FISHING
REPORT

Summer 2023 Fishing Report

We’ve got a great summertime bite going on here in eastern North Carolina. There is a multitude of species to catch inshore all summer long including red drum, black drum, sheepshead, flounder, bluefish, and spanish mackerel. The red drum fishing is very consistent during the summer. We will be finding the fish on shallow flats and around docks and oyster bars. Live mullet are the best baits but soft plastics and top water lures can work well if the fish are cooperative. Black drum are tasty and pull hard. We find a lot of 2-6 pound black drum on deep marsh points and also around docks and bridge pilings. Shrimp is our bait of choice for these fish.

Sheepshead are beautiful and delicious fish that hang out around pilings. They are soft biters and hard fighters. Pay attention to your crab or shrimp because they will steal them in a heartbeat. The Spanish mackerel and bluefish will be in the inlets and waterways and can be a blast to cast to. The mackerel will eat a variety of lures if they are worked right. The nearshore bite in the ocean is on for Big Spanish, King Mackerel, Cobia, Grouper, Amberjack all summer. If we have calm seas and light winds we will jump outside to enjoy this awesome fishery. This time of year also offers plenty of clams, shrimp, and blue crabs to catch on our eco tours as well.

Flounder are closed except for a short limited season TBD. Check NCDMF proclamations for flounder season updates.