Offshore Fishing Archives - Page 35 of 98

May 5, 2026

Hard-plastic diving plugs like Yo-Zuri’s Crystal Minnow are an alternative to live-baiting or trolling spoons for mackerel.

Shimmer and shine incite shock strikes

King mackerel are suckers for hard-plastic lures like Yo-Zuri’s Crystal Minnow, and several big advantages exist for trolling lures instead of live baits. […]

A heavy casting spoon like a Stingsilver will draw strikes from mackerel, especially Spanish, as long as you can retrieve it at a fast speed.

Heave heavy metal for harder hits

Mike Marsh

If angler Russ Luhm spots Spanish mackerel schooling at the surface or sees them on his depthfinder as he works a school with deep-diving lures, he’ll fling a Stingsilver or other heavy metal spoon at them. […]

Squid can be trolled on a rig similar to a live-bait king rig to take mackerel.

Speed-rig a squid

Mike Marsh

Any angler who can twist-together a wire live-bait rig for fishing with menhaden can make a rig for trolling squid. […]

Feed Spanish mackerel with a spoon

Craig Holt

September is a transition month at the North Carolina coast, as fish move from summer’s deep offshore haunts to nearshore waters. […]

Live-bait rigs with smaller baits are great ways to catch Spanish mackerel on light tackle in the fall outside a handful of inlets along North Carolina’s southeastern coast.

Live-bait Spanish are fall favorites outside SENC inlets

Jerry Dilsaver

It is a bit of an oxymoron along the North Carolina’s southeastern coast, that as fall approaches, the water cools and the fishing heats up. […]

When Blaine Anderson saw this johnboat floating 60 miles offshore, he knew the dolphinfish would be there.

Anglers catching plenty of dolphin around abandoned johnboat

Brian Cope

For the past week or so, offshore anglers fishing off the coast of Charleston have reported seeing a wayward aluminum johnboat dozens of miles off the coastline. And they’ve all been catching plenty of fish around that lonely vessel. […]

Don’t forget fast-trolling with lures and squid for summer Spanish mackerel.

Speed kings – Keep SE NC mackerel on the run

Mike Marsh

Sure, most anglers who land king mackerel big enough to win tournaments use live menhaden or mullet as bait, but the typical weekend warriors can make fishing more fun by concentrating on efficiency and, who knows, still might catch a citation king or Spanish mackerel. All that is necessary is switching to lures and frozen squid. […]

This angler shows off a nice red snapper he caught with Capt. Robert Olsen of Knot@Work Fishing Charters (843-442-7724).

Red snapper season approved for Carolina anglers

Brian Cope

The federal waters off the coasts of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Zone, which includes both Carolinas, will open up to recreational fishing for red snapper for six days next month. The season will run Aug. 10 through Aug. 12, then again on Aug. 17 through Aug. 19.
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Blackfin move closer to SC beaches in summer

Dan Kibler

Blackfin tuna are not quite as numerous in South Carolina’s offshore waters during the summer, but along with Mahi-mahi, they make up the majority of bluewater catches through the hotter months. […]

Seagulls and other diving birds will give away the presence of Spanish mackerel feeding on baitfish at the surface.

Follow the gulls

Jeff Burleson

Spanish mackerel travel in schools, and when they feed, they aren’t secretive by any means, often feeding in a frenzy. […]