False Albacore Fishing Charter near Cape Lookout
Private Trip
Inshore Fishing
Full day False Albacore charter near Cape LookoutLight tackle sight casting from September through NovemberAll gear provided aboard 27' Contender for 4 anglers
When the albies start showing up around Cape Lookout in mid-September, there's nothing quite like getting out there with a experienced captain who knows where to find them. This full-day charter puts you right in the action aboard a spacious 27' Contender, giving you and up to three fishing buddies eight solid hours to chase these feisty false albacore through some of North Carolina's most productive nearshore waters. Your captain will have you sight casting to feeding schools using light tackle or fly gear – whatever gets your heart pumping. With departure at 6 AM sharp, you'll beat the crowds and hit prime feeding times when these fish are most active.
This isn't your typical bottom fishing trip where you're anchored up waiting for bites. False albacore fishing is visual, fast-paced, and requires staying mobile to find actively feeding schools. Your captain will spend the morning running and gunning around Cape Lookout's nearshore structure, watching for diving birds, surface activity, and bait schools that signal feeding albies below. Once you spot a school, it's all about making quick, accurate casts before they sound or move on. The 27' Contender gives you plenty of deck space to work with, whether you're throwing spinning gear or working a fly rod. Drinks are provided on board, but feel free to pack extra snacks or your favorite beverages for the long day ahead. The season runs tight from September 15 through November 15, so timing is everything with these fish.
Your captain provides all the rods, reels, and lures you'll need, but the real magic happens in the presentation. False albacore are incredibly fast and can be picky about what they'll hit, so having the right gear dialed in makes all the difference. On spinning tackle, you'll typically work small metals like Deadly Dicks or Spanish Candies, cast well ahead of the school and retrieved fast enough to stay in the strike zone. Fly anglers get their shot too – there's nothing like watching an albie crush a Clouser minnow or small Deceiver on the surface. The key is reading the school's movement and getting your offering in front of them without spooking the entire pod. Your guide knows these waters inside and out, from the best tide windows to which structure holds bait when the fish are being finicky.
False albacore, locally called "albies," are the main target during this seasonal fishery, and for good reason. These mini-tuna relatives pack serious punch for their size, typically running 5-12 pounds with occasional fish pushing 15. They show up in big schools around Cape Lookout when water temperatures start dropping in fall, feeding heavily on small baitfish before heading south. What makes them so addictive is their speed – they'll rip line off your reel in blistering runs and jump clear of the water when hooked. The bite window can be short but intense, with schools appearing and disappearing quickly as they chase bait through the area.
Striped bass often mix with the albie schools during this time of year, giving you a bonus target that fights completely different. Fall stripers in this area typically range from schoolie size up to solid keepers in the 20-30 inch range, with occasional larger fish mixed in. They're more likely to hit larger lures and provide that heavy, bulldogging fight that rockfish are known for. When you hook into a good striper while albie fishing, you'll immediately feel the difference – less speed but more sustained power as they try to get back down to structure.
This top-rated charter books up fast once word gets out that the albies are showing, and with only a two-month window each year, you don't want to wait until the last minute. The combination of world-class fishing around Cape Lookout, expert local knowledge, and a boat set up specifically for this type of fishing makes this a customer favorite among serious anglers. Remember to grab your North Carolina fishing license before departure, pack sunscreen and polarized sunglasses for spotting fish, and get ready for some of the most exciting nearshore action the Crystal Coast has to offer. When you connect with a school of feeding false albacore on light tackle, you'll understand why anglers plan their entire fall around this fishery.
This restored 1993 Contender center console is your ticket to some serious albacore action around Cape Lookout. At 27 feet with twin 200HP Suzuki outboards, she'll get you to the feeding fish fast, cruising at 40 knots when conditions call for it. The 2016 refit brought modern electronics including GPS, radar for those early morning runs, and a fish finder to locate baitballs where the albies are crashing. Built to handle 4 anglers comfortably, this boat gives everyone room to work when the false albacore are feeding on the surface. The center console layout keeps lines clear during sight casting, whether you're throwing lures or working flies to these fast-moving targets. Perfect for covering water quickly and positioning for those explosive topwater strikes that make albacore fishing so addictive.
Euthynnus AlletteratusLittle tunny, also called false albacore or albies, are pure speed demons that'll make your reel scream. These 10-15 pound torpedoes travel in schools through our nearshore waters from September through November, making them perfect targets during our peak season. You'll spot them busting bait on the surface around Cape Lookout's points and shoals, often creating quite a commotion. What draws anglers back is their blistering runs and acrobatic fights - pound for pound, few fish pull harder. They're built for speed with that streamlined body and won't give up easy. The key is staying ready when you see surface activity - cast quick before the school moves on, and keep your drag smooth because they'll test every knot.
Morone SaxatilisStripers are one of our most reliable inshore targets around Beaufort, running 20-40 pounds with that classic fight these fish are known for. You'll find them working structure like jetties, drop-offs, and around Cape Lookout's shoals where they ambush baitfish. Spring through fall gives us the best action as they migrate along our coast, but we catch them year-round in our temperate waters. What makes stripers special is that powerful run when hooked - they'll test your drag and give you a real battle. The meat is excellent eating too, sweet and flaky when prepared right. Pro tip: watch for diving birds and bait activity on the surface - that's usually where the stripers are feeding underneath.
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