Cape Lookout

[albacized]

Is the Cape Lookout area a place where kayakers can safely navigate around while fishing the fall albie run? For the time being, I'm more so just curious and looking more so towards the following fall vs this next fall-I'm only just now looking at kayaks and want to acclimate before I do any adventurous fishing. However, that's one of the fisheries I'd like to take advantage once I get efficient. I have fished the Atlantic Beach area from shore but never made it up to Cape Lookout.

[John M]

Ive done the albie thing at look out from a kayak. the problem is the boat traffic, it can get crowded with boats. Problem is when the fish pop up all the boats take off and that makes for some exciting times riding out all the wakes. Other than that its pretty cool to be out there in a yak.

[albacized]

Many thanks for the info....

[John M]

no problem, one thing ya can do is pull up on th ebeach and fish from there.....we have done that, when the fish are in the shallows doesnt matter if your in the yak or wading.......

[Mike S]

I've never fished from a yak down there, but have done it from a boat for a number of years. I'm guessing you could launch from Harker's Island and paddle to the Bight area to fish. There are also ferry services to take hikers over to Cape Lookout and Shackelford Banks. One of them may be willing to take you and your kayak over to cut down the paddling.

Another option would be to launch off the beach from the Beafort Inlet area or further down Bogue Banks into Atlantic Beach.

A third option if you have 4-wd and want some adventure is to ferry your vehicle over to Cape Lookout with your kayak and launch from the beach there. That would give you the option of launching from either side of the shoals depending on the weather.

One thing to note is that the albies aren't always inshore within range of a kayak and they aren't always spread out over that entire area. Sometimes you'll just find them on the east side of the shoals, sometimes on the west side, and sometime 5+ miles offshore. If your luckly they are all over Shakelford and Bogue Banks. It has been a few years since we have had much luck with them along the Banks.

[John M]

good point abou tthe ferries. We have taken the sand dollar ferry over with our yaks. We have also made the paddle from harkers. Its a long paddle from harkers 2+ hours each way. the ferry was well worth it, it costs like 20 bucks each, but you save 4-6 hours paddling back and forth each day.

[Mike S]

Originally Posted by John M

good point abou tthe ferries. We have taken the sand dollar ferry over with our yaks. We have also made the paddle from harkers. Its a long paddle from harkers 2+ hours each way. the ferry was well worth it, it costs like 20 bucks each, but you save 4-6 hours paddling back and forth each day.

I can't imagine that paddle back is much fun after loading up on 15 lb albies all day. I've had a few days down there where I could barely get my shirt over my head at the end of the day.

[capt_gordon]

Good advice here. Best advice I could give would be to wait until November when the fish are thickest (at least the past four or five years that's the way it's been). Kayak access is pretty limited around here. So much so that I bought one last spring and sold it this summer b/c unless you live on the water there aren't enough places to launch one.

[cefireman2154]

never fished their on a yak but i go there to surf fish all the time nice place and very nice ppl. here's alittle info. u can contact them by phone. goto capelookoutconcessions.com, that will give u there numbers, ferry times,and cost per person or vehicle.Ferry Service is available to Cape Lookout National Seashore to both North Core Banks (Long Point) and South Core Banks (Great Island). Ferries to Long Point depart from Morris Marina Kabin Kamps & Ferry Service, Inc. in Atlantic, NC. Ferries to Great Island depart from Great Island Cabins & Ferry Service, LLC in Davis.

[AndyUSCG]

lots of good info here

[SteelerFan]

I'm interested in going to the North Core Banks area.
My question is: Do you need a 4X4 to get from the ferry
dock to the rental cabins? I have an AWD vehicle and it
would be nice if i can get my gear from the dock to the cabin.

[derf]

awd might do it ...
all i know is my ford 250 didn't like it , some real soft spots on the way to the cabins ..
but it all depends on how chewed up the sand is ..
i really reccomend 4wd if you want to do any roaming around ; without it you will be missing a lot of the island , the best parts
btw

derf

[crashq]

If you air down, you can make it to the cabins in 2wd trucks, so awd should be fine. I don't do the 2wd thing, but have seen several others do it. Beyond the cabins is s differnt story, however. some years the trails can be either soft or deply rutted.

If you just want to go to the cabins, take a surf cart and walk, or a 4-wheel ATV. It will save the cost of transporting the car on the ferry.