Welcome, our inlets at Swansboro (Emerald Isle) and Beaufort (pronounced "Bo"fert) fort Macon are always rough. Once you get thru the 4-5 foot swells (at the inlets) the sea will calm down unless the NOAA is predicting 4-5 foot seas or more. Use the weather station on your Marine radio. Go early, it's a lot calmer. We get 1-2 foot seas from time to time. 2-4 is most common this time of year.your boat is perfect for this area. The sound (Bogue)holds lots of fish too when you can't get out. I have a 2196 Tidewater Skiff with a modified V hull and 115 Yamaha .We out several miles but 2-4 foot seas are my limit with my wife and kids. The boat does fine. Keep your bow up and keep straight out of the inlets. Follow the buoys out until they lead you to open sea.
Fort Macon OR Emerald Isles
Hi guys. I'm new to the area and have a few questions. I'm originally from SW Florida and grew up fishing the Gulf of Mexico. My wife and two year old son are my fishing partners on our 2001 234 Cobia CC with a 200HDPI pushing it. We love love love to fish however we've been getting skunked! I've launched out of both Fort Macon and a Emerald Isles which leads me to my first question...
Which inlet is better to get offshore and how the heck do I comfortably get out through them? I have been unable to get offshore because both inlets are "sporty" to say the least and seas offshore have been rough. I've been watching the NOAA marine forecast and the forecast is always the same "SW 10-15 kts seas 2-4ft". Thus leading to my next question...
Is it' always this rough offshore? I really want to get into offshore fishing however I can't fish offshore if I can't get out.
Finally, is my boat not suitable for offshore in this area or am I stuck fishing inshore? I don't want to go out to the gulf stream (One Engine) however I would love to get out to some of the near shore wrecks.
Thanks
Which inlet is better to get offshore and how the heck do I comfortably get out through them? I have been unable to get offshore because both inlets are "sporty" to say the least and seas offshore have been rough. I've been watching the NOAA marine forecast and the forecast is always the same "SW 10-15 kts seas 2-4ft". Thus leading to my next question...
Is it' always this rough offshore? I really want to get into offshore fishing however I can't fish offshore if I can't get out.
Finally, is my boat not suitable for offshore in this area or am I stuck fishing inshore? I don't want to go out to the gulf stream (One Engine) however I would love to get out to some of the near shore wrecks.
Thanks
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I'm down now at EI. We'll be here all week. The seas look great. Will probably be around cape lookout tomorrow.
Beaufort Inlet is a deep water channel and is much safer then Bogue Inlet which is the "Swansboro inlet". The only real issues at Beaufort is that you don't go left out the inlet unless you are experienced and you have vast knowledge of running the shoals. It's not the graveyard of the Atlantic for nothing.
Beaufort inlet can get very sport on a southerly wind and an outgoing tide. You can try to time your exits and entrances to the inlet with the tide to make things a little smoother. You can also put in at Taylor's Creek in Beaufort and run to cape lookout via back sound and out Barden inlet which is usually much cleaner than Beaufort inlet.
thanks very much for the info and thanks crappie89 for the tip on cape lookout! However, it looks like I'm going to have to store the boat in Emerald Isle so it looks like I'm going to be stuck navigating Bogue Inlet. Also, thanks Electro fire fisher for the confidence boost in my boat. I just hope I can get out of Bogue Inlet and catch fish! Any suggestions for places to fish in the swansboro area of Bogue sound...both inshore and nearshore?
We used to have a few good days now and then but the last 3-4 weeks its been 10-15SW. Bogue inlet isnt bad if you learn your tides try to time your exit/entry at top of tides if possible and avoid the last part of the outgoing especially with these sw winds.
Ok now out the inlet about 3 miles SE? is key post should be on your GPS. About 300 degrees? out the ionlet around 3 miles is another AR and another about 5-7? miles str8 out. Learn these then go out and bounce a 4in gulp off the bottom and you will catch fish. The good thing is you never know what or how big. All these places should be on the chasin tails website.
If your taking the family out GPS, PLB and a good VHF radio are a must. Good luck
Ok now out the inlet about 3 miles SE? is key post should be on your GPS. About 300 degrees? out the ionlet around 3 miles is another AR and another about 5-7? miles str8 out. Learn these then go out and bounce a 4in gulp off the bottom and you will catch fish. The good thing is you never know what or how big. All these places should be on the chasin tails website.
If your taking the family out GPS, PLB and a good VHF radio are a must. Good luck
You guys are awesome. I'll be sure to update you guys as I get comfortable in the area.
This is a great site. Consistently amazed by the local knowledge so willingly shared.
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If you can't get out of Beaufort when it gets a little sporty then try learning Barden's Inlet up by the cape. It is almost always a much calmer ride out. It is well marked but a little tricky to run. I'd recommend saving your track when you get through it so you can find your way back and I learned it by running it at dead low tide so I could see where the shoals are. I run a bay boat though so running aground is a little easier to deal with. Never did hit bottom there yet though. Its very scenic trip as well. You can always wait to follow a boat that looks like it knows what it is doing as well.
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