It feels like it’s been weeks since the last time we didn’t have a daytime high in the 90’s. The arrival of some low 80s weather this weekend definitely feels great, and if you think like me, then you’re also anticipating the first hint of fall! Don’t panic if you haven’t made any grand plans for autumnal angling. Drift boats on the Madison River are probably booked, and capacity has already been reached for lodges on the Yucatan peninsula, but you can still eke out some great last minute fall fishing if you bring your DIY attitude to North Carolina’s Crystal Coast. This part of North Carolina, and particularly the area just inside Cape Lookout, experiences a phenomenal run of false albacore each year between September and December that’s very accessible to anglers able to bring the right boat*.
First, some geography. The Crystal Coast encompasses a wide area from Ocracoke Inlet south to New River Inlet. Carteret County is a slightly smaller subset of this area, and includes Core Banks (the eastward facing barrier islands north of Cape Lookout), Shackleford Banks (the southward facing barrier island immediately west of Cape Lookout), and Bogue Banks (the barrier islands west of Shackleford Banks). Barden’s Inlet separates Core Banks from Shackleford Banks, and Beaufort Inlet separates Shackleford Banks from Bogue Banks. Barden’s Inlet offers a relatively protected straight shot to the epicenter of the fishing, but the lack of navigational buoys along one stretch can pose some hazards. Beaufort Inlet is the major shipping inlet to the port system at Morehead City and is plenty wide and deep, but is more exposed to wide and tide than Barden’s Inlet.
I’ve made this pilgrimage twice in the past four years with my dad and brother, and between the three of us, we have caught one false albacore on the fly across six combined days of fishing. But don’t take our very unique experience as a litmus test for the area! Check out the instagram pages of guides like Brian Horsley, Sarah Gardner, and Dan Comte and you’ll see what the buzz is about. I will briefly relate our experience because it is somewhat instructional in regards to logistics and planning and somewhat entertaining to read.
In 2018, we towed my dad’s 22’ Sea Hunt bay boat to Beaufort for the first weekend in November. Our first day, we had exceptional wind and opted to stay inshore and fish the marsh systems behind Shackleford Banks. We did OK on small speckled trout.. Our second day, we got a late start and launched on Harkers Island and attempted to navigate our way to Bardens Inlet to fish the area just west of Cape Lookout. Without anyone to follow, we quickly got off course in the poorly marked channel, and found ourselves aground. Luckily an incoming tide let us push off, and we carefully meandered our way out Barden’s Inlet. Not seeing any gulls working a bait ball, we took up a popular tactic of following a shrimper, hoping that when he offloaded his bycatch, a frenzy of albies would show up for a free meal. We recognized the sharp looking 23’ Jones Brothers boats of several local guides and figured we were in the right place. Three hours later, those Jones Brothers boats headed back through the inlet without hooking a fish. We took a cue from the pros and abandoned the albies and did some more marsh fishing, catching some speckled trout and flounder. On day three, with improved weather, we headed out Beaufort Inlet to do some quick morning fishing before hitting the road. The strong outgoing tide created some significant standing waves in the inlet that looked like they would swallow our low-freeboard bay boat. With some deft piloting, we made it out, but caught the skunk again. Luckily the tide slackened on the trip back in, and the inlet was flat and easy.
Last fall, we opted to go a month earlier, mainly out of necessity because my wife was due with our first baby in early November. Remembering the wind and Beaufort Inlet, we brought the 26’ Cape Horn, basically forgoing any opportunity to fish in the marsh in order to have a faster and more seaworthy platform to chase albies. As luck would have it, our visit coincided with a significant nor’easter that brought howling wind and driving rain to the Crystal Coast. Our first day, we snuck out at noon after the early band of rain, and found a bait ball just outside Beaufort Inlet. We followed this for an hour alongside a brave 17’ flat bottomed skiff, and my brother briefly hooked up to an albie before losing it. He then proceeded to wrap his line around the propellor, prompting a swim to unwind the damage. We lost track of the bait ball and called it a day.
Our second day, we had no rain but even stronger wind, and stayed in the lee of Shackleford Banks with albies crushing bait and no boats in sight. My dad hooked and lost an albie on the fly and my brother caught several on spin tackle. The schools moved quickly, and we soon became a well oiled machine that would prepare our casts, position the boat, get a cast or two in the melee, and start all over again.
