Red drum run strong along Outer Banks beaches and rivers

What's biting

What's next

Expect the fall mullet migration to keep driving the action. Saltwater Sportsman notes that mullet pour out of rivers, bays and estuaries along the Atlantic Coast from September well into November, and that baitfish movement is what lines predators up along the beaches. With water still in the upper 70s, we expect red drum and bluefish to stay close to the surf and river mouths over the next few days.

The best windows are usually first light and the last hour of daylight, when bait gets pushed tight to the sand and predators move in to feed. Cut or live mullet fished near the troughs and around pier pilings is a sound starting point, and the Pamlico and Neuse reports point to fish following bait throughout the river rather than holing up in one spot.

The waxing crescent moon means only modest tidal pull and dark nights, so evening bites should lean on the tide change more than on moonlight. Tide predictions were not available from the stations this run, so check a local tide table before you plan around a specific stage.

If you are fishing the beach for redfish, keep an eye on size. Fisherman's Post (NC) reports both slot fish and over-slot fish in the mix, so know the current slot limits and check state regs before harvesting. Over-slot fish are typically best released quickly with minimal handling.

Context

Mid-October is prime time for red drum in North Carolina. Fish that spent the summer in the sounds and rivers are well fed, the fall mullet run is on, and surf and pier anglers see some of their most consistent action of the year. The warm water this week suggests the season is running on schedule or a touch warm, which can hold the bigger migratory schools offshore a little longer before the first real cold fronts push them toward the beaches.

Pattern-wise, the region is moving from late-summer inshore fishing into the fall surf season. Flounder anglers wrapped up a short keeper season, as Fisherman's Post (NC) reports from Ocean Isle and Holden Beach, so attention is shifting toward drum, bluefish and the fall bait run. Expect this to build as water temperatures ease through late October and November.