Ocean Isle/Holden Beach – October 2026
Jeff, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that plenty of keeper flounder were caught over the short two-week season. The key to staying on fish was to target areas that got less attention, or focus on those areas where plenty of bait is moving.
The mullet have been pushing around, and the red drum are starting to respond better as a result.
Anglers fishing around hard structure can find black drum, with the black drum bite only picking up more as temperatures cool.
Speckled trout will also be showing up better as water temperatures come down.
And it’s about time that the big bull drum fishing kicks off in the area.
Austin, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that the wahoo bite is picking up. A consistent tactic is to run a mixed spread of skirted ballyhoo and plugs to entice strikes, and it’s a good idea to be running wire.
Sailfish are in the mix, and the blackfin tuna action will keep picking up, as the cooler water not only brings numbers, but bigger blackfins as well.
Nearshore king mackerel are showing up in the 50-65’ range.
Tim, of Tideline Charters, reports that flounder fishing had everyone’s attention, and the fishing was good enough, with plenty of keepers.
Red drum fishing has been strong. With so much bait around, the reds are fired up, and many of the reds are larger (upper to over-slot) and staged way up in the grass as the tide floods. Overall, the fish are still scattered, so don’t spend too long sitting in one area. Keep moving, and fish where you see bait that is really active
A bunch of red drum are around the inlets, and they’re taking advantage of the bait flowing in and out.
The black drum bite has started to improve to the typical fall numbers.
Off the beach, spanish mackerel fishing has been really productive, with live bait as the best way to find the bigger fish.
Keep an eye out off the beach, as some tarpon and the occasional cobia may be around, and the bull drum bite will be picking up very soon.
Harrison High, of Southport, landed this speckled trout in the Lockwood Folly Inlet on a topwater Spook.
Tripp, of Capt’n Hook Outdoors, reports that the inshore red drum bite continues to be strong, with lots of fish sitting on the edges of the slot, both the lower (17-19”) and upper (25-30”) range. Anglers are finding most of the reds while fishing Carolina-rigged cut or live mullet tossed up against grass flats during the higher part of the tide.
The sheepshead bite has been steady. Most of the successes are coming from targeting deeper docks with live fiddler crabs rigged on bottom sweeper jigs. For the sheepshead, it seems that low tide has produced better action.
Black drum are biting around a variety of structures, from oyster banks inside to deeper holes near the inlet. For the black drum, live or dead shrimp on Carolina rigs is the best bet.
Off the beach, spanish mackerel have been thick starting just outside the inlet. There are plenty of sight-casting opportunities, with 1/2-1 oz. jigs being best. Most of the time, these schools are busting the surface as they tear through schools of menhaden.
King mackerel are finally starting to show up on the beach around these same bait schools. For the kings, trolling live menhaden is the best way to entice the bigger fish to strike.
Out in the Gulf Stream, water temperatures are starting to come down, and the main targets are wahoo and blackfin tuna while trolling a typical ballyhoo spread.
Todd, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports that offshore anglers have found the wahoo bite picking up. Recently, Blue Water Candy Jags and Ilanders in a black/white color pattern are having success.
Bottom fishing remains excellent in the 100-150’ range, with both jigs or cut squid enticing strikes.
Closer to the beach, tons of spanish mackerel and bluefish are being caught while trolling or sight-casting spoons to surface-feeding frenzies.
Some surf anglers are having success casting to spanish and bluefish from the sand.
Bottom fishing with sand fleas or cut shrimp from the beachfront is producing whiting and pompano.
Scattered bull red drum are showing up in the surf for anglers fishing with cut mullet on fish finder rigs.
The mullet run has kicked off.
Ellie Kale (age 8), of Hickory, NC, caught this 19″ trout using live shrimp under a popping cork near the mouth of Lockwood Folly.
Philip, of Rod and Reel Shop, reports that anglers had a lot of success over the keeper flounder season with both live baits and a variety of soft plastics.
Efforts inside the inlets have switched back over to targeting red drum throughout the ICW.
Sheepshead and black drum are being caught around the inshore hard structures, and some speckled trout are showing up.
Red drum are moving into the surf now that the mullet have started to run.
Some early fall pompano and whiting are out in the surf zone for anglers with shrimp or sand fleas on bottom rigs.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish numbers are picking up. Both species are being caught from the surf out to the nearshore areas. With the spanish mackerel in particular, anglers are seeing some better-sized fish.
The king mackerel bite is finally starting to kick off offshore, though anglers are really tight-lipped as the fall tournament season approaches.
Tyson, of Ocean Isle Beach Fishing Pier, reports that the mullet run has started.
The bluefish bite has been excellent, with a couple spanish mackerel sprinkled in on some days and many more spanish mixed in on other days.
Whiting and the occasional flounder make up most of the bottom fishing action.
Pompano should make a showing very soon.
