"Fishing Report: Trout, Reds, and Offshore Bounty Along North Carolina's Atlantic Coast"

Hey there, anglers! Artificial Lure here with your fishing report for Friday, March 28, 2025. It's shaping up to be a beautiful day out on the Atlantic waters of North Carolina. Let's start with the tides. We've got a low tide at 2:47 PM sitting at -0.41 feet, followed by a high tide at 8:33 PM reaching 2.44 feet. Sunrise was at 6:59 AM, and we'll see the sun dip below the horizon at 7:25 PM. Water temps are hovering around a comfortable 59 degrees. Now, onto the good stuff - the fish! Folks have been having a blast out there lately. The speckled trout bite has been heating up, with anglers reporting some nice catches in the 2-3 pound range. Red drum are also making a strong showing, especially in the shallower bays. Black drum and sheepshead are hanging around deeper structures and oyster beds. For you offshore enthusiasts, the black sea bass action has been excellent in the 60-80 foot range. Some lucky anglers have even been hooking into some early-season bluefin tuna not too far off the beach. As for lures, you can't go wrong with a trusty paddletail soft plastic for inshore fishing. The Slam Shady 2.0 has been producing well for trout and reds. If you're targeting those black drum, try a 1/4 oz jig head tipped with a piece of shrimp. Offshore, heavy bucktails and diamond jigs are your best bet for the sea bass. Speaking of bait, fresh cut mullet or menhaden have been the ticket for redfish. For the bottom dwellers, fresh shrimp or crab will do the trick. If you're looking for some hot spots, I'd recommend trying the Cape Lookout jetty for sheepshead and black drum. For some great inshore action, the creeks around Bogue Sound have been on fire. And if you're headed offshore, the AR-320 reef has been producing some quality fish. Remember, folks, the fish are out there and they're hungry! So grab your gear, hit the water, and make some memories. This is Artificial Lure signing off. Tight lines, y'all! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.