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Since I moved to the Outer Banks in the mid-seventies, I have been fortunate enough to sample almost every type of fishing opportunity the Outer Banks has to offer.  One of my favorites is wading along the shoreline on the soundside of these barrier islands.  The variety and size of fish can be surprising.  Bluefish, puppy drum, gray and speckled trout, striped bass, flounder, spot, croaker, and sea mullet are common catches.  The availability of each species varies according to the season.

Light tackle is the best approach. My favorite wading outfit is a Daiwa SS1300 spinning reel, filled with 8 pound test PowerPro line, mounted on a 7-foot Daiwa Coastal Inshore Series rod.  Natural baits and artificial lures will both produce, but I prefer to fish with artificials.
Lead head jigs, rigged with soft plastic tails, and hard plastics such as MirrOlures are productive.  The beauty of the lead heads, usually in the ¼ to 3/8 ounce range, is their versatility; the color and size of the lure may be changed in a matter of seconds.  Productive tails colors may vary, but green, red and white, root beer, or smoke gray account for a lot of fish. Lately, the Gulp! baits in similar colors, or New Penny have been a hot ticket. Local tackle shops are the best source for the latest hot colors and lures.
If fishing with bait is your preference, a good choice during the summer and early fall is fresh shrimp combined with a standard two hook bottom rig and #4 or #2 light wire hooks.  Usually a one-ounce or lighter sinker is adequate.
Trout, blues, flounder or puppy drum will find it hard to resist a live finger mullet, or similar small baitfish.  Live baits can be used on the two hook bottom rig, but I like to rig them on a sliding sinker fishfinder type or Carolina style rig. I tie a single #2 hook on a two-foot, 20-pound test fluorocarbon leader.  A small #12 swivel connects the leader and line, and I run the line through a quarter-ounce egg sinker before I tie the line to the swivel.
Hook the mullet through the bottom lip or through the eyes, and work the bait with a slow, steady retrieve.  This type of retrieve will allow you to cover more territory, and it can be deadly for keeper sized flounder that might otherwise show no interest in an artificial lure or small piece of shrimp.
I wear waders even when the water is warm, and would never consider wading barefoot because of the sharp oyster shells, barnacles, and who knows what else on the bottom.  I also wear a belt cinched tightly around the top of my waders.  If you do take a fall, this little bit of preventative action can buy you enough time to regain your footing.  Avoid walking into holes or drop offs by shuffling your feet along the bottom.

A landing net and stringer are handy, and a few small zipper lock plastic bags will hold some extra rigs, lead heads, and leaders.  Essential equipment includes a pair of fishing pliers, bug spray, and sunscreen.   Live bait fishers can tie a minnow bucket on their wader belt and allow the bucket to trail behind as you walk along the shoreline.
The Pamlico, Roanoke, Croatan and Albemarle sounds are large bodies of relatively shallow water, but randomly occurring holes, channels, depressions, cuts and other irregularities will hold fish.  When the water is clear, these deep places are easy to spot.
The Cape Hatteras National Seashore offers an outstanding variety of wading locations. At the northern end of the Seashore, your first stop should be the Bodie Island Lighthouse.  A dirt/gravel road, blocked by a gate is found just off the paved road that circles up to the lighthouse.  Parking is permitted on the shoulder of the road. It’s about a quarter-mile walk back to the water.  This is a great place for speckled trout, puppy drum, and flounder, especially from late summer through early fall. Wade the shoreline and throw lead head jigs, or fish live finger mullet.
From Salvo down to Avon, there are several turnouts on the soundside of the narrow spit of sand, and it's worth the effort to explore any one of these sand trails.  Some are four wheel drive access only, and it may be necessary to wade for a hundred yards or so to reach deep water, but a variety of fish are available anywhere you can cast to deep water.
Most of the above locations are productive from the spring through the fall.  All may produce fish, but there are dozens more and visiting anglers should plan to stop at one of the local tackle shops for an update on the most productive areas, since peak times vary from month to month.