Added on Sunday, November 1, 2026  Fish Poster

Emerald Isle Fall Fishing Tournament

The 8th Annual Emerald Isle Fall Fishing Tournament, held September 25-26, continued its reputation as one of the Crystal Coast’s premier fishing events. The tournament drew 85 boats with 258 anglers in the Boat Division and 69 anglers in the Surf Division, including 22 junior anglers. 

Despite a week of persistent northeast winds and challenging fishing conditions, competitors battled for their share of more than $45,000 in prize money while supporting the tournament’s ongoing scholarship fund.

For Sean Strickland and Team HADABAIT, the Emerald Isle Fall Fishing Tournament delivered a long-awaited tournament victory. Fishing alongside his daughter Kyli Strickland, father Wayne Strickland, son Kolt Strickland, and Kolt’s girlfriend Caroline Martin, the crew battled tough conditions before landing a 26.25 lb. king mackerel that secured first place in the tournament’s King Mackerel Division, as well as took the King TWT and King Lady Angler.

The crew started their day fishing one of their favorite areas off Topsail Beach in approximately 50’ of water. After an unproductive morning, they left the Surf City area and loaded up on fresh pogies near Emerald Isle. The crew received word from friends that a few fish had been caught nearby, so with little else to go on, they settled into the area and committed to grinding it out through the afternoon.

The bite remained slow. A handful of spanish mackerel and smaller fish provided some action, but as the afternoon wore on, Strickland and his crew were still waiting for the fish they needed.

At about 3:20 p.m., with weigh-in time approaching, their opportunity finally arrived.

“The top line went off on a pogie,” said Strickland. “We ran the fish down, got on top of it, and I gaffed it.”

Rumors of larger fish circulated throughout the day, but when the scales finally closed, HADABAIT’s late-afternoon king stood atop the leaderboard and earned the crew its first Emerald Isle Fall Fishing Tournament title.

Hunter Sanders and the crew aboard the 35′ Contender HOO HUNTER turned a difficult day on the water into a second-place finish with a 24.92 lb. king mackerel. Fishing alongside his father Chip Sanders and friends Will and Ridge, the Cape Carteret crew adjusted to challenging conditions and capitalized when their opportunity finally came.

Like many teams in the field, Sanders was greeted with tough weather and a sluggish bite. The crew started their morning working the waters around Beaufort Inlet, hoping to find a tournament-caliber king close to shore.

“We figured we’d fish Beaufort Inlet and go hero or zero,” said Sanders. “With the weather, we couldn’t really get offshore, so we were hoping to catch one really nice fish.”

The gamble failed to pay off through the morning hours. Dirty water and limited action eventually convinced the team it was time to make a move.

At about 11 o’clock, the team decided the water was too dirty, and they pushed down the beach toward Emerald Isle.”

Fishing a spread of live pogies, bluefish, mullet, and shad, the crew finally began to see signs of life.

“We got three bites after the move,” said Sanders. “The third bite was the fish we ended up weighing.”

The king struck around 1:00 p.m. and ultimately proved to be the fish they were looking for all day. In a tournament defined by a slow bite and difficult conditions, every quality bite carried extra importance, and Sanders’ 24.92-pound king held strong enough to secure the runner-up position.

In the Spanish Mackerel Division, Jeff Tyson aboard Team Greasy Money took top honors with a 6.81 lb. spanish mackerel, while Ethan Horne and Team Line Work secured second place with a 6.73 lb. fish.

Hunter Graves took first place in the adult surf division with an impressive 8.74 lb. bluefish.

Kohler and Miles Wehr took first and second place in the junior surf division with 5.96 and 4.81 lb. bluefish.

With over $100,000 awarded in scholarships over seven years, the Emerald Isle Fall Fishing Tournament continues to blend competitive spirit with community purpose. The tournament returns in late September 2027, promising another exciting weekend for anglers of all ages. 

For full results and updates, visit EIFishing.com or follow the Emerald Isle Fall Fishing Tournament on Facebook.