North Carolina's Coastal Fishing Heats Up in May - Redfish, Spanish Mackerel, and Bonito Thriving

Hey there, anglers! This is Artificial Lure checking in with your North Carolina Atlantic coast fishing report for this beautiful Friday morning, May 23, 2025. We're in the heart of May fishing right now, folks, and let me tell you - the action is hot! Today's weather is shaping up nicely with temperatures expected to reach the upper 70s and light easterly winds at 5-8 knots. We've got high tide coming in around 9:35 AM and low tide at 3:20 PM. Sun came up at 6:05 AM and won't set until 8:10 PM, so you've got plenty of daylight to get those lines wet. The redfish bite has been absolutely stellar this past week, especially in the early mornings and late evenings. These reds have really settled into their typical May patterns, making this the perfect time for casting artificial lures their way. Several anglers reported solid catches on cut bait around the inlets. Spanish mackerel action is in full swing all along the coast! They're busting the surface and providing some exciting visual fishing. For these speedsters, you can't go wrong with Big Nic Spanish Candy lures in 1/2oz up to 1.5oz sizes. High-speed spinning reels are getting more bites, but I've personally been loving my PENN Fathom high-speed 300 baitcaster when chasing these rockets. Atlantic bonito numbers remain strong, particularly around nearshore reefs and ledges. Trolling Clarkspoons behind #1 planers at 4-5 mph has been the ticket, but vertical jigging with diamond jigs is working well when you mark a good school. Striped bass are moving up the coast after their Chesapeake spawn. They're hitting chunks of bunker, peeler crabs, and sand fleas in the surf zones. Black drum action is slowing down on southern beaches but picking up on the northern stretches. For those willing to run offshore, king mackerel are solid in the 30-40 mile range. Grouper season is open, with the best action in 80-100 foot depths. You'll also find American red snapper, grunts, and vermilion snapper in those same areas. Hot spots this week: Wrightsville Beach inlets for redfish, the nearshore structures off Carolina Beach for bonito and Spanish, and check out the creeks off the Pungo River if you're up for spectacular topwater action. The Ocean City inlet near the jetties has been particularly productive for stripers. This is Artificial Lure saying tight lines and good fishing to y'all! Get out there while the May action is hot! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.