Byron Shults, charter captain and founder of Going Bogue Outdoors, is an old soul with a curious spirit. Born in Durham, N.C., he spent the early years of his childhood on freshwater in various boats owned by his family, from power cruisers to sailboats. Not only did he learn the ins and outs of how those boats operated, he had a knack for fixing things. At an early age, he became his father’s go-to “mechanic,” making sure the boat was always ready for their next fishing trip. When he was 14, he landed his first job on the coast and was immediately hooked on offshore fishing.
My dad bought a Robalo with twin Yamaha 225s in 2011,” he said. “I had a lot of knowledge about boats from my time on freshwater and he trusted me to go 40-to-50 miles offshore with my friends to go mahi or bottom fishing. Those early experiences led to a passion and solidified my desire to become a charter captain. I knew then, at 14/15 years old, what I wanted to be. I actually started my charter business with that very same boat.”
Since then, Capt. Shults has devoted his time to learning and engaging with the ocean. He has spent more than a decade navigating the waters of the Bogue Sound and Beaufort Inlet into the Atlantic ocean region known as Onslow Bay. Going Bogue Outdoors does roughly 80-120 charters per year, with Shults at the helm of his twin F300-powered, 27-foot Onslow Bay boat, Perseverance. During trips, Byron takes his clients to the best spots to fish for gag grouper, sea bass, porgy, grunt, triggerfish, snapper, amberjack, cobia, mackerel, mahi and more depending on the season. It’s important to note that he’s only 28 – that’s right – just 28-years-old with more than a decade of experience already under his belt.
A graduate of East Carolina University with a degree in business management, Byron has an MBA from Western Colorado University in Outdoor Industry Product Development. He also spent some time in Florida earning his USCG 100-ton Master Near Coastal Captain’s License. He is a PADI Advanced Open Water/Nitrox Enriched Air certified scuba diver and the current Maintenance Supervisor at Sea Tow Crystal Coast, where he also served as recovery captain for three years.
What’s even more impressive? He’s a completely self-taught marine technician who performs all the service on his twin Yamaha outboards himself.
“I’ve always been interested in the way things work. When I bought the Onslow, it was originally powered by an F250,” he said. “The outboard was great, but I had an issue I needed to fix. I had no money at the time and the dealership was telling me it would take 6-8 weeks to fix. I didn’t want to miss the fall fishing season, so I decided to purchase a Yamaha owners’ manual and learn how to fix them myself. I got the job done in just 4 weeks and was able to fish during one of my favorite times of year. After that, I became very interested in how Yamaha outboards work so I started rebuilding various models to learn more.”
In his free time, Byron rebuilt Yamaha 25-, 40-, 50- and 70-horsepower two-stroke models, as well as an F90, four F115s from 2003, and an F250.
“All of those outboards came from different situations, and I just wanted to get in there and see what I could do with them,” said Byron. “One of them had fallen off the boat and sunk to the bottom. I recovered it, restored it, and sold it to a friend who is now in his fourth season using it. There’s just something for me about the mechanics of how things work. I’ve done a deep dive into Yamaha engineering in the past few years, and these outboards are truly amazing.”
Byron’s F300s now have almost 3,000• hours, and he keeps meticulous records of all self-performed service intervals.
“For me, exclusively working on Yamaha is like learning your own language,” he said. “Once you accumulate the parts and service tools you need and learn the ins and outs of the outboard, that language can translate to working on a multitude of engines.”
With his charter business now entering its tenth year – yes, he started it when he was 18 – Byron doesn’t winterize his boat and fishes year-round, especially enjoying the spring and fall when the water is just warming up and cooling off.
“This fishery is really very special,” said Byron. “The spring and fall yield the best fishing because that is usually when the species are most abundant. We are the northern most border for many species and the southern most border for others. It’s truly a unique area for catching a wide variety of fish.”
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What’s his favorite target fish?
“Well, really whatever is biting best,” he laughed. “But really, I like to bottom fish for gag grouper – it’s you versus them and it’s a lot of fun.”
Why Yamaha for Captain Shults?