Our last day had less wind, but the rain was coming down in sheets. The water table on Harkers Island was just below the grass, and the toilet in our rental cabin stopped flushing. Such is the reality of rural coastal life. We ran all the way from Beaufort Inlet to the bight at Barden’s Inlet alongside a dozen other vessels. The catching appeared to be minimal, and we slowly worked our way westward along Shackleford following sporadic baitballs. Like a miracle, a small baitball appeared right beside my thousandth cast of the day. Not long after my 2 inch surf candy hit the water, an 8 pound albie scooped it up and ran for the hills, putting a satisfying bend in my 10 weight. My brother rounded out the day with a few more albies on the spinning rod.
Albies are the main event, but not the only game in town. Fabulous backcountry fishing is available on the inshore side of the barrier islands. Large red drum can also be found in the same area as albies, often behind a shrimp boat or under birds. King mackerel are available on the nearshore reefs and wrecks. Wahoo fishing is excellent in October; I’ve corresponded with Dan Comte about fly fishing for these offshore torpedos. Check with him if that interests you. Last fall, there was an unexpected showing of blackfin tunas on wrecks about 15 miles from Bardens Inlet, which is certainly an appetizing alternative to the inedible albies. Giant bluefin begin to show up in November and December.
*Remember up in the second paragraph where I said the albie fishing was accessible to anglers willing to bring the right boat? That’s not entirely true, and I don’t want to discourage shorebound anglers from trying this fishery. You’ll need a bit of luck on your side, but if it works out, you’ll get the thrill of a lifetime when you hook a small tuna in a baitball at your feet. There’s a ferry that runs from Harkers Island out to Cape Lookout where you can camp on the National Seashore. If the wind blows right, usually howling out of the northeast, the baitballs can get pushed up against the southern shore of the Bight, where you’ll have a shot at them from the beach. The cast will be straight into the wind, so bring a shooting head on a heavier weight rod to punch back against the breeze. You’ll appreciate the backbone in the 10 or 11 weight rod when you realize you can’t chase down the albie that’s burning into your backing.
TL;DR – Here’s the basics you need to know
What to fish for – False albacore, but backup options include everything from the inshore usual suspects of puppy drum, speckled trout and flounder to open water and offshore species like giant drum, king mackerel, blackfin tuna, and wahoo.
Where to fish – focus on the area between Beaufort and Barden’s inlets, but don’t be afraid to explore further if necessary or if you’d like to broaden the possible species.
Boat – seaworthy center console with a v-bottom, good freeboard, a powerful engine, and flyline friendly features. You can bring a flats boat, skiff, or bay boat because it opens up a ton of inshore options, but know that you’ll be limited on range outside the inlets in rough weather. A bigger boat will allow you to explore the ”east side” areas across the Cape Lookout shoals and to roam further offshore for kings and pelagics.
When to go – albies show up in September and stay through December. The peak seems to be mid October through early November. Best advice is to have your stuff ready to go, and when you see the pros catching fish, get on the road!
Tackle to bring – 9 and 10 weights for the albies, equipped with intermediate or fast sinking shooting heads, with a variety of sizes of glass minnows from 1” to 5”. 7 and 8 weights for the backcountry with floating and slow sinking lines and the usual assortment of baitfish, shrimp, and crab patterns. 11 weights with fast sinking or dredging lines for big drum and king mackerel with large heavy clousers. A medium spinning rod with metal jigs is a good backup plan.
Where to stay – hotels are found throughout Atlantic Beach, Morehead City and there’s also good availability of AirBnbs in Beaufort and Harkers Island. Just make sure to check that your rental accommodation has sufficient parking for your boat.
Access – There are several excellent public boat ramps throughout Carteret County with ample dockage and parking. There’s also a few private ramps on Harkers Island that offer the closest run to Cape Lookout. The variety allows you to be strategic based on what kind of vessel you have, which inlet you want to fish, and what your backup fishing options might be.
Guides – Sarah Gardner @captsarah, Brian Horsley @brianhorsley, Dan Comte @harkersislandfly