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Spring Fishing Heats Up on North Carolina's Crystal Coast
Good morning folks, this is Artificial Lure reporting to you on April 18, 2025, from the shores of North Carolina’s Atlantic coast. It’s another stellar spring day for fishing, and the bite is starting to heat up as water temps nudge into the mid-60s. Sunrise came at 6:31 AM, and you’ll have daylight until a nice long sunset at 7:41 PM. As far as tides go, we had high tide at 12:32 PM and low tide landing around 6:45 PM, so you’ll want to key in on those moving water periods for best results this afternoon and into the evening bite[6].
Weather today is picture perfect — mostly clear skies, mild temperatures, and light winds making for easy runs both nearshore and offshore. The inshore water is warming up, and the fish are responding accordingly[5].
Red drum and black drum are the stars of the show right now. The reds are still hanging around creek mouths, backwaters, and marsh edges, especially at lower tide and then moving to structure like docks on the higher tide. Dead shrimp and cut mullet on a Carolina rig have been the go-to natural baits, and if you like throwing artificials, Gulp Shrimp and Z-Man PaddlerZ in natural colors rigged on a jighead are producing solid bites[2][5].
Black drum are sticking near hard structure like docks, bridges, and oyster beds. Dead or fresh shrimp fished on the bottom is your best bet for them. Off the beach, black sea bass remain steady over the nearshore reefs and hard bottom in 15 to 25 miles out, hitting squid strips or cut bait dropped on bottom rigs. The sea bass bite has been strong, both in size and number[4].
We’re expecting to see more bluefish and Atlantic bonito popping up any day now around nearshore reefs and jetties, so keep a gold spoon or a flashy metal jig ready for when those speedsters show[4][5].
Farther offshore, the Gulf Stream is starting to produce scattered wahoo and blackfin tuna, though the bite’s been a bit slow with the recent cool water. If deep dropping is more your thing, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, and jumbo black sea bass are reliable beyond the 80-100 foot mark[4].
On the surf, anglers are landing whiting, pufferfish, and sea mullet with frozen shrimp and sand fleas. For the big red and black drum cruising the wash, cut blue crab and chunked mullet are tough to beat[5][10].
Best lures right now for casting up the inshore reds and trout are paddletail soft plastics, gold spoons, and jerkbaits. Keep it natural and vary your retrieve — the bite often comes on the pause[7].
A couple of hot spots to focus on today: head to the bays and marshes behind Cape Lookout for red and black drum, or work the Wrightsville Beach jetties where bonito, bluefish, and black drum will soon be thick as the water keeps warming[5].
Don’t forget to check the regulations before you fill your cooler, and as always — tight lines and keep those hooks sharp. This is Artificial Lure signing off!
Weather today is picture perfect — mostly clear skies, mild temperatures, and light winds making for easy runs both nearshore and offshore. The inshore water is warming up, and the fish are responding accordingly[5].
Red drum and black drum are the stars of the show right now. The reds are still hanging around creek mouths, backwaters, and marsh edges, especially at lower tide and then moving to structure like docks on the higher tide. Dead shrimp and cut mullet on a Carolina rig have been the go-to natural baits, and if you like throwing artificials, Gulp Shrimp and Z-Man PaddlerZ in natural colors rigged on a jighead are producing solid bites[2][5].
Black drum are sticking near hard structure like docks, bridges, and oyster beds. Dead or fresh shrimp fished on the bottom is your best bet for them. Off the beach, black sea bass remain steady over the nearshore reefs and hard bottom in 15 to 25 miles out, hitting squid strips or cut bait dropped on bottom rigs. The sea bass bite has been strong, both in size and number[4].
We’re expecting to see more bluefish and Atlantic bonito popping up any day now around nearshore reefs and jetties, so keep a gold spoon or a flashy metal jig ready for when those speedsters show[4][5].
Farther offshore, the Gulf Stream is starting to produce scattered wahoo and blackfin tuna, though the bite’s been a bit slow with the recent cool water. If deep dropping is more your thing, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, and jumbo black sea bass are reliable beyond the 80-100 foot mark[4].
On the surf, anglers are landing whiting, pufferfish, and sea mullet with frozen shrimp and sand fleas. For the big red and black drum cruising the wash, cut blue crab and chunked mullet are tough to beat[5][10].
Best lures right now for casting up the inshore reds and trout are paddletail soft plastics, gold spoons, and jerkbaits. Keep it natural and vary your retrieve — the bite often comes on the pause[7].
A couple of hot spots to focus on today: head to the bays and marshes behind Cape Lookout for red and black drum, or work the Wrightsville Beach jetties where bonito, bluefish, and black drum will soon be thick as the water keeps warming[5].
Don’t forget to check the regulations before you fill your cooler, and as always — tight lines and keep those hooks sharp. This is Artificial Lure signing off!