“I always tell people I choose Yamaha because getting home is more important than getting out there,” said Byron. “Yamaha is reliable and innovative without going over the top – Yamaha is just the way I do boating, and I will never change that.”
For more information about Captain Shults or to book a charter, visit goingbogue.com
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My dad bought a Robalo with twin Yamaha 225s in 2011,” he said. “I had a lot of knowledge about boats from my time on freshwater and he trusted me to go 40-to-50 miles offshore with my friends to go mahi or bottom fishing. Those early experiences led to a passion and solidified my desire to become a charter captain. I knew then, at 14/15 years old, what I wanted to be. I actually started my charter business with that very same boat.”
Since then, Capt. Shults has devoted his time to learning and engaging with the ocean. He has spent more than a decade navigating the waters of the Bogue Sound and Beaufort Inlet into the Atlantic ocean region known as Onslow Bay. Going Bogue Outdoors does roughly 80-120 charters per year, with Shults at the helm of his twin F300-powered, 27-foot Onslow Bay boat, Perseverance. During trips, Byron takes his clients to the best spots to fish for gag grouper, sea bass, porgy, grunt, triggerfish, snapper, amberjack, cobia, mackerel, mahi and more depending on the season. It’s important to note that he’s only 28 – that’s right – just 28-years-old with more than a decade of experience already under his belt.
A graduate of East Carolina University with a degree in business management, Byron has an MBA from Western Colorado University in Outdoor Industry Product Development. He also spent some time in Florida earning his USCG 100-ton Master Near Coastal Captain’s License. He is a PADI Advanced Open Water/Nitrox Enriched Air certified scuba diver and the current Maintenance Supervisor at Sea Tow Crystal Coast, where he also served as recovery captain for three years.
What’s even more impressive? He’s a completely self-taught marine technician who performs all the service on his twin Yamaha outboards himself.
“I’ve always been interested in the way things work. When I bought the Onslow, it was originally powered by an F250,” he said. “The outboard was great, but I had an issue I needed to fix. I had no money at the time and the dealership was telling me it would take 6-8 weeks to fix. I didn’t want to miss the fall fishing season, so I decided to purchase a Yamaha owners’ manual and learn how to fix them myself. I got the job done in just 4 weeks and was able to fish during one of my favorite times of year. After that, I became very interested in how Yamaha outboards work so I started rebuilding various models to learn more.”
In his free time, Byron rebuilt Yamaha 25-, 40-, 50- and 70-horsepower two-stroke models, as well as an F90, four F115s from 2003, and an F250.
“All of those outboards came from different situations, and I just wanted to get in there and see what I could do with them,” said Byron. “One of them had fallen off the boat and sunk to the bottom. I recovered it, restored it, and sold it to a friend who is now in his fourth season using it. There’s just something for me about the mechanics of how things work. I’ve done a deep dive into Yamaha engineering in the past few years, and these outboards are truly amazing.”
Byron’s F300s now have almost 3,000• hours, and he keeps meticulous records of all self-performed service intervals.
“For me, exclusively working on Yamaha is like learning your own language,” he said. “Once you accumulate the parts and service tools you need and learn the ins and outs of the outboard, that language can translate to working on a multitude of engines.”
With his charter business now entering its tenth year – yes, he started it when he was 18 – Byron doesn’t winterize his boat and fishes year-round, especially enjoying the spring and fall when the water is just warming up and cooling off.
“This fishery is really very special,” said Byron. “The spring and fall yield the best fishing because that is usually when the species are most abundant. We are the northern most border for many species and the southern most border for others. It’s truly a unique area for catching a wide variety of fish.”
What’s his favorite target fish?
“Well, really whatever is biting best,” he laughed. “But really, I like to bottom fish for gag grouper – it’s you versus them and it’s a lot of fun.”
Why Yamaha for Captain Shults?
“I always tell people I choose Yamaha because getting home is more important than getting out there,” said Byron. “Yamaha is reliable and innovative without going over the top – Yamaha is just the way I do boating, and I will never change that.”
For more information about Captain Shults or to book a charter, visit goingbogue.com
Back to Blue Life
