North Carolina's Fall Frenzy: Specks, Reds, and Offshore Kings Await

Artificial Lure coming to you live with your detailed fishing report for October 24th, 2025, focused on North Carolina’s Atlantic coast. Get ready for an action-packed fall run—here's everything you need for a solid day on the water.

We kicked off the day with a balmy sunrise at 6:56am, and we’ll wrap up daylight with sunset at 7:00pm, giving you more than 12 and a half hours to work the tides. On the ocean, we’re seeing a high tidal coefficient today—starting at 88, dropping to 80 midday, and closing out at 71. Those are strong numbers, so you can count on aggressive tidal swings, lots of current, and boosted fish activity all day long, especially around the high and low periods according to Tides4Fishing.

At Atlantic Beach, Surfline and local tide charts are calling low tide at roughly 3:02am (0.6ft), high at 8:58am (about 3.8ft), with another low at 3:08pm (about -0.1ft), and the evening high rolling in close to 9pm. That means your sweet spots for feeding windows land around dawn, late morning, and right before dusk—classic fall structure fishing.

Weather-wise, NOAA and the National Weather Service have us sitting cozy with low NW winds at 5-10 knots, shifting north later, and seas riding an easy 2 feet. Offshore breeze and mild surf are making the inshore and nearshore game very accessible, whether you’re on a boat, kayak, or working the piers and beaches.

Now let’s talk fish. It’s a fall frenzy out there—water temps still warm enough for a mixed bag. Wilmington’s daily report and Spreaker’s Atlantic Ocean, NC Fishing Report say the speckled trout bite is on fire early and late, especially around creek mouths and marsh edges. Red drum are thick in the slots on the flats, particularly where moving water meets bait pods, and flounder are lurking in the deeper cuts near docks and jetties.

Offshore, king mackerel are getting rowdy—trollers are picking up a steady pace just past the breakers out to 10 miles, and the occasional mahi still shows up in the bluewater mix. Near structure and reefs, anglers have reported good numbers of black sea bass and grunts. On the beach, surfcasters found decent runs of pompano and sea mullet.

Top baits and lures: Local guides and podcasts are calling for soft plastics on a jighead, especially pearl and chartreuse paddle tails, to mimic mullet and shad. MirrOlure MR17s and Z-Man Trout Tricks are dynamite for specks. Reds and flounder can’t resist live mud minnows or finger mullet under a popping cork, and a classic Carolina-rigged shrimp will do work for black drum and inshore multispecies action. Offshore, slow-trolled live menhaden or cigar minnows on stinger rigs are getting crushed by kings.

Hot spots to put on your list: Wrightsville Beach’s Masonboro Inlet has been a redfish and trout magnet on moving tides, and the piers at Atlantic Beach—namely Oceanana and Bogue Inlet—have produced consistent specks, slot reds, and flounder this week. For surf action, try Topsail’s north end at dawn or dusk for pompano, sea mullet, and bluefish.

To wrap up, your best plan? Work the high and low slack for maximum bites, adjust to bait present, and be ready to move with the fish. Stay patient—big tides and cool mornings mean the October bite is only going to get better.

Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure’s fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe for daily updates and tips, and tight lines till next time. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Artificial war coming to you live with your detailed fishing
report for October twenty fourth, twenty twenty five, focused on
North Carolina's Atlantic Coast. Get ready for an action packed
fall run. Here's everything you need for a solid day
on the water. We kicked off the day with a
balmy sunrise at six fifty six am and will wrap

(00:20):
up daylight with sunset at seven pm, giving you more
than twelve and a half hours to work the tides
on the ocean. We're seeing a high tidle coefficient today,
starting at eighty eight, dropping to eighty mid day, and
closing out at seventy one. Those are strong numbers, so
you can count on aggressive tidle swings, lots of current,

(00:41):
and boosted fish activity all day long, especially around the
high and low periods. According to tides for fishing at
Atlantic Beach, surf Line and local tide charts are calling
low tide at roughly three zero two am zero point
six ft, high at eight fifty eight am about three

(01:03):
point eight ft, with another low at three zero eight
pm about zero point one ft, and the evening high
rolling in close to nine pm. That means your sweet
spots for feeding windows land around dawn, late morning, and
right before dusk classic fall structure fishing. Weatherwise, Noah and

(01:26):
the National Weather Service have a sitting cozy with low
northwest winds at five to ten knots shifting north later
and seas riding an easy two feet offshore breeze and
mild surf are making the inshore and nearshore game very accessible,
whether you're on a boat, kayak, or working the piers

(01:47):
and beaches. Now, let's talk fish. It's a fall. It's
a fall frenzy out there. Water temps still warm enough
for a mixed bag. Willington's daily report in Speakers Atlantic
Ocean and Sea Fishing Report say the speckled trout bite
is on fire early and late, especially around creek mouths
and marsh edges. Red drummer thickened the slots on the flats,

(02:10):
particularly where moving water meets bait. Pods and flounder are
lurking in the deeper cuts near docks and jetties. Offshore,
king mackel are getting routy, trollers are picking up a
steady pace just past the breakers out to ten miles,
and the occasional mie still shows up in the blue
water necks near structure and reefs. Anglers have reported good

(02:32):
numbers of black sea bass and grunts on the beach.
Surfcasters found decent runs of Pompino and simoa top baits
and lures. Local guides and podcasts are calling for soft
plastics on a jighead, especially pearl and chartru'se paddle tails
to mimic mullet and shat nerolure. Mr one seven s

(02:52):
and z man trout tricks are dynamite for specs, reds
and flounder. Can't resist live mud, minnows or finger mullet
under a popping cork and a classic Carolina rig shrimp
will do work for black drum and inshore multispecies action
Offshore slow trolled live men haden or cigar mennos on
stinger rigs are getting crushed by kings hotspots to put

(03:15):
on your list. Wrightsville Beach's Masonboro Inlet has been a
redfish and trout magnet on moving tides, and the piers
at Atlantic Beach, namely Oceanana and Bogue Inlet, have produced
consistent specks, slot, reds, and flounder. This week for surf action,
try topsails North End at dawn or dust for Pompino

(03:35):
sea mullet and bluefish. To wrap up your best plan,
work the high and low slack for maximum bites. Adjust
to bait present, and be ready to move with the fish.
Stay patient. Big tides and cool mornings mean the October
bite is only going to get better. Thanks for tuning
in to artificial lures Fishing Report. Don't forget to subscribe
for daily updates and tips and tight lines till next time.

(03:58):
This has been a quiet please production. For more check
out Quiet please dot ai