Year round fishing opportunities
While the fishing can be spectacular at many times throughout the year, certain times of the year offer the best fishing for certain species based on the weather and water temperatures around the Beaufort Inlet area. Here’s a sampling of what typically is biting when aboard Old Yeller.



Spring: March – May
As the water begins to warm up with the lengthening days, many of the area’s migratory fish begin to show up during these months. In early spring, the offshore bite of tuna and more common wahoo can be fantastic in the gulf stream. Offshore, grouper fishing is terrific on the wrecks and live bottoms using both lures and live bait. April normally ushers in the tasty and hard fighting Atlantic Bonito. As feisty as their false albacore cousins, bonito make for superior table fare and can be taken on light tackle or the fly nearshore. Sea trout are schooling and spawning on the nearshore wrecks in April. Flounder begin arriving just off the beach on the artificial reefs in May and some of the best sized fish of the year are caught early in the season. Spanish mackerel and bluefish begin arriving in May with the warming waters and can be caught while trolling or on light tackle when schools and feeding blitzes are encountered. Offshore, dolphin start to become regular catches in the gulf stream as the SW winds bring up warm water and Sargasso weed.



Early Summer: May – July
New species continue to arrive as the temperatures rise and concentrations of other fish increase. Cobia begin arriving in pods in late May and early June and can often be seen cruising the surf zones, the inlet, or around nearshore structures and reefs. Both live and dead bait fishing can lure cobia to the boat, but in certain instances, these fish can be sight fished with light tackle. Numbers of Spanish mackerel and flounder grow in the summer months and the flounder begin moving into the sounds. Dolphin keep multiplying and move in closer to shore early in the summer. Menhaden begin to school nearshore in the ocean which brings the junior king mackerel close to the beach. Inshore shark fishing for potential world record class bonnet sharks is red hot on light tackle with artificial lures and even flies!



Late Summer: July – September
The dog days of summer signal a transitional time in the fishing here along the Crystal Coast. Flounder and Spanish mackerel remain very abundant nearshore and inshore. Offshore, more variety awaits for the live bait and light tackle lure fisherman. King mackerel sizes and numbers increase for live baiters and in August, concentrations of sailfish also move inshore from the gulf stream frequenting many of the live bottoms and reefs. These sailfish put on a spectacular aerial show when hooked on light live bait rigs. Another phenomenal fighting fish, the amberjack, can be taken on a variety of means from high speed metal jigs to stout fly rods. King mackerel fishing with live bait kicks into high gear in September.



Fall: October – December
The waters around Beaufort Inlet are well known for the variety and abundance of fish during the fall season. As the waters begin to cool, the famous runs of false albacore begin to show up in tremendous numbers in October through November. These mighty fighters will test any good drag on spinning and fly tackle, and can be found both nearshore and offshore. It’s not uncommon for chopper blues, Spanish mackerel and king mackerel to be mixed in with the albacore feeding blitzes. Red drum fishing also begins to pick up first in the marshes and sounds, and later in the surf zones the as “mullet blow” commences. Sight fishing for drum is possible in the fall for puppies in the marshes as well as large schools in the surf zones. Offshore, November and early December signify the pinnacle of king mackerel fishing. It’s no coincidence that this is the time of year when many of the tournaments result in the largest fish of the year being caught. Wahoo and tuna also become more common during this time, while either fishing the gulf stream or while fishing offshore for king mackerel. Both speckled and grey sea trout show up in the sounds and inshore in October and can be caught anywhere from the sound side marshes to the Cape Lookout jetty.

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