Redfish and black drum on N.C. coast

March is great for redfish and black drum in Brunswick County

Brunswick County is North Carolina’s southernmost saltwater in North Carolina. The creeks and marshes in the southern part of the county are the first to wake up as spring arrives.

Usually, the red drum and black drum, plus a few hearty specks, get off to a strong bite when the water temps begin warming in the spring. This year spring begins on Sunday, March 20, a week after Daylight Savings Time begins. Fish still have the advantage, but the balance shifts a little more to fishermen.

Many years, winter begins losing its grip on Southern N.C. by late February with stretches of warm sunny days. This begins in earnest by early March and the water also begins to warm. It only takes a week or so and drum, both red and black, begin to feed more regularly and more aggressively. A few speckled trout may respond to this initial preview of spring. But the real stars are red and black drum.

Capt. Austin Kerr of Fellowship Charters (336-941-7292) in Ocean Isle Beach said this is when fishing becomes steadier. When the spring drum bite begins firing off, his phone begins to ring. It also makes fishermen more comfortable when the winter weather breaks and more sunny and warm days prevail.

Kerr fishes from the Shallotte River to Little River Inlet, just a few hundred yards across the state line in South Carolina. He said the fish get more active, but aren’t summer active yet. So he likes to fish the change of the tide for a few hours, when the current isn’t running strong. He believes water clarity is a key and checks the Shallotte River, Calabash River, Intracoastal Waterway, and the larger creeks off these for cleaner water.

“During this time, I concentrate on oyster beds and docks in the creeks and waterway and sometimes fish the jetties in Little River Inlet,” Kerr said. “Both drum eat pieces of shrimp, and red drum are more aggressive and will chase down mud minnows. We generally fish pieces of shrimp on jigheads, but switch to Carolina rigs to fish mud minnows.

“Red drum will also chase soft plastics,” Kerr said. “I like the D.O.A. 3- and 4-inch paddletails and fish them slowly on light jigheads. Most days they will bite these, but sometimes they get very particular about the color. I have everyone on the boat begin with a different color and keep changing them until we find a color they like that day. It may have been different the day before and may be different again the next day.”