But before you gather your family and pack your gear, read about four ways you can take charge of your fishing experience.

The first thing to consider is would you like a private or shared experience? Group charters allow anglers to fish together and depending on the charter you choose, you could have as many as 150 anglers on board. However, some charters rarely fill their boats to 100 percent capacity to offer anglers adequate space for fishing.

Shared charters are an excellent way to socialize with other anglers. However, regarding the fishing experience, it favors the knowledgeable because there's limited crew to attend to everyone, so you may feel lost if you're a novice.

On the other hand, private charters are fantastic for tailored experiences; you can fish where you want, how you want, and for as long as you want. There's a crew, including the captain, who can teach you tricks of the trade, plus a personal guide who'll navigate you through the entire boat. However, this option does come at a higher price.

Private charters are great for family events, employee trips, work parties, memorials, reunions, group associations, and wedding parties.

The next thing you want to look into is the location where you will fish. There are three standard terms you will see: inshore, offshore, and deep-sea fishing. The difference is the distance from shore, which can make a huge difference in the type of fishing experience you have. The farther you are from the coast, the more variants of fish you can catch.

Inshore trips are about zero to one mile away from the shore and 30 meters deep. The sea is calmer and the journey is shorter, but the fish will probably be smaller. You'll like see different types of smaller fish including the Snapper, Redfish, Tarpon, Snook, and Speckled Trout. Offshore means you'll move over 10 miles off the coast and fishing 50 to 100 feet deep.

With deep-sea fishing, you're guaranteed the tastiest fish like the Black Sea Bass, Jacks, Grouper, and Triggerfish. Deep-sea fishing is over 50 plus miles away from the shore, and you'll be fishing over 100 to 300 feet deep.

Each charter will have its schedule, but the typical time frames are half-day, full-day, and several hours. Time and location go hand in hand in that inshore fishing is a half-day expedition, whereas deep-sea takes a full day or longer hours.

The half-day takes about four to six hours and is perfect for first-timers or an adventure with your family, especially if you have small children. Full-day takes about 12 hours, give or take. They allow you to explore further into the ocean and would be a great time slot for an event.

Depending on the charter you choose, you may find an overnight trip that can last over 24 hours, so it's perfect for prodigies and pioneers.

The last thing you want to look into is the services and amenities onboard. Because it's a fishing charter, most boats will provide gear like rods, bait, and ice storage for the fish. Standard amenities include a seating area, toilets, bathrooms, and a kitchen. Luxury charters can have additional amenities like a salon, bedrooms, and refrigerators.

Food and drinks will be present in the charter but confirm with the captain what is prohibited onboard since others don't allow alcoholic beverages. Also, be sure to verify if you can bring your food and additional gear.

Charter fishing is an experience for the whole family. Take it as a fantastic opportunity to bond with your family, team build with your workmates, or rekindle your relationship with your partner.

For more information about charter fishing, contact the Carolina Princess today. Your comments and questions are critical to us.