Swansboro Charter Fishing | 2-Hour Adventure
Looking for some serious fishing action without spending your whole day on the water? Our 2-hour inshore charter out of Cedar Point gives you the perfect taste of what North Carolina's coastal waters have to offer. Whether you're a weekend warrior trying to squeeze in some fishing time or showing the family what it's like to feel that rod bend, this trip delivers the goods. We keep our groups small at just 6 anglers max, so you're not fighting for deck space or waiting forever for your turn at the hot spots.
What to Expect on the Water
We'll pick you up right from Cedar Point and head straight into the productive inshore waters around Swansboro. This area is absolutely loaded with structure - grass flats, oyster bars, creek mouths, and channel edges that hold fish year-round. The beauty of a 2-hour trip is we can hit the best spots without wasting time running all over creation. Captain knows exactly where to put you on fish based on tides, weather, and what's been biting lately. You'll be fishing within 10 minutes of leaving the dock, and we stay busy right up until it's time to head back. Don't worry about bringing anything - we've got all the tackle, bait, and gear you need. Just show up ready to fish and maybe bring a cooler if you want to take your catch home for dinner.
Techniques & Tackle Setup
We fish light tackle here - typically spinning reels spooled with 15-20 pound braid and fluorocarbon leaders. Depending on what we're targeting, we'll rig up with everything from popping corks and live shrimp to soft plastics and spoons. When the trout are schooled up, nothing beats a Z-Man paddle tail under a cork. For redfish in the shallows, we'll throw gold spoons or work soft crabs along the grass edges. The drum love cut bait on the bottom, especially around structure. Water depths range from 2 feet in the grass flats to maybe 15 feet in the deeper channels, so we're constantly adjusting our approach. If you've got your own lucky rod, bring it along - just make sure it can handle 20-pound line. The fish here aren't huge, but they fight like crazy in shallow water.
Top Catches This Season
Black Sea Bass are the bread and butter of our inshore trips. These chunky bottom dwellers love hanging around any kind of structure - fallen trees, oyster bars, rock piles. They're not picky eaters either, hitting everything from live bait to small jigs. Most of what we catch run 12-16 inches, perfect for the dinner table. Best part about bass fishing is the action stays consistent throughout the year, though spring and fall definitely see bigger numbers.
White Weakfish, or what we call white trout, school up heavy during certain times of year and provide some of the fastest action you'll find. When we locate a school, it's common to catch 20-30 fish in an hour. They average 10-14 inches and have this really delicate mouth, so you've got to play them carefully. Peak season runs from late spring through early fall, and they absolutely love live shrimp under a popping cork.
Sea Trout are probably the most popular target for our regular customers. Speckled trout are smart, finicky, and put up a great fight pound for pound. The 14-18 inch fish we typically catch are perfect eating, and when conditions are right, you might hook into a genuine gator trout pushing 4-5 pounds. Cool mornings and evenings are prime time, especially around grass flats and creek mouths where they ambush baitfish.
Redfish are the crown jewel of inshore fishing around here. These bronze beauties patrol the shallows looking for crabs and shrimp, and when you hook one, you know it immediately. They make long, powerful runs and use that broad tail to fight you every inch of the way. Most of our reds fall in the 18-24 inch slot, though we see plenty of oversized fish that we photograph and release. Fall is absolutely prime time for reds, but we catch them consistently from spring through late fall.
Time to Book Your Spot
Two hours might not sound like much, but you'll be amazed how much fishing we can pack into a short trip when we know the water. This is perfect for families with young kids, first-time charter customers, or anyone who wants to sample the Cedar Point fishing scene without committing to a full day. Lizardfish Charters runs a top-rated operation with experienced captains who put fish in the boat. Book online or give us a call - these shorter trips fill up fast, especially during peak season. Bring your camera, sunscreen, and get ready to see why Swansboro inshore fishing keeps anglers coming back trip after trip.