Captain
Captain Dave Hegel

Member since June 2023 Oriental, United States
Background
Capt. Dave grew up in his father's boat dealership in Charleston, SC. For the last 40 years, Dave worked at various outboard and boat companies and fished all over the world with famous anglers. Dave has fished Eastern NC since 1983.
Techniques
Old Drum (Bulls) on popping corks, Tarpon on cut bait, Puppy & Slot drum on artificial & live bait along with Sea Trout, Striper, Blue Fish, Spanish Mackerel and Flounder on light tackle. Fly fishing also available.

Hey, I'm Captain Captain Dave Hegel

Oriental, United States
Background
Capt. Dave grew up in his father's boat dealership in Charleston, SC. For the last 40 years, Dave worked at various outboard and boat companies and fished all over the world with famous anglers. Dave has fished Eastern NC since 1983.
Techniques
Old Drum (Bulls) on popping corks, Tarpon on cut bait, Puppy & Slot drum on artificial & live bait along with Sea Trout, Striper, Blue Fish, Spanish Mackerel and Flounder on light tackle. Fly fishing also available.
Anglers Choice
31
Reviews
12
Fishing Reports
Verified

My Charter Listings

Pamlico Pirate Fishing Charters โ€“ Oriental

Excellent
5.0 / 5
(26 reviews)
Angler's choice
Oriental
 Instant Confirmation
Trips from US $500

Pamlico Pirate Fishing Charters โ€“ Trent Woods

Excellent
4.9 / 5
(5 reviews)
Angler's choice
Trent Woods
 Instant Confirmation
Trips from US $500

Pamlico Pirate Fishing Charters โ€“ Beaufort

Angler's choice
Beaufort
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Trips from US $750

