or not? Even a website would be helpful to educate myself. I'm just used to bluegill, trout and catfish here in Ohio! The kids love to eat what they catch, but I need to learn if it's okay or not. Figured a head boat would at least let you know!

They will let you know ...on the boat and mostly give you ideas how to cook it. And almost all will clean them when you get back for a price per pound

jleetw1 - how would I know what I'm catching from a pier? Is there a website out there that would help.

We'll be on EI for TWO weeks, so the pier would be great if I knew what I was catching. It's $35pp on Mystery Tours, so that's a plus.

Think I'd do the pier and both if I could figure out what fish is what!

Thats easy where you get your poles they will tell you and they will be glad to share their knowledge

Another option to learn about fishing in the area is the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores does a surf fishing class, fishing fanatics, for $15/person. They provide all the equipment, license, bait, etc. During the 3 hour lesson they teach you about surf fishing, help you learn about the fish, and allow you to practice what they've taught. If you look up Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium, you can click on the interactive calendar in the left hand column to see all the programs being offered while you are in town. Book well in advance the programs are very popular.

That sounds perfect. I'll have to find the link and see if it is offered in August. Thx