N.C. coastal fishing report: here’s what’s biting

Last week of February 2021 fishing report

The weather looks to be improving and that’s good news for anglers as we prepare to leave February 2021 behind. The wind and rain has ruined many a fishing trip across the Carolinas in recent weeks. But when anglers have braved the elements, or when the days were fishable — like this week is shaping up to be — numerous species have been biting great.

That’s not expected to change. The bulk of the bite has come from redfish. But black drum, sheepshead, and speckled trout have also been active on some days.

Along the Outer Banks, Red Drum Tackle Shop is reporting a mix. Black drum and trout around the jetties have bitten shrimp and other cut bait on some days. Redfish of all sizes have been active in the surf. It’s been hit or miss from one day to the next, but anglers putting in the time have been rewarded.

In the Sneads Ferry area, Yopp Brothers Marine and Tackle has stocked up with MirrOlures and Z-Man soft plastics along with the Texas Eye jigheads for the trout anglers. The bite there has also been hit or miss, but some of the hits have come from some of the fattest trout you’ll hope to see. One of their customers caught and released a 28 1/2-inch speckled trout recently. And the bite will improve as the weather does.

Dogfish tournament gets things started at SeaView Pier

SeaView Fishing Pier at Topsail Beach started the fishing season off this past weekend with their annual dogfish tournament. They had a big showing and the anglers caught plenty of dogfish, including a 10.1-pound fish that won the tournament. Other piers will be opening back up in March, just days away now.

In the Atlantic Beach area, the folks at Chasin’ Tails Outdoors Bat & Tackle reports lots of redfish. Lots of redfish are biting in the surf. Anglers are catching them on everything from Clarkspoons to Z-Man soft plastics. Other anglers are catching them in the creeks with cut bait and artificial lures.

Anglers getting ready for the spring trout bite will be happy to know Chasin’ Tails just received a huge shipment of custom MirrOlures. And while these are some of the hottest trout lures of the spring, some anglers use them with great success year-round.

Neuse River Bait & Tackle is also stocked with custom MirrOlures, including the Ugly Duckling color, which has been producing speckled trout already. On a recent trip with Capt. Ricky Kellum, the Neuse crew caught several quality-sized specks. One of their customers, Michael Cisneros of Goldsboro, also caught and released a 5.94-pound using a custom MirrOlure MR17.

This break in the weather will heat the fishing up even more, so it’s time to get on the water. It’s tough to say when the cold will be behind us for good. So whether this is just a break in the winter or the start of better weather, don’t let the window pass you by.