North Carolina November
“Nothing easy” seems to be the refrain for this this albie season here in the Beaufort Cape Lookout area of North Carolina. Of course that’s a gross generalization and is colored by the expectations we all have for the fall fishing around here. Some days, tides, hours, outings have been fabulous with churning feeds of false albacore, giant balls of bait, screaming gulls by the hundreds. Some runs offshore to fish the structure of wrecks and reefs have been a blast and a great way to mix up the day. But…wind, significant storms, a failed fuel injector, and some unavoidable schedule changes for clients have combined to present more than the usual albie challenges. We were spoiled last November with what was incredibly productive fishing on almost every day that we could get out. The big Northeast storm early this month sure seemed to have thrown off the axis of this albie world.
Middle to late October was good enough to keep us happy even if the fish were concentrated in smallish areas. We succumbed to fishing behind the trawlers on a couple of trips when searching elsewhere just wasn’t paying off. It’s not my favorite way to pursue these incredible fish, but it can be a game saving strategy.
Three days of colder temps and north wind during the first week of November really turned on the albies. It was classic Cape Lookout fishing and a ton of fun, but short-lived. A significant storm reshuffled the deck. More south wind and warm weather followed and kept the switch flipped the wrong way. We would find periods of good fishing, especially when weather allowed a run east across the Cape Lookout shoals, but more often than not the feeds just didn’t have staying power.
Everyone who fishes here looks forward to finding the “buffalo albies”, the fish bigger than those that we usually find around Cape Cod, Rhode Island, Montauk. Mid November has historically been the most likely time to find these 15 to 23 pound fish feeding inshore. 2022 didn’t follow “usually” or “historically”. Even very cold temps and strong north winds during the Thanksgiving week didn’t bring in the trophy sized false albacore.
The end of November and early December featured more moderate temperatures, some friendly winds, and plenty of happy albies in very localized concentrations - sometimes not far from Beaufort Inlet and other days east of the Cape Lookout shoals. I was on vacation this week, fishing for fun, enjoying all that the Southern Outer Banks have to offer, and loving the opportunity to explore more, catch plenty of fish, and share it all with my wife Sarah.
Despite the challenges this fall presented, I’m smitten with the Beaufort, Morehead City, Cape Lookout area. The variety of species is asstounding, especially in comparison to our fishery in Maine. The culture and community is comfortable, welcoming, and focused on the water. The infrastructure for fishing and boating is impressive. It’s off-season so finding space to tie up for a waterfront lunch is easy and reservations at the best restaurants are available. I know I’ll be back next October and November and hope to share it all with you.