Spring's Prime Bite on North Carolina's Coast

This is Artificial Lure, your boots-on-the-dock source for all things fishing along North Carolina’s Atlantic coast. Today is Friday, May 2, 2025, and it’s shaping up to be another fine day on the water for anglers looking to make the most of spring's prime bite. First, a look at today’s weather. Expect a mild morning starting in the mid-50s, warming up to the low 70s by late afternoon. Winds are a steady 10 to 15 knots out of the southwest, which will kick up a manageable chop offshore but keep things comfortable in the inshore creeks and around the piers. Skies will be mostly clear, with sunrise at 6:13 AM and sunset at 7:53 PM, giving you a solid window for early and late bites. Tide-wise, we’re looking at an incoming tide through the morning, peaking just after noon, which is always my favorite time for targeting inshore species feeding around oyster bars and grass lines. The afternoon outgoing should push bait out of the marshes, so keep an eye on creek mouths and points. Recent catches in the Atlantic Beach and Morehead City areas have included healthy numbers of bluefish and Spanish mackerel, especially around the nearshore reefs and inlets. The piers are seeing some nice runs of sea mullet and the occasional flounder. Offshore, the early season mahi-mahi are showing up, with a few ambitious boats even hooking into blue marlin and wahoo farther out as the Gulf Stream warms up. Back inshore, anglers are releasing speckled trout—remember, the keep season for specks is closed until July—along with some decent red drum and black drum caught around rock jetties and docks. Your best bets for lures right now are flashy spoons and Got-Cha plugs for the mackerel and bluefish, cast from piers or boats working rips and tide lines. Soft plastics and paddle tails in natural colors have been solid for drum, especially when paired with a light jighead to work near structure. Those bringing bait should go with fresh shrimp or cut mullet for drum and sea mullet, while strip baits and squid are the standby for bottom fishing offshore. For hot spots, don’t overlook the Morehead City Turning Basin for a mixed bag of mackerel and drum action. Shackleford Banks and the surrounding shoals have also been producing, both for surf casters and boaters. If you’re up for the ride, the 14 Buoy area offshore is a good bet for mahi and the chance at a marlin. That’s the word from the water today. Keep those lines tight and I’ll catch you next time with the latest bite. Good luck out there and remember to check your regs before you keep your catch. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.