May Means One Thing — It’s Go Time
- eastcoastsaltwaterliving
- Apr 30
- 2 min read
May on the East Coast isn’t a maybe.
It’s the switch flipping.
The rigs are dialed. The crews are moving. The talk shifts from “getting ready” to who’s showing up and who’s putting fish on the board.
Billfish tournament season is here—and it doesn’t ease in. It comes in fast and stacked.
Where It Starts
It all kicks off in Hatteras and rolls straight down the coast:
Reelin' for Research* - May 1
CPM Billfish Tournament* - May 6-9
Hatteras Village Offshore Open — May 12–16
Swansboro Rotary Memorial Day Blue Water Fishing Tournament — May 21–24
Cape Fear Blue Marlin Tournament — May 27–30
From the Outer Banks down through Swansboro and into Cape Fear, the season doesn’t slow down—it builds.
The Heart of It
Then comes the one everyone watches:
KWLA* - June 5-6
Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament — June 5–14
If you know, you know. This is where the pressure is real, the money is real, and every bite matters.
Mid-Summer Push
Once June hits, there’s no backing off:
Big Rock Kids Tournament — July 8–11
Ducks Unlimited Billfish Tournament — July 15–18
Alice Kelly* - August 7-9
Pirates Cove Billfish Tournament — August 8–14
Different crews. Different energy. Same goal—find them, raise them, and make it count.
We’re Covering It
East Coast Saltwater Living will be on the ground and on the water covering as much of the 2026 North Carolina Billfish Series as possible.
Not just the weigh-ins—but the runs out, the rigging, the dock talk, the behind-the-scenes moments most people never see.
Because that’s where the real story is.
Follow Along
If you’re fishing it, we want to see it.
If you’re following it, we’ll be posting it.
Tournament season moves fast—and we’re here for all of it.
Welcome to May.
Let’s get to work.
*not part of the NC Billfish Series
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