Fishing Reports

April Fishing Report: Lower Neuse River/
April Fishing Report: Lower Neuse River/
Apr 4, 2025 Oriental
The sea trout are 3/4 of the way out of the main creeks and headed for the Neuse River. D.O.A. Deadly Combo (popping cork), 3" D.O.A. Swim Baits and top water are all great choices. Vary your approach to cover Top, Mid and bottom. Work windy points from bank to mid channel. They are moving in and out to feed. Some bigger trout are hitting larger profiles and top water along with slot reds now moving into the system. The fishing has been FANTASTIC!
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Neuse River Sea Trout
Neuse River Sea Trout
Mar 22, 2025 Trent Woods
The spring weather has the trout fired up and moving. The โ€œcold stunโ€ event in the New Bern to Oriental, NC area doesnโ€™t seem to have had devestating damagage to the population. One of the most productive early spring in years for the Neuse system. Fish have moved out of the back of creeks and are heading towards the main river. Target mid main creek areas where bait is visable on surface or sonar. Productive baits have been D.O.A. 3โ€ white/chartreuse swimbait, Paul Brown & MRs Purple/yellow or natural colors if 2โ€™ visibility or more. Pay attention to wind direction and the sun for best bank targets to help production efficiency. Focus on points and work from banks out to mid creek. Fish seem to be moving up to feed then back to the โ€œditchโ€. Puppy Drum & Striper catches are also a solid possibilty. Vary your reteieves and presentations if bites are slow. Some days they want it a certain way.
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Old (Bull Drum) Neuse River
Old (Bull Drum) Neuse River
Oct 5, 2024 Oriental
The Neuse River & Pamlico Sound are still producing Trophy Drum. This 48โ€ monster came off a; DOA Cork & Cal Swim Bait white/chartreuse. Leader was 90 lbs braided wire to prevent blue fish from stealing your cork. Small schools are still roaming the river eating the plentiful shrimp, menhadden & mullet. Most fish are bewteen Bay River and the Ferry. As with past years, the blue fush schools usually have a trophy drum near by. All traditional methods are working but expectations should be limited based on the fresh water preventing huge numbers of fish to enter the river during the spawn. Look for a couple more weeks of the last class to stay until that NE cold front hits the sound & signals the drum to head back to the Atlantic. Captain Dave Hegel reports that cork bites are limited and still will use cut bait if he cant find baitfish on the surface. โ˜ ๏ธ?โ˜ ๏ธ? #pamlicopiratefishingcharters
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May Fishing Report: Lower Neuse River/ P
May Fishing Report: Lower Neuse River/ P
May 15, 2024 Oriental
The 1st 2 weeks in May; have been as good a May as I can remember. There are Over Slots, Old Drum, Slots, Big Striper and big Trout from Kennel Beach to South River both sides of the Neuse. Don't be surprised if the Blue fish invade your area, there's 4 & 5 pound blues all over the river. Fun to catch but have wire leaders ready if using artificial bait. For Reds, focus on sandy banks with a flat near deeper water. Watch for menhaden and those reds will be there. Best bait options are a DOA Curl tail "gold Rush" color if sunny and Root beer if cloudy. Also, the DOA Bait Buster same colors if there is surface activity. Reel on pace to get to the surface, and "kill" the bait, they hit the fall. Smaller "slot" Lupton rigs with live or cut bait is also effective. Find structure or steep drops, you'll catch some fish!
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Neuse River/Pamlico Red Fish & Trout mig
Neuse River/Pamlico Red Fish & Trout mig
Apr 7, 2024 Oriental
Great fishing has begun! Water tempature has fluctuated as much as 10 degrees the last few weeks as well as some heavy rains. Adapting to the day is important. The migration of trout out of the creeks is well underway. Up river past New Bern, they are moving to the river, while down river, past the ferry, they are mid-creek moving toward the river. Sunny and warm days look for flats and dark mud spots. Cloudy days and early AM, slow down. Productive methods; corks and retrieving baits like DOA Deadly Combo or the DOA CAL Shad 3โ€. Colors in clear water use natural and dirty water dark baits. Puppy Drum and Slot Reds are showing up in the same areas. Blue fish are already in the river and bait is on essentially the move. #pamlicopiratefishingcharters
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Lower Neuse River
Lower Neuse River
Jan 2, 2024 Oriental
**Neuse River Fishing Report:** **Location:** Oriental, NC: Trout have migrated up the creeks along both sides of the Neuse River. Look for holes at least 5 feet deep on cloudy days, while focusing on muddy shallows during sunny weather. **Technique:** Slow fishing is key. Vary presentations based on the day's conditions. Experiment with the fall, hop, or dead sticking techniques. **Best Times:** Optimal fishing times are on bright, sunny days. **Bait and Lures:** Using 1/8 jig heads with twisty tails and scent has been consistent. Additionally, the trusty MR17 lure is also attracting bites. Remember, adaptability is crucialโ€”vary your presentation and location to optimize your chances of a successful catch!
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Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
5.0 / 5
out of 5 stars from 31 reviews
See details
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (49)
BIG trophy Red Fish
BIG trophy Red Fish
BIG trophy Red Fish
+46
Angler rating
30
0
0
0
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
100%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
97%
Appropriate for children
100%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Caught fish
97%
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5 of 31 reviews
DANIEL M.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great captain

VERIFIED   6 Hour Trip โ€“ Trophy Redfish/Tarpon on August 23, 2025
Captain Dave is a super cool guy, we had a great time. Good conversation and caught the fish of a lifetime. Highly recommended...
DANIEL M. recommends Pamlico Pirate Fishing Charters โ€“ Oriental
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Ted N.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great Captain

VERIFIED   3 Hour Trip on June 25, 2025
Very knowledgeable captain. Knew where the fish were and caught our limit. Captain Dave is very friendly and coached us inexperienced...
Ted N. recommends Pamlico Pirate Fishing Charters โ€“ Trent Woods
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Michael P.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

BIG trophy Red Fish

VERIFIED   8 Hour Trip โ€“ Trophy Redfish/Tarpon on September 23, 2025
Great day on the water.ย  Fun captain.ย  Everyone had a great time Caught some huge(trophy size) drum
Michael P. recommends Pamlico Pirate Fishing Charters โ€“ Oriental
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Sandra P.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Fishing Trip

VERIFIED   3 Hour Trip โ€“ Neuse River & Pamlico on February 9, 2025
Had a great time with Capt. Dave. Even though we didnโ€™t catch any fish we really enjoyed learning a lot from him. We saw...
Sandra P. recommends Pamlico Pirate Fishing Charters โ€“ Oriental
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Paul K.
Excellent
4.7 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Very good
4.0 / 5
Overall

Fall Voyage

VERIFIED   3 Hour Trip on November 22, 2025
Great day on the water with a very knowledgeable and friendly captain and awesome boat!
Paul K. recommends Pamlico Pirate Fishing Charters โ€“ Trent Woods
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