What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Morehead City, North Carolina for the first time?

just remember, there’s no guarantees when fishing, but that doesn’t mean it’s not disappointing.  the crew worked their tails off in the humid heat to try to make it the best day possible. 

For individuals who are accustomed to ocean fishing or traditional cast fishing, it’s important to know that troll fishing is a very different experience. It requires patience, observation, and a willingness to adjust to a new style of angling. Unlike cast fishing—where you feel the line, sense the bite, and react immediately—trolling involves watching the rods as they trail behind the boat. You monitor the rod tips for changes in movement or tension rather than relying on the familiar “feel” of a fish on the line. For first‑time participants, especially those who have been fishing for many years, this can initially seem slow or even uneventful. My family and I, who are used to more hands‑on fishing methods, found the adjustment surprising at first. It didn’t immediately feel like the fishing we were accustomed to. However, once the fish began to bite and we started reeling them in, the excitement set in and the experience became far more engaging. Trolling is a widely practiced and highly effective method in Morehead City, and while it may take some getting used to, it offers a unique and rewarding approach to fishing—especially when guided by an experienced crew.

Understand that it is called fishing. Not every species is going to bite all the time no matter how hard everyone works. It is a great experience and take in the moments. Also, take something for sea sickness as the waves at times can get a little rough in open water. Have fun and Put meat on the deck.

Not certain - expectations vary depending on individuals experience and knowledge of past Fish’n with the Captain. It’s great to catch fish and I go for my grandsons to enjoy and to date they enjoyed each trip. Maybe we they are older we can go to deeper water for different fish if that’s an option. Lastly to all be respectful to the Captain and 1st mate as our boat both are professional and share history of their days on the water and area.

To be a little more honest about the type of boat the people will be riding on. I would never have paid $300 to ride on this boat that we was riding on once again was very unsafe and the fishing quality was terrible. The captains appear to be a friendly guy and a nice young person but it just appeared he was over his head just past Saturday October 7th and we all have bad days so maybe he was having a bad day

Be prepared for the heat. It is really hot in July in Morehead, and this July seems noticeably hotter than normal. Fishing can be wonderful or slow, it just depends on the year. Local bait works best on the bottom and lures work when the fish are there but the trick is to find them. If you are in the water fishing, be aware of your surroundings. Almost every time Ive done this Ive had to get out because of a 6-7 foot shark cruising by. (north Shackleford banks) I fish mainly docks and the Core Sound side of Cape Lookout and Shackleford banks, as well as some offshore bottom fishing. Ive had pretty good luck offshore in July as well.

Use SPF! He did have limited shade access but if you have young ones it gets hot quickly. All we had to bring was snacks and drinks he had a cooler and provided the ice was honestly the easiest family experience as he done all the bating and casting my boys 6&12 got to reel everything in including a shark!

Book your charter with Swan Point Charters / Capt. Jeffrey when you want the full fishing experience including education on the surrounding local fishing opportunities. He is well versed not only on what is available at that time of the season, but also will put you on the hot spots to make it a successful trip.

We really enjoyed it , we did not keep the flounder due to fishing laws but other than that we really had a blast any day fish catching nothing is a great day and 100% better than at work! But book with captain dale you wont be disappointed at all !

Captain Corbett and his First Mate, Jeremy were Awesome, and The Wasabi was a great fishing vessel! ,They were professional and courteous and very knowledgeable about fishing the waters around Morehead City and surrounding areas! I highly recommend them to both amateur anglers and seasoned fishermen!

Good Near / Inshore fishing in Morehead City has great clean water and populous fishery. Pretty tame waters for an easy fishing day. We didn't fish off-shore because the gulf stream/deep waters are 40+ miles off shore. Morehead City has several local restaurants to cook your catch. Always contact the captain to set and receive expectations for your best fishing day.

When you are researching a boat to fish with, contact the Captain and get their opinion when it would be best to go fishing for what you want to catch. I talked often with my Captain so we could plan for a great trip on the water.

Most fishing boats start out with no bait fish on board. They troll for them on their way out to the fishing spot. Things might have been different if the Captain of the boat brought along a small amount of bait to get thinhgs started.

For a more pleasurable experience, recommend April May timeframe when Mahi are running, or October November for cooler temps.

It was very hot. Should have brought more water on the boat due to the heat. Be open to fish for whatever is recommended and don’t go out looking for a specific fish. Have fun and enjoy the ride.

Bring layers of clothing and lots of water, snacks, and SPF on sunny days! Boat shoes are recommended as well. It is a lot of fun!

weather is everything. choose a day with calm winds and lack of rain. Waters were muddied up making it difficult for all the boats out there. high winds caused choppy seas fish not very active.

Weather changes frequently, having an experienced captain that can/will call an audible and change plan to make your experience better is key.

It is a fun trip. It was slow at first but eventually picked up. Perfect for fisherman.

This was a great trip for us with limited fishing experience. Highly recommend.

The area was busy this week in the dock area due to an annual fishing tournament, parking was a little hard, the fishing trip was great. Good experience for my grandson’s and son in law.

Select a local charter service that knows the water ways and collaborates with other captains to put you on the fish. Coordinate your trip ahead of casting off allowing the charter to be prepared.

Fish in the morning! All the fish came out during 7-9 and then pretty much disappeared (at least for spanish mackerel and bluefish)

Love fishing there. Been 3 times and always catch something. That's what I like you never know what you'll catch.

It was extremely hot, which we didn’t think about when booking. Heard Oct and Nov are the months to fish here

We wished we would have caught more fish but that was totally due to weather conditions and not the captain! He was amazing in every way and we plan to book again with him in our fall trip! Thanks JG

If possible, check out fishing seasons for the type of fish you want to catch, and book accordingly.

The weather really worked in our favor… a beautiful day. Started getting a little windy around noon… as we headed back in.

Caught plenty of fish just not all the species we were hoping for because the weather conditions didn’t allow us to target them.

The water is dynamic here. You can find fish in the inlet, off the jetties, around the cape and moving up and down the shorelines. The Fall fishing is spectacular.