Cape Lookout/Crystal Coast

picture of boat used for cobia and false albacore

The Seasons:
There is a year round mixed bag of speckled trout, flounder and mackerel as well as near shore wreck fishing for grouper, amberjacks and more. In May and June there is excellent sight-casting for cobia and offshore dolphin fishing. October and November are the best fly fishing months for false albacore and king mackerel.




Cost: Cost vary depending on guide, trip style and size of boat please visit the homepage for complete rates and policies.

Our Boats: Our guides fish a variety of 22-26’ center consoles including Parker, Contender, and Regulator. Each boat comfortably fishes 3 people. Four is a max.

License: All of our boats have “blanket licenses”. You are not required to purchase an individual fishing license.

Fly Fishing False Albacore in North Carolina

Tackle: We match the best equipment to the species. Fly rodders should be prepared with 7-8 wts for the small stuff and 10-12 wts for the false albacore, king mackerel and amberjacks. Intermediate lines are the fly line of choice, but a 450-650 grain sink tip is a great second line to have on the boat.

What to bring: Plenty of sunscreen, raingear (even if it doesn’t look like rain), cooler with drinks, lots of water, sandwiches, etc.

Cobia fishing in North Carolina



Deposit Policy:To confirm reservations a $300 per boat/day deposit is due within 7 days. Deposits for reservations within 14 days must be secured immediately. Reservations not secured with deposits are subject to cancellation without notice. Deposits are NOT refundable, but are transferable if cancelled greater than 60 days from the date of the trip. 100% refunds for weather cancellations.




Weather Cancellations are at the sole discretion of the captain. Rain is not a reason for a weather cancellation and we encourage you to bring rain gear regardless of the weather forecast. Eminent danger from lighting, hurricane warnings and conditions deemed unsafe by the captain are justification for weather cancellations. Tropical storm watches or warnings are NOT automatically reasons for cancellations. Any adjustments to the price of trips shortened due to the weather are at the sole discretion of the captain.



Fuel surcharge: With the wild unpredictability of gas/fuel pries, fuel surcharges MAY apply. In North Carolina our prices are fixed on fuel cost of $3.50/gallon. The fuel surcharge is the difference between the curent fuel price and the $3.50 times the number of gallons used. Fuel Surcharges will be applied in the fairest possible manner. The Down East Guides will go wherever necessary to give you the best chance of success.