Hampstead's Spot Run Starts Before the Spot Festival Does

"Shrimp is the best bait to use for catching Spots." That advice comes from the 1964 Spot Book, and the NC Spot Festival's history page still lists it among its "fun little tidbits." Sixty-two years later the bait advice still holds. Topsail.Fish's weekly reports for October 2026 suggest bloodworm, shrimp or synthetic worm on a basic two-hook bottom rig.

The timing has changed, though. The fish are showing up at the Topsail piers now, in October. The festival named after them opens on November 7. Hampstead now has two spot seasons running a few weeks apart, and the gap between them is the best fishing window of the fall.

A Festival Built Around September That Now Lands in November

In 2013, when the festival turned 50, StarNews described an event organized around the fall arrival of migratory spot in local waters. The same story named September as North Carolina's peak month for spot fishing. Back then the festival happened in September.

The dates have moved since then, and they've stayed moved:

• 2019: November 2–3, according to the festival committee's page
• 2024: November 2–3, per StarNews
• 2025: November 1–2, per WECT
• 2026: November 7–8, per the official festival site

Every festival date posted since 2019 has fallen in November. Meanwhile the fish are still running on their own October schedule.

The Fry Never Depended on Anyone's Luck at the Pier

The November date works because the festival dinner has never depended on that week's catch. The festival's history page says the idea came out of a community oyster roast, and the first festival was held in 1963. A local fish house, J.H. Lea and Sons, donated all the spot for the event from the start until it closed in 2008, after more than 90 years of supplying Hampstead with fish. In 2009, Atlantic Seafood took over as the festival's spot provider, according to that same page, which was posted with the 2019 festival dates. Atlantic Seafood's retail market sits at 95 NC Hwy 210 West in Hampstead, and spot is on its list of specialty items.

The cooking stays local, too. The history page says the fish are "fried just right by Hampstead Fire Department fire men and women," and that the event began as a fire department fundraiser and still benefits the department. The scale is big. When the festival came back in 2022 after a two-year pause during COVID, WWAY reported that volunteers fried more than 5,000 pounds of spot, along with hushpuppies and french fries. Festival chairman Keith Ramsey told the station that turnout that year was one of the biggest in the festival's history:

"This year has definitely been a good year for us as far as turnout, they've come out in droves. I think people just want normalcy again, and thankfully we were able to get out here this year and give them some normalcy."

Where the money goes has been described a few different ways. The festival's history page says proceeds are split between the fire department and the five "Topsail" schools in the Pender County school system. WWAY's 2022 coverage described the money as going to Pender County schools. WECT's 2025 preview named Hampstead and Surf City schools.

The festival plate comes from a supply chain. The October fish come from whoever goes out and catches them.

What the Run Looks Like in Mid-October

The first signs came at the start of the month. The Fisherman's Post October report, posted October 1, 2026, said evening bottom fishing at Surf City Pier was turning up spot and that anglers at Seaview Pier were catching them too. On October 7, Topsail.Fish put spot under a heading that read "The Fall Spot Run Is Beginning to Enter the Conversation." The report noted that spot were appearing in Topsail-area pier catches and that "the run can turn on quickly." The same report said Surf City Pier's evening bottom fishermen were putting together mixed bags of black drum, sea mullet, spot and croaker. The site's October 14 summary said spot were still showing up in recent pier reports. This week, Surf City Ocean Pier's own feed posted a short update, "Spots on bloodworms."

Topsail.Fish's tactical advice is simple: small hooks, plenty of bait, and from the surf, fish the troughs, sloughs and cuts instead of casting as far as you can. From a pier, work several depths until you find the traveling school. The report also pointed out that nighttime bottom fishing has been especially productive this fall.

Three Piers Within Reach of Hampstead

All three ocean piers closest to Hampstead are on Topsail Island. Here's what each one posts for daily fishing this season:

Surf City Ocean Pier's species guide puts spot season at "May to November." None of the piers has posted a 2026 closing date, so call ahead before driving over late in the season.

Licensing and limits are set by the state. On its recreational fishing license page, the NC Division of Marine Fisheries says a Coastal Recreational Fishing License is generally required for anyone 16 or older taking finfish in coastal waters. It lists annual coastal fees of $20 for residents and $40 for nonresidents, with 10-day licenses at $9 and $15. That page also says blanket licenses are available only through DMF offices. Separately, Surf City Ocean Pier's fees page says it holds one that covers people fishing from its pier, and Jolly Roger says the same about its own. The state's recreational size and bag limits table, effective September 2, 2026, lists spot with no minimum length and a limit of 50 fish per person per day in coastal and joint waters. This is general information, not legal advice. Check your own license situation with DMF or the pier before you fish.

If you'd rather buy than catch, Surf City Crab at 508 Roland Ave. in Surf City says boats unload fresh catch at its Intracoastal Waterway location.

When the Fry Opens on November 7

Once the pier run has had a few weeks to build, the festival returns to its usual home in the field south of the Hampstead Women's Club, 14221 U.S. Hwy. 17. Visit Pender lists it from 9 a.m. Saturday, November 7, through 6 p.m. Sunday, November 8. The official site posts these 2026 basics:

1. Admission is $5, and children 6 and under get in free.
2. A spot dinner is $12 for two spot, hushpuppies, french fries and coleslaw.
3. All-day inflatable rides are $20.
4. No pets and no coolers. Bring lawn chairs.

The festival hasn't posted a 2026 band lineup yet. For a sense of the weekend, WECT's 2025 preview listed live music, dance performances, children's inflatables and local vendors alongside the spot dinners. Anyone who spends the next two weeks fishing a bottom rig off Surf City, Seaview or Jolly Roger will get to taste the fish twice this fall, once from their own cooler and once from the fire department's fryer.

Hampstead traditions like this one are a big part of why people put down roots on this stretch of US-17, and I love seeing neighbors turn out for them every November. If you're curious what your Hampstead home is worth these days, or you just want to talk about the area over a spot plate, Cristina Sullivan would be glad to hear from you. Let's Connect, and take a look at our Hampstead neighborhood guide for more local favorites.