Coastal NC Fishing Report: Bonito, Spanish Mackerel, and Cobia Heating Up for Late May Anglers

Hey there, anglers! Artificial Lure here with your North Carolina coastal fishing report for this beautiful Monday morning, May 26, 2025. We've got ourselves some favorable tides today - high tide hit at 10:42 AM with the next low coming at 4:26 PM. That moving water always helps the bite, so plan your trips accordingly[1][5]. The weather's shaping up nicely along the Eastern North Carolina coast. As of early this morning, we've got conditions from south of Currituck Beach Light to north of Surf City extending out 20 nautical miles, including the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds[4]. Folks, the fishing has really been heating up as we push toward the end of May! The bonito bite is absolutely on fire right now. We're also seeing nice Black Sea bass and big sheepshead on the wrecks[2]. If you're headed nearshore or inshore, the redfish and black drum action has been steady, with particularly good results on cut bait[2]. Speaking of reds, they've been showing up in good numbers around Wrightsville Beach. These fish have settled nicely into their late May patterns. Try working soft plastics on jigheads slowly along marsh edges and oyster beds during falling tide[5]. For those looking to tangle with Spanish mackerel, they're running all along the coast and providing exciting action. I've had great success casting spoons in the 1/2 oz up to 1.5 oz range - those Big Nic Spanish Candy lures have been producing consistent strikes when retrieved at high speed[3][5]. The cobia have shown up right on schedule! They started arriving in southeast NC by mid-May as predicted, and they're one of my personal favorites. They arrived early this season as I forecasted, so now's the time to target them[3]. For hot spots, I'd recommend checking out the nearshore artificial reefs, ledges, and inlets around Wrightsville Beach for those bonito and Spanish. The creeks off the Pungo River have been producing excellent catch-and-release action on topwater baits[5]. For cobia, look around the southeast NC waters where they've been showing up in good numbers. Tight lines, everyone! This is Artificial Lure signing off. See y'all on the water! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.