Swansboro/Emerald Isle – August 2026
Morgan, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that anglers throwing casting jigs and Gotcha plugs from the pier are hooking spanish mackerel and bluefish.
A few king mackerel have been caught from the pier, which shows that the kings are still in close to the beach.
Surf and pier anglers doing some bottom fishing are finding a mix of croakers, sea mullet, and pompano.
Inshore, flounder and red drum are the main action, with both species hitting live baits or various soft plastics.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that with hot water conditions being the theme of summer fishing, anglers will do best by hitting spots that have more current and can provide a slight relief for the fish. Larger channels and the ICW are the top options for when the weather gets hot. Target docks and shoreline points where you find schools of bait moving by. This time of year, the finger mullet are becoming more prominent (and are now a great size to fish with). A live mullet can be fished with a Carolina rig, on a jig head, or under a cork, and it will garner strikes from red drum, speckled trout, and flounder.
Anglers can also pick up some live crabs and target hard structures for a mix of black drum and sheepshead.
Matt, of Friendly City Fishing Charters, reports that slot red drum are one of the two main targets on summer trips. Back in the marsh, fish with live finger mullet, and if targeting docks, a bottom rigged live shrimp is the best option. Natural baits in general are the way to go right now. Topwater plugs and artificials can get it done sometimes, but with fish scattered this time of year, it’s just easier and more productive to fan cast out live baits.
Anglers are finding some black drum (to 24”) around, mainly while fishing around docks in the ICW with live shrimp.
Talton Hinnat, of Emerald Isle, landed this 24″ speckled trout in the Swansboro area using a soft plastic under a popping cork.
Jacob, of Southern Tides Fishing Charters, reports that red drum are scattered all throughout the marsh but can be finicky at times with the hot water. Anglers are doing best by soaking bait on Carolina rigs up against the grass lines. The good part about this tactic while back in the marsh is that nothing other than a red drum (or maybe a crab) is likely to steal your bait off the hook. Give a spot about 10-20 minutes, and if there’s no action, slide up the same grass line about 100 yards and try again there. Live finger mullet is the top bait, but it’s a good idea to also use cut bait if things aren’t working.
Anglers targeting red drum up in the river or around docks will do better fishing with shrimp under bobbers. Be sure to work every inch of the dock because sometimes reds only eat in one spot on some of these docks, and that spot can change from high tide to low tide.
Black drum are often hanging in these same areas. The black drum and sheepshead bite has also been good around the local bridges for anglers using mud or fiddler crabs.
Some speckled trout are mixed in while fishing live shrimp under bobbers at spots near the inlet.
Sharks are always a good option this time of year for anglers looking for something tough to pull on. For the sharks, use a bigger Carolina rig with a steel or wire leader. A full menhaden or a bluefish cut in half would be the bait of choice.
Greg Andreycak, of VA, reeled in this spanish mackerel from the Emerald Isle surf. He was working a bait ball with a Stingsilver.
Tony, of Fin Finderz, reports that offshore anglers have been getting in on a mahi bite. The deeper areas have been seeing more consistent action, and the nearshore waters are only producing a scattered summertime bite.
Anglers haven’t been seeing too many cobia around the nearshore reefs, though this is usually the time of year they start showing back up.
Those looking for something closer can find a reliable spanish mackerel bite right off the beach.
Scott, of King Mackerel College, reports that the billfish bite has been the bright spot for the offshore crowd. They’re mostly seeing sailfish, but white and blue marlin are also in the mix. Running deep is the key this time of year, and though lure choices vary boat by boat, skirts or lures with a blue/white color pattern tend to produce the most consistent results.
Mixed in the offshore trolling bite are wahoo and some dolphin.
King mackerel fishing has been scattered, with the most successful anglers running over to the east side of Cape Lookout to wrecks and hard structure.
Nearshore trips are starting to find some good-sized spanish mackerel around (to 5+ lbs.), with live bait being the key to that action.
John, of Early Riser Fishing Charters, reports that the best practice with all this hot water is to switch over to using dead baits, such as cigar minnows or ballyhoo. Anglers can also use bait jigged up from around the buoys and structure, such as Boston mackerel and greenies, as they can outproduce menhaden in these hot conditions.
Boats have been doing really well with mahi starting as close as the 10-12 mile area. Most of the mahi are coming from dead baits fished deeper.
The king mackerel bite has mostly been deeper, too, starting at around 25-30 miles out (85-100’+).
Mike, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that bottom fishing efforts are producing pompano, croakers, and sheepshead.
Spanish mackerel fishing has been good, with plenty of spanish (to 5+ lbs.) being caught.
