Red drum run strengthens along the NC coast as bluefish join in

What's biting

What's next

High tide at the northern station comes around 5:35 p.m. local this evening, with the Beaufort station's high following near 6:11 p.m., so the late-afternoon push into dusk is the window to target moving water over flats and inlet mouths where red drum have been stacking. With water still holding in the low 70s, the bite should stay active rather than shutting down, and bluefish should keep shadowing bait pods on the outer beaches as long as that pattern holds.

The waning crescent moon is building toward new moon, which typically tightens tidal swings and can concentrate baitfish, and in turn redfish, around structure and current breaks over the next several days. If the current run holds, look for the slot-sized red drum showing at Topsail/Sneads Ferry to keep pushing south along the beachfront, and for the Pamlico/Neuse fish to stay put as long as bait remains stacked near New Bern.

This weekend is a reasonable bet for the pattern to continue: work the two hours around each high tide listed above along the surf line and pier pilings for red drum, and fish the first light hours on the beachfront for bluefish working bait schools.

Context

Fall is prime time for red drum along the North Carolina coast, as fish move out of the sounds and rivers and stage along beaches and inlets ahead of the winter push south. A multi-location red drum run this early in October, stretching from the northern beaches down through the Pamlico/Neuse system, is right on schedule for the season rather than early or late. Bluefish showing alongside them on the open beachfront is typical of this transition period too, as both species key in on the same migrating bait. Expect this pattern to stay the dominant storyline on the NC coast through the rest of October.