NC Coastal Fishing Report: Whiting, Reds, and Bonito on the Bite

This is Artificial Lure bringing you your Monday, April 21st, 2025, Atlantic Ocean North Carolina fishing report, right from the Carolina coast. It’s a classic spring day to be on the water, with the sun rising at 6:40 AM and setting at 7:36 PM. You’ll want to pay close attention to the tide today, as we’re looking at a low at 2:50 PM and highs coming in at 8:20 AM and again at 8:40 PM. That means strong tide pushes in the morning and evening, which should really get the fish moving and feeding. Weatherwise, we’ve got a calm, clear morning and light winds. The water temperature inshore is warming up nicely, hovering in the low to mid-60s, which is great for turning on the bite. Surf anglers are still catching plenty of whiting, croakers, and the occasional pompano and striped bass. Sand fleas are thick in the soft sand and are your go-to bait for whiting and pompano. Shrimp pieces and cut mullet will also get the job done for drum around the sloughs. Inshore, the red drum action is keeping rods bent, especially around creek mouths, docks, and oyster beds. Carolina rigs with dead shrimp or cut mullet are working well, and soft plastics in natural colors, like Z-Man PaddlerZ and Gulp Shrimp, are getting hits too. Black drum are mixed in, especially around hard structure, still favoring dead shrimp. Trout are showing up in better numbers as the water warms, with MirrOlures and paddle tails fished slow being top producers. Flounder are starting to trickle in, though the bite is just getting going. Bluefish are chasing glass minnows and mullet near the inlet mouths and beaches, and casting metal spoons is a solid bet for fast action. Off the beaches, Atlantic bonito are expected any day now, holding around nearshore structure as the water climbs past 60 degrees. False albacore are already out 15 to 20 miles, along with some jumbo black sea bass. For the offshore crowd, cooler and dirtier water has slowed things a bit, but there are still scattered blackfin tuna and a few wahoo for those who push out to cleaner breaks. Sea bass fishing is still strong 15 to 25 miles out, and occasional kings are hitting trolled spoons and cigar minnows in the 30-plus mile range. Hot spots to check today include the Carolina Beach surf for whiting and pompano, and the Cape Fear River mouth for red drum and trout. Offshore, try the 20-mile reefs for sea bass or scan the beaches north of Wrightsville for early-arriving bonito. Best baits today are live or fresh shrimp, sand fleas, and cut mullet. For artificials, scented soft plastics and flashy metal jigs are the ticket. That wraps up today’s report from Artificial Lure. Good luck and tight lines out there! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.