Forty seven years ago a small group of community leaders met and decided that they needed an event to showcase the great fall fishing Southport-Oak Island area has to offer. The prizes and expenses for the first tournament were guaranteed by those community leaders signing a promissory note at a local financial institution - thus the U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament was born. The U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament now attracts over 400 boats of all sizes annually and is held in high esteem by the community and anglers.

After thoroughly researching all options, working closely with our vendors, and consulting with our supporting business community, we have made the difficult decision to adjust the dates of this year’s event due to weather conditions.
The safety of our participants and guests is always our top priority. While we realize not everyone will be able to participate on the new dates——we believe this decision provides the best balance for safety and participation.
New Dates:
Registration & Packet Pickup - Thursday, October 30th from 10:00am-9:00pm
Fishing Dates: Friday, October 31st from 7:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday, November 1st from 7:00am - 4:00pm
Awards Ceremony: Saturday, November 1st at 8:00pm at Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill
Captain Brant's Fall Brawl is also taking place in Ocean Isle Beach that same weekend.  We’ve shared our updated plans with Captain Brant, and we encourage you to consider supporting and enjoying both tournaments. Please be sure to review the rules for each event to ensure compliance when weighing fish.
We sincerely appreciate your understanding and support as we navigate these changes together.

The U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament will be held October 30th - November 1st in 2025.  Headquarters is planned to be at Dutchman Creek Park. We appreciate the support of Brunswick County Parks & Recreation Department, Duke Energy, American Marine Construction, 

Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill, Safe Harbor South Harbour Village Marina.