Morehead/Atlantic Beach – October 2026
Frank, of Chasin’ Tails, reports that anglers have been catching a bunch of spanish mackerel and bluefish from inside the inlet to out along the beachfronts. It’s a better class of spanish, and these bigger fish are hitting a variety of casting jigs.
Further off the beach, anglers are looking for fall king mackerel. Most of the action has been on the east side and to the north, but that should change quick as the water temperatures come down.
Offshore, sailfish is the main bite going on for the trolling crowd.
Bottom fishing remains strong, with plenty of vermilion snapper and triggerfish around.
Inshore, anglers have been hooking sheepshead from hard structures, such as under bridges, as well as around the Port and over to Beaufort.
The old drum fishing has been good in the sound and into the Neuse River. Anglers are loading up on fresh mullet and targeting ledges and points. Others are breaking out bigger swimbaits and rigging them under popping corks for fishing around bait balls.
Joe, of Carolina Traditions Guide Co., reports that the old drum bite is still going strong up in the rivers. Most of the fish are set up in the middle of the river. On some days, these fish are focused on bait, and on other days, they are tearing up popping corks. The artificial bite for these big drum should fire up more as temperatures continue to cool.
The spanish mackerel fishing has been good. The sizes of fish are varied, so fishing larger baits is the best bet for getting the bigger fish to strike.
The area around Cape Lookout is seeing schools of false albacore (8-10 lbs.) moving in, and they can best be targeted while sight casting jigs at surface-feeding blitzes.
Keep an eye out, as this weather can also bring some cobia back down the beach.
Inshore, anglers have been looking for keeper flounder, with larger soft plastics working best to weed out the smaller fish.
Rance Looney, of AR, landed this red drum near the Cape Lookout shoals using a Halco Sli-Dog subsurface walker. He was fishing with Capt. Noah Lynk of Noah’s Ark Charters.
Daniel, of On Deck Fishing Charters, reports that flounder season saw good quality fish, and these flounder aren’t going anywhere and will continue to be in the catches and bycatches.
With bait moving out through the inlets, tons of good-sized spanish mackerel are around, as are bluefish and some schools of false albacore. All are hitting a variety of small casting jigs. The false albacore aren’t around in numbers, though, like the blues and spanish.
The king mackerel haven’t shown up on the beaches yet.
Inshore, all the bait (finger mullet and shrimp) has been getting the red drum more active, even though the drum still remain scattered.
Chris, of Mount Maker Charters, reports that with flounder season over, many inshore anglers are focused on chasing bull reds in the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound.
Some slot-sized red drum and speckled trout are in the mix.
Off the beach, anglers are seeing sight-casting action for spanish mackerel and false albacore, and this bite should be picking up as temperatures continue to cool down.
A cobia encounter is always possible in October.
The live bait fishing for king mackerel should be heating up soon, which typically also brings opportunities for wahoo, sails, and blackfin tuna.
Bottom fishing for vermilion snapper, triggerfish, black sea bass, and more on the deeper rocks and ledges is another strong offshore option.
Justin, of Breakday Charters, reports that anglers have been doing well catching old drum in the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound.
Out in the ocean, there’s some great sight-casting action for bluefish, false albacore, and good-sized spanish mackerel (to 4 lbs.).
The bottom fishing just keeps getting better in the 80-100’ range, with tons of vermilion snapper, triggerfish, and large black sea bass around.
Hopefully, king mackerel will soon move onto the beach.
Further offshore, trolling action is producing blackfin tuna, wahoo, and a bunch of sailfish.
Seth Garrison, of Havelock, NC, hooked this 5.6 lb. spanish mackerel at AR-320 off Beaufort Inlet using a live shad. He was fishing with Capt. Daniel Griffee of On Deck Fishing Charters.
Lee, of Top Gun Fishing, reports that a productive spanish mackerel bite, with some large fish (5-7 lbs.), can be found anywhere from the beach out to the nearshore reefs. Most of the bigger fish are hitting live bait, such as the menhaden being used by anglers trying to find a nearshore king.
Further offshore, the bottom fishing has been getting better in the 40-mile range, with good numbers of vermilion snapper and triggerfish around.
Bigger black sea bass are starting to push in shallower (into the 20-25 mile range).
For trollers, the wahoo bite is starting to kick off out in the Gulf Stream, with blackfin tuna mixed in.
Byron, of Going Bogue Outdoors, reports that bottom fishing deeper structure at the break is producing yelloweye snapper and large vermilion snapper.
The triggerfish and black sea bass are starting to move more inshore.
Anglers are looking forward to the wahoo numbers improving the further we get into fall.
Most of the nearshore action for flounder was found by dropping 2 oz. bucktails with Gulp shrimp. Both white and chartreuse soft plastics were the top producers this season.
Cody, of Reel Time Charters, reports that the wahoo being hooked are in the 50 lb. range, with some blackfin tuna (15-20 lbs.) mixed in.
Quite a few mahi are around as well.
The billfish bite has been excellent, with lots of sailfish and a few blue marlin. Some blackfin tuna and skipjack tuna are mixed in when out in the deep searching for sailfish.
Bottom fishing has been strong out on the break in those 300-400’ areas (when the tide isn’t running too hard). Some huge vermilion snapper and triggerfish are being caught, alongside a few scamp grouper.
