Since the early 1970s, the Division of Marine Fisheries has been involved in creating artificial reefs that provide habitat for a plethora of sea life. These reefs consist of old ships, railroad cars, bridge rubble, concrete and FADs (fish-attracting devices, whatever they may be). Using the motto "We sink `em -- you fish `em," reef-builders have created 20 such structures along the coast to date. Judging by the number of sheepshead, mackerel and billfish landed on an average day, the program seems to be paying off. (Surely the men who landed the 937-pound tiger shark in the Poor Boy Shark Tournament in August 1993 think so.) A chart will lead you to these sites as well as to the scores of fish-filled wrecks littering this area.

After being decimated by hurricanes Bertha and Fran in 1996, the fish in the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear rivers seem to have returned to pre-storm levels. Good catches of striper and shad were being reported in spring of 1998. Ocean anglers who prefer pier fishing should still consider surf casting again this year rather than face overcrowding at the piers that survived the storms or have since been rebuilt.

Of the seven oceanside piers on Topsail Island, only three have been rebuilt. Most other piers are likely gone forever; cherish your photographs. Brunswick County piers, from Southport to Sunset, were essentially untouched by the storms.

Note that fishing from most bridges in the area is restricted (prohibited at Wrightsville Beach) because bridges often transverse boat channels. Be certain to check the signs on particular bridges before casting.

Small-boat owners have many fishing opportunities -- around the pilings of Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company's pier in the Cape Fear River north of Price's Creek, for example. The mouths of most creeks and some inlets are good spots, especially during incoming tides when you and your bait can drift in with the bait fish. Use caution at ocean inlets during outgoing tides.

If you're traveling without tackle, rental gear is fairly abundant. Among the places to check are these shops in addition to the fishing piers listed below: Herring's Tackle in Surf City (Topsail Island), (910) 328-3291; and Beach Fun Rentals on Holden Beach Road S.W. (on the mainland side of the bridge), (910) 842-9600. Tackle shops abound along the coast. Be sure to inquire whether particular shops rent equipment.

For a wide range of information on boating access, inland fishing, species information (especially trout), lake and stream stock and maps, call the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission at (919) 733-3634 or write to 512 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, N.C. 27604-1188.