Nearshore Trout, Kings, and Blackfin Off Atlantic North Carolina

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Atlantic-side North Carolina fishing report.

Out on the big water this morning we’re working a classic early‑winter setup: cool seas, a light north to northwest breeze, and a long‑period swell in the 3‑to‑5‑foot range according to the National Weather Service marine forecast. That’s bumpy but fishable for most nearshore boats, just enough roll to keep the bait stirred up without blowing things out.

Around Cape Lookout and Atlantic Beach, NOAA’s tide tables show a predawn low with a strong flood pushing through mid‑morning, then draining back out early afternoon. That makes the **two best windows** the last couple hours of the incoming and the first push of the outgoing, especially along inlet mouths and near the shoals. Sunrise is right around 7 a.m. along this stretch of coast, with sunset close to 5 p.m., so you’ve got a short light day and prime movement at both ends.

Fish activity’s been solid for December. Offshore, boats running east out of Hatteras and Morehead have been into scattered **blackfin tuna**, a few late **wahoo**, and some hefty **king mackerel** on the 70‑ to 100‑foot stuff, particularly when the water edges up into the upper 60s. According to recent charter reports, most of the action’s coming on slow‑trolled dead cigar minnows and drone spoons behind planers, with a few fish falling for dark‑backed skirted ballyhoo.

Nearshore, the star of the show has been **speckled trout** and **slot redfish** along the beachfront, inlets, and first couple miles inside. Local pier and surf reports from Bogue Banks down toward Oak Island have been steady on keeper trout with a mix of puppy drum and underslot reds. Anglers are seeing half‑dozen days on trout when they stick to the tide changes, with a bonus flounder here and there around rock and hard bottom.

Best lures right now:
- For trout: 3‑ to 4‑inch **soft plastics** on 1/8‑ to 1/4‑ounce jigheads in natural greens, opening night, and pearl; slow hops just off bottom.
- For reds: **Gulp shrimp**, gold spoons, and small paddle tails worked around points, docks, and oyster edges.
- For kings and blackfin: **silver and blue spoons**, small cedar plugs, and naked ballyhoo, run a hair deeper and slower than your fall speed.

Best bait:
- Live **mud minnows** and **shrimp** inshore are still money when you can find them.
- Cut mullet and menhaden chunks for reds on the bars.
- Offshore, **cigar minnows**, ballyhoo, and squid strips are getting most of the bites.

Couple of hot spots to circle on the map:

- **Cape Lookout Bight and the Hook**: Work the channel edges and sloughs on the last of the flood and first of the fall for trout and reds. A MirrOlure in a mullet pattern twitched slow around the current seams has been putting fish in the boat.
- **Fort Macon / Beaufort Inlet**: Nearshore reefs and livebottom in 40–60 feet just outside the inlet have held kings and a few blackfin; inside, along the rock jetties and sand points, trout and reds are chewing plastics on the moving water.
- Down south, **Bald Head / Cape Fear River mouth** has been a good bet for trout along the rocks and reds on the flats when that tide starts rolling.

Overall pattern: slow everything down a notch, fish the tide changes, and don’t be afraid to grind one small stretch of structure once you mark bait and a little life.

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss tomorrow’s run down the beach.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI