October 20, 2025 • 4 mins
Artificial Lure here with your Monday, October 20th 2025, Atlantic Ocean North Carolina fishing report. Fall’s in the air, and the bite is heating up from Cape Hatteras down to Sunset Beach. We’ve got a good mix of inshore, nearshore, and bluewater action shaping up as we settle into these October conditions.
Let’s talk tides—always critical around here. At Oak Island today, high tide rolled in at 7:18 am, and you’ll see another high at 7:30 pm. That means a strong current most of the day, thanks to an 85 tidal coefficient—expect big swings and energetic movement inshore, especially around the inlets and creek mouths. Over at Cape Hatteras, you’ll see a similar pattern, with high tide hitting just after sunrise and again in the evening. According to Tides4Fishing, these strong fall tides get the bait moving, which fires up red drum, speckled trout, and the resident flounder.
Speaking of sunrise and sunset, first light was at 7:21 am and last cast is about 6:32 pm today. That’s prime time for surf and pier anglers to catch the early or late bite. Calm mornings and crisp afternoons—temps hovering near 62 degrees at sunrise and climbing to about 70 by midafternoon. The wind is light out of the north-northeast today, which should keep the surf reasonable and make boat runs comfortable all the way out to the bluewater if you’re chasing pelagics.
Out on the water, reports from local captains and the Atlantic Ocean North Carolina Daily Fishing podcast highlight a fall mixed-bag bite. Inshore, red drum have been aggressive around grass lines and creek mouths on the rising tide, with slot-sized fish in the backwaters of Ocean Isle Beach and Sunset Beach. Speckled trout are making a strong showing—look for them near oyster beds and deeper holes in the creeks. Topwater plugs at dawn, then switch to soft plastic paddle tails once the sun’s higher. MirrOlures and Z-Man MinnowZ in white or chartreuse have been getting crushed.
Pier and surf anglers are tangling with plenty of black drum, good flounder catches, and scattered pompano along Oak Island and Holden Beach. Shrimp-tipped Fishbites or fresh cut mullet are excellent choices. Remember to work deeper troughs and sloughs during the high part of the tide for the best odds.
If you’re headed offshore, the fall king mackerel run is steady, especially around nearshore wrecks in 40–70 feet of water. Drone spoons and live menhaden are key. A few mahi-mahi are still being reported offshore in the Gulf Stream, while swordfish are in deep water off Cape Hatteras, feeding mainly on squid and large baits according to late October reports from Virginia and Carolina bluewater boats.
For hot spots, try Ocean Isle Beach for a mixed surf bag—targeting the beach points and pier pilings produces some of the best drum and smaller tarpon right now. Cape Fear River inlet is another solid bet, with big red drum staging up just inside on the outgoing tide, ambushing mullet and menhaden. For specks, don’t overlook the creeks behind Sunset Beach—quiet mornings there are producing quality trout on suspending hard baits.
Recap on baits and lures: Live shrimp, mud minnows, and finger mullet are unbeatable for reds and trout. Artificial wise, topwater plugs and soft plastics in brighter colors for early and late, with gold spoons and jerkbaits working when the sun’s up.
That’s your Monday rundown for Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina, from your local guide Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in—be sure to subscribe so you never miss the latest bite windows or gear tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Let’s talk tides—always critical around here. At Oak Island today, high tide rolled in at 7:18 am, and you’ll see another high at 7:30 pm. That means a strong current most of the day, thanks to an 85 tidal coefficient—expect big swings and energetic movement inshore, especially around the inlets and creek mouths. Over at Cape Hatteras, you’ll see a similar pattern, with high tide hitting just after sunrise and again in the evening. According to Tides4Fishing, these strong fall tides get the bait moving, which fires up red drum, speckled trout, and the resident flounder.
Speaking of sunrise and sunset, first light was at 7:21 am and last cast is about 6:32 pm today. That’s prime time for surf and pier anglers to catch the early or late bite. Calm mornings and crisp afternoons—temps hovering near 62 degrees at sunrise and climbing to about 70 by midafternoon. The wind is light out of the north-northeast today, which should keep the surf reasonable and make boat runs comfortable all the way out to the bluewater if you’re chasing pelagics.
Out on the water, reports from local captains and the Atlantic Ocean North Carolina Daily Fishing podcast highlight a fall mixed-bag bite. Inshore, red drum have been aggressive around grass lines and creek mouths on the rising tide, with slot-sized fish in the backwaters of Ocean Isle Beach and Sunset Beach. Speckled trout are making a strong showing—look for them near oyster beds and deeper holes in the creeks. Topwater plugs at dawn, then switch to soft plastic paddle tails once the sun’s higher. MirrOlures and Z-Man MinnowZ in white or chartreuse have been getting crushed.
Pier and surf anglers are tangling with plenty of black drum, good flounder catches, and scattered pompano along Oak Island and Holden Beach. Shrimp-tipped Fishbites or fresh cut mullet are excellent choices. Remember to work deeper troughs and sloughs during the high part of the tide for the best odds.
If you’re headed offshore, the fall king mackerel run is steady, especially around nearshore wrecks in 40–70 feet of water. Drone spoons and live menhaden are key. A few mahi-mahi are still being reported offshore in the Gulf Stream, while swordfish are in deep water off Cape Hatteras, feeding mainly on squid and large baits according to late October reports from Virginia and Carolina bluewater boats.
For hot spots, try Ocean Isle Beach for a mixed surf bag—targeting the beach points and pier pilings produces some of the best drum and smaller tarpon right now. Cape Fear River inlet is another solid bet, with big red drum staging up just inside on the outgoing tide, ambushing mullet and menhaden. For specks, don’t overlook the creeks behind Sunset Beach—quiet mornings there are producing quality trout on suspending hard baits.
Recap on baits and lures: Live shrimp, mud minnows, and finger mullet are unbeatable for reds and trout. Artificial wise, topwater plugs and soft plastics in brighter colors for early and late, with gold spoons and jerkbaits working when the sun’s up.
That’s your Monday rundown for Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina, from your local guide Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in—be sure to subscribe so you never miss the latest bite windows or gear tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Artificial lore. Here with your Monday October twentieth, twenty twenty
five Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina fishing report. Falls in the
air and the bite is heating up from Cape Patteras
down to Sunset Beach. We've got a good mix of inshore,
(00:22):
near shore and blue water action shaping up as we
settle into these October conditions. Let's talk tides always critical
around here at Oak Island. Today, high tide rolled in
at seven eighteen am and you'll see another high at
seven thirty pm. That means a strong current most of
the day thanks to an eighty five title coefficient. Expect
(00:43):
big swings and energetic movement inshore, especially around the inlets
and creek mounts. Over at Cape Patteras, you'll see a
similar pattern with high tide hitting just after sunrise and
again in the evening. According to tides for fishing, these
strong fall tides get the bait moving, which fires up
red drum, speckled trout and the resident flounder. Speaking of
(01:06):
sunrise and sunset, first light was at seven twenty one
am and last cast is about six thirty two pm today.
That's prime time for surf in pure anglers to catch
the early or late bite. Call mornings and crisp afternoons.
Temps hovering near sixty two degrees at sunrise and climbing
to about seventy by mid afternoon. The wind is light
(01:28):
out of the north northeast today, which should keep the
surf reasonable and make boat runs comfortable all the way
out to the blue water if you're chasing pelagics out
on the water. Reports from local captains and the Atlantic
Ocean North Carolina Daily Fishing Podcast highlight a fall mixed
bag bite. Inshore. Red drum have been aggressive around grass
(01:48):
lines and creek mouths on the rising tide, with slot
sized fish in the backwaters of Ocean Aisle Beach and
Sunset Beach. Speckled trout are making a strong showing look
for them near oysters and deeper holes in the creeks.
Top water plugs at dawn, then switch to soft plastic
paddle tails once the sun's higher. Mirror lores and z
(02:09):
Man minnows and whiter chartreuse have been getting crushed. Pier
and surf anglers are tangling with plenty of black drum,
good flounder catches, and scattered pompino along oak Island and
Holden Beach. Trimp, tip fish, bites of fresh cut mullet
are excellent choices. Remember to work deeper troughs and sluvs
during the high part of the tide for the best odds.
(02:31):
If you're headed offshore, the fall King mackerel run is steady,
especially around near shore wrecks and forty seventy feet of water.
Drone spoons and live men Hayden are key. A few
Mai Mai are still being reported offshore in the Gulf Stream,
while swordfish are in deep water off Cape Hatteras, feeding
mainly on squid and large baits, according to late October
(02:54):
reports from Virginia and Carolina Blue Water Boats. For hotspots,
try Ocean Isle Beach for a mixed surf bag. Targeting
the beach points and pure pilings produces some of the
best drum and smaller tarpin right now. Cape Fear River
Inlet is another solid bet, with big red drums staging
up just inside on the outgoing tide. Ambushing mullet and
(03:17):
man haden for specs. Don't overlook the creeks behind Sunset Beach.
