I live in the middle of NC, whats the closet location to try to catch my first smallie? 

Throw a dart at a map of NC. Then find the creek that is closest to the dart. That is where you’ll catch your first smallie (don’t go too far into the headwaters though, the fish get smaller and fewer). 
 

Seriously though, I would recommend fishing a river or creek over a lake because the smallmouth are much easier to locate and catch. It’s also fun to see fish chase your baits. When you find a creek that few other people fish, you have access to a body of water full of unpressured, aggressive fish