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By Quiet. PleaseGood morning folks, this is Artificial Lure reporting to you on April 18, 2025, from the shores of North Carolina’s Atlantic coast. It’s another stellar spring day for fishing, and the bite is starting to heat up as water temps nudge into the mid-60s. Sunrise came at 6:31 AM, and you’ll have daylight until a nice long sunset at 7:41 PM. As far as tides go, we had high tide at 12:32 PM and low tide landing around 6:45 PM, so you’ll want to key in on those moving water periods for best results this afternoon and into the evening bite[6].
Weather today is picture perfect — mostly clear skies, mild temperatures, and light winds making for easy runs both nearshore and offshore. The inshore water is warming up, and the fish are responding accordingly[5].
Red drum and black drum are the stars of the show right now. The reds are still hanging around creek mouths, backwaters, and marsh edges, especially at lower tide and then moving to structure like docks on the higher tide. Dead shrimp and cut mullet on a Carolina rig have been the go-to natural baits, and if you like throwing artificials, Gulp Shrimp and Z-Man PaddlerZ in natural colors rigged on a jighead are producing solid bites[2][5].
Black drum are sticking near hard structure like docks, bridges, and oyster beds. Dead or fresh shrimp fished on the bottom is your best bet for them. Off the beach, black sea bass remain steady over the nearshore reefs and hard bottom in 15 to 25 miles out, hitting squid strips or cut bait dropped on bottom rigs. The sea bass bite has been strong, both in size and number[4].
We’re expecting to see more bluefish and Atlantic bonito popping up any day now around nearshore reefs and jetties, so keep a gold spoon or a flashy metal jig ready for when those speedsters show[4][5].
Farther offshore, the Gulf Stream is starting to produce scattered wahoo and blackfin tuna, though the bite’s been a bit slow with the recent cool water. If deep dropping is more your thing, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, and jumbo black sea bass are reliable beyond the 80-100 foot mark[4].
On the surf, anglers are landing whiting, pufferfish, and sea mullet with frozen shrimp and sand fleas. For the big red and black drum cruising the wash, cut blue crab and chunked mullet are tough to beat[5][10].
Best lures right now for casting up the inshore reds and trout are paddletail soft plastics, gold spoons, and jerkbaits. Keep it natural and vary your retrieve — the bite often comes on the pause[7].
A couple of hot spots to focus on today: head to the bays and marshes behind Cape Lookout for red and black drum, or work the Wrightsville Beach jetties where bonito, bluefish, and black drum will soon be thick as the water keeps warming[5].
Don’t forget to check the regulations before you fill your cooler, and as always — tight lines and keep those hooks sharp. This is Artificial Lure signing off!
Weather today is picture perfect — mostly clear skies, mild temperatures, and light winds making for easy runs both nearshore and offshore. The inshore water is warming up, and the fish are responding accordingly[5].
Red drum and black drum are the stars of the show right now. The reds are still hanging around creek mouths, backwaters, and marsh edges, especially at lower tide and then moving to structure like docks on the higher tide. Dead shrimp and cut mullet on a Carolina rig have been the go-to natural baits, and if you like throwing artificials, Gulp Shrimp and Z-Man PaddlerZ in natural colors rigged on a jighead are producing solid bites[2][5].
Black drum are sticking near hard structure like docks, bridges, and oyster beds. Dead or fresh shrimp fished on the bottom is your best bet for them. Off the beach, black sea bass remain steady over the nearshore reefs and hard bottom in 15 to 25 miles out, hitting squid strips or cut bait dropped on bottom rigs. The sea bass bite has been strong, both in size and number[4].
We’re expecting to see more bluefish and Atlantic bonito popping up any day now around nearshore reefs and jetties, so keep a gold spoon or a flashy metal jig ready for when those speedsters show[4][5].
Farther offshore, the Gulf Stream is starting to produce scattered wahoo and blackfin tuna, though the bite’s been a bit slow with the recent cool water. If deep dropping is more your thing, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, and jumbo black sea bass are reliable beyond the 80-100 foot mark[4].
On the surf, anglers are landing whiting, pufferfish, and sea mullet with frozen shrimp and sand fleas. For the big red and black drum cruising the wash, cut blue crab and chunked mullet are tough to beat[5][10].
Best lures right now for casting up the inshore reds and trout are paddletail soft plastics, gold spoons, and jerkbaits. Keep it natural and vary your retrieve — the bite often comes on the pause[7].
A couple of hot spots to focus on today: head to the bays and marshes behind Cape Lookout for red and black drum, or work the Wrightsville Beach jetties where bonito, bluefish, and black drum will soon be thick as the water keeps warming[5].
Don’t forget to check the regulations before you fill your cooler, and as always — tight lines and keep those hooks sharp. This is Artificial Lure signing off!