Quiet mornings there are producing quality trout on suspending hard baits,
recap on baits and lures. Live shrimp, mud minnows and
finger mullet are unbeatable for reds and trout. Artificial wise
top water plugs and soft plastics and brighter colors for
(03:40):
early and late with gold spoons and jerk baits working
when the sun's up. That's your Monday rundown for Atlantic Ocean,
North Carolina from your local guide Artificial Lure. Thanks for
tuning in. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss
the latest bite windows or gear tips. This has been
a quiet please production from or check out Quiet Please
(04:01):
dot ai
Artificial lore. Here with your Monday October twentieth, twenty twenty
five Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina fishing report. Falls in the
air and the bite is heating up from Cape Patteras
down to Sunset Beach. We've got a good mix of inshore,
(00:22):
near shore and blue water action shaping up as we
settle into these October conditions. Let's talk tides always critical
around here at Oak Island. Today, high tide rolled in
at seven eighteen am and you'll see another high at
seven thirty pm. That means a strong current most of
the day thanks to an eighty five title coefficient. Expect
(00:43):
big swings and energetic movement inshore, especially around the inlets
and creek mounts. Over at Cape Patteras, you'll see a
similar pattern with high tide hitting just after sunrise and
again in the evening. According to tides for fishing, these
strong fall tides get the bait moving, which fires up
red drum, speckled trout and the resident flounder. Speaking of
(01:06):
sunrise and sunset, first light was at seven twenty one
am and last cast is about six thirty two pm today.
That's prime time for surf in pure anglers to catch
the early or late bite. Call mornings and crisp afternoons.
Temps hovering near sixty two degrees at sunrise and climbing
to about seventy by mid afternoon. The wind is light
(01:28):
out of the north northeast today, which should keep the
surf reasonable and make boat runs comfortable all the way
out to the blue water if you're chasing pelagics out
on the water. Reports from local captains and the Atlantic
Ocean North Carolina Daily Fishing Podcast highlight a fall mixed
bag bite. Inshore. Red drum have been aggressive around grass
(01:48):
lines and creek mouths on the rising tide, with slot
sized fish in the backwaters of Ocean Aisle Beach and
Sunset Beach. Speckled trout are making a strong showing look
for them near oysters and deeper holes in the creeks.
Top water plugs at dawn, then switch to soft plastic
paddle tails once the sun's higher. Mirror lores and z
(02:09):
Man minnows and whiter chartreuse have been getting crushed. Pier
and surf anglers are tangling with plenty of black drum,
good flounder catches, and scattered pompino along oak Island and
Holden Beach. Trimp, tip fish, bites of fresh cut mullet
are excellent choices. Remember to work deeper troughs and sluvs
during the high part of the tide for the best odds.
(02:31):
If you're headed offshore, the fall King mackerel run is steady,
especially around near shore wrecks and forty seventy feet of water.
Drone spoons and live men Hayden are key. A few
Mai Mai are still being reported offshore in the Gulf Stream,
while swordfish are in deep water off Cape Hatteras, feeding
mainly on squid and large baits, according to late October
(02:54):
reports from Virginia and Carolina Blue Water Boats. For hotspots,
try Ocean Isle Beach for a mixed surf bag. Targeting
the beach points and pure pilings produces some of the
best drum and smaller tarpin right now. Cape Fear River
Inlet is another solid bet, with big red drums staging
up just inside on the outgoing tide. Ambushing mullet and
(03:17):
man haden for specs. Don't overlook the creeks behind Sunset Beach.
Quiet mornings there are producing quality trout on suspending hard baits,
recap on baits and lures. Live shrimp, mud minnows and
finger mullet are unbeatable for reds and trout. Artificial wise
top water plugs and soft plastics and brighter colors for
(03:40):
early and late with gold spoons and jerk baits working
when the sun's up. That's your Monday rundown for Atlantic Ocean,
North Carolina from your local guide Artificial Lure. Thanks for
tuning in. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss
the latest bite windows or gear tips. This has been
a quiet please production from or check out Quiet Please
(04:01):
dot ai
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