Carolina Beach – Kure Beach – Fort Fisher
April 10 – 12, 2026
The annual Carolina Beach Surf Fishing Challenge is back for 2026. This is the first tournament on Fisherman’s Post’s calendar every year, which means we’ve all been cooped up for months and are more than ready to see our regular surf anglers—and meet the brave new ones—after a winter spent pretending we enjoy “downtime.”
This spring event is different from the fall because it’s team-based. Surf fishing has always been about camaraderie, and this format lets you grab up to three friends and fish together. Yes, friends. Or at least people you trust not to tangle your lines.
When they say “up to four anglers,” they mean you can fish with fewer if you want—but the entry fee stays the same whether you show up with a full squad or just the two most committed members of your group chat.
Every team gets up to eight rods in the water at once. That way, if someone wanders off for snacks, supplies, or a suspiciously long bathroom break, the rest of the team can keep things moving. And if you’re fishing short-handed, you can still compete with the teams who managed to wrangle all four members out of bed.
Teams will compete in four categories: bluefish, red drum, sea mullet, and black drum. The leaderboard is based on your team’s three-fish aggregate weight in each category. If you bring in the heaviest three bluefish—or land in the top three—you’ll be collecting a prize check on Sunday. And if you manage to do that in multiple categories, well, Sunday might be a very good day for your wallet.
There is also a Team Aggregate TWT (your heaviest four-fish total—one from each category) and a Team Hall of Fame Award for the team that weighs the heaviest combined total across all categories (up to 12 fish). Basically, if you catch fish, they’ve probably found a way to give you money for it.
And because anglers love extra chances to win, they’re also giving out a $100 gift card to the team that weighs the single heaviest fish in each category. Yes—one fish. One glorious, oversized fish.
For this team event, weigh stations won’t be open around the clock. You can still fish from Friday at 11:59 pm through Sunday at 11:00 am, but everyone weighs in together on Sunday at the Lazy Pirate between 10:00 am and noon. If you show up at 12:01, they will smile politely while you panic.
The Lazy Pirate is once again the Tournament HQ. The folks from Fisherman’s Post will be there Friday signing up teams and getting wristbands on every angler, and then everyone will meet back there Sunday for weigh-in, dinner, and awards. If you’ve ever been to the Lazy Pirate, you already know it’s a good time—and they’re ready to keep the good times rolling all weekend for the surf fishing crowd.
This tournament is also the first qualifying event in Fisherman’s Post’s Surf Series Trail, a season-long points race across all five surf events they host. Even though this is a team event and the Surf Series Trail is individual-based, your fish from Pleasure Island still count toward your personal points. Multitasking at its finest. Fisherman’s post are the go to guides for both Carolina Beach and Kure Beach surf fishing
Once again this event will support First Fruit Ministries. Since 1998, they’ve served over 20,000 hot meals, provided emergency groceries to more than 5,000 households, and sheltered over 24 homeless women and families each year. All fish weighed in over the weekend will be donated to support their work—so even if your team doesn’t win big, your fish still do some good.
So grab up to three friends, pick a team name that won’t embarrass you later, and get signed up. It’s the perfect way to kick off the year—time on the beach, fish on the line, and maybe even prize checks in hand on Sunday..
Tournament Headquarters: Island Tackle & Hardware warehouse (located immediately behind the store)–Registration, Awards Dinner, & Awards Ceremony
The Island Tackle & Hardware warehouse–220 Winner Avenue, Carolina Beach, NC 28428
Click here for a Google Map of The Island Tackle & Hardware warehouse.
PRE-REGISTRATION
You can pre-register at anytime up until Thursday, April 10; however, your entry fee(s) must be paid by March 30 to get the reduced entry rate of $300 per team (after March 30 the entry fee is $330 per team).
There are four different ways for you to pre-register: (1) in person, (2) by mail, (3) over the phone using a credit card, or (4) online using VISA, MasterCard, or PayPal.
1. You can submit your completed entry form and pay your entry fee in person at Island Tackle, Intracoastal Angler, or Tex’s Tackle.
2. You can mail in your completed entry form with a check or money order to:
Fisherman’s Post, 1320 Audubon Blvd., Wilmington, NC 28403
Please make checks or money orders payable to Fisherman’s Post.
3. You can pay your entry fee over the phone at (910) 452-6378 using a credit card, but you will still need to first complete an entry form. You may fill out an Online Entry Form, or you can complete a Print Entry Form and then mail it to Fisherman’s Post, 1320 Audubon Blvd., Wilmington, NC 28403.
4. You can pay your entry fee online by using the links located within the Online Entry Form.
Tournament entry fees (less a $50 fee) can be refunded prior to the start of Friday’s Registration. Once Registration opens, no refunds of entry fees can be offered.
REGISTRATION
Pre-registration lasts up until Thursday, April 9, (but your entry fee must be paid by March 30 to get the reduced entry rate of $300 per team). After April 10, there is no more Online Registration, but you can register in person on Friday, April 9, from 4:00 pm-11:00 pm at Island Tackle and Hardware. We will be accepting cash or credit card/debit card.
And a reminder…whether you pre-register or register on April 10, everyone must stop by Registration/Tournament HQ to receive their tournament wrist band and have the band placed upon their wrist–no exceptions!
Tournament entry fees (less a $50 fee) can be refunded prior to the start of Friday’s Registration. Once Registration opens, no refunds of entry fees can be offered.
