Coastal NC Fishing Report: Sea Mullet, Drum, and Offshore Tuna Amid Crisp Winter Conditions

This is Artificial Lure with your Atlantic-side North Carolina fishing report. We’re sitting under seasonable high pressure along the coast this morning; National Weather Service marine forecasts call for light northwest to north winds around 5 to 10 knots early, easing and turning more northerly, with seas 2 to 3 feet and a modest chop. Skies are mostly clear and cold, with that classic winter bite in the air and water pushing into the low to mid‑50s nearshore. Tide-wise, we’ve got classic morning flood to work with. Tide-Forecast shows a low around 12:40 a.m. and a strong high pushing in about 7:15 to 7:30 a.m. up and down Cape Lookout, Hatteras, Ocracoke, and Atlantic Beach. That gives you a prime incoming window through late morning and a nice fall on the backside this afternoon. Sunrise is right around 7:10 a.m., sunset about 5:05 p.m., so your best window is that first light push on the flood and again last light on the evening ebb. Nearshore and surf action has been steady for December. Local piers and headboats out of Atlantic Beach and Wrightsville are still picking at **sea mullet**, **puffer**, scattered **black drum**, and a few slot **red drum** in the sloughs. Charters running just off the beach are finding **false albacore** and small **bonito** on the outside bars when birds are up, plus a mix of **sea bass** and **grunts** on the nearshore rock piles. Off the Outer Banks, boats working out of Hatteras and Ocracoke have been reporting good cool‑water fishing: limits of **black sea bass**, plenty of **triggerfish**, a few **red porgy**, and scattered **king mackerel** hanging on the temperature breaks. On the right weather days, some boats pushing farther offshore are seeing **yellowfin tuna** and a stray **wahoo**, but most folks are staying in that 10–25 mile range working structure. Best baits and lures right now: - **Surf and pier**: Fresh **shrimp**, **cut mullet**, and **sand fleas** on double‑drop rigs for sea mullet and drum. A small piece of Fishbites or Gulp tipped on the hook helps when the water is clear and cold. - **Reds and drum in the surf pockets**: 2–3 ounce pyramid sinker, 3/0–5/0 circle hook, chunk of mullet or fresh shrimp. Keep it in the deeper, darker water tight to the bar. - **Nearshore albacore/bonito**: 1–2 ounce **metal jigs** and **epoxy-style lures** in green/white or olive/silver. Long casts, fast retrieves when they’re busting glass minnows. - **Reef and wreck fish**: Squid strips, cut cigar minnows, and small jigs (2–4 ounce bucktails or jigging spoons) work well for sea bass and triggers. Couple of hot spots to circle: - **Cape Lookout Shoals and around the Cape Lookout sea buoy**: Working the edges of the shoals on the incoming tide has been good for sea bass, gray trout, and the odd king when you slow‑troll live baits or dead cigar minnows. - **Off Hatteras Inlet along the 8–15 mile wreck line**: Any of the well‑known pieces in 80–110 feet have been loaded with sea bass and triggers. Drop This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.