"Coastal Fall Fishing Frenzy: Mackerel Kings, Drum Runs, and Jetty Secrets"

This is Artificial Lure, bringing you the latest fishing report for the North Carolina coast and the Atlantic, right here on November 7, 2025. Weather today is crisp for late fall – expect morning temps in the lower 50s, rising into the low 60s, with northwesterly winds shifting to mild east by afternoon. Skies start off partly cloudy, clearing as high pressure builds. Seas are moderate, running 3 to 5 feet, a little choppy offshore but manageable for most boats according to the National Weather Service Marine Forecast. Early risers had a calm start: sunrise hit at 6:33 AM, and anglers can count on sunset around 5:07 PM. If you’re aiming for the dawn or dusk bite, these windows are prime. Tides are rolling in big this week, right in the thick of those November spring tides. Tide-Forecast.com reports a low at 1:32 AM, followed by a strong high at 8:06 AM, then a gentle ebb to low at 2:42 PM, and back up to high at 8:26 PM. For surf and pier fishing, that sunrise high tide is usually the ticket: baitfish bunch up, and the game fish aren’t far behind. In the past few days, reports from Atlantic Beach down to Oak Island tell the story of fall migration – the king mackerel bite offshore is still productive, especially on menhaden and slow-trolled drone spoons. Surf casters and pier folks are seeing solid runs of Virginia mullet, black drum, and scattered sea mullet on bits of shrimp and bloodworms. Red drum action has picked up on the falling tide near the inlets, especially around Beaufort and Bogue Inlet. Slot drum are taking cut menhaden and scented soft plastics fished on Carolina rigs. Sheepshead and tautog are chewing around deeper pilings and jetties – sand fleas and fiddler crabs are best. Offshore, the bottom bite for triggerfish and sea bass has been steady on squid strips and jigs around the nearshore reefs. Wahoo are still popping up along the Gulf Stream edge for those with bluewater ambitions – deep-diving plugs and rigged ballyhoo have been getting the knockdowns. Live bait always comes out on top for the big predators right now: finger mullet, menhaden, and live shrimp if you can net them. For artificials, you can’t go wrong with 3–5 inch paddle-tail swimbaits in chrome or chartreuse, Gulp! shrimp, or MirrOlures in the classic 52M model. On the piers, double-drop rigs tipped with fresh cut bait or bloodworms catch about everything moving through. Looking for hot spots? Hit the Point at Emerald Isle early or Bogue Inlet Pier at the morning high tide for a shot at red drum and specks. Out east, Jennette’s Pier on the Outer Banks is seeing runs of flounder and mullet, especially on the falling water. Those drifting near Cape Lookout Shoals have found bluefish and the occasional Spanish mackerel lingering in the rips. The North Carolina Coastal Counties Fisheries Coalition just met this week, folks are fired up about protecting blue crab and sheepshead access, so don’t be surprised to see strong numbers of both in the creeks and sou This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.