FISHING REPORT: May 28, 2026
Weather/Water Conditions
This past week brought a mix of warm temperatures, scattered rain, and plenty of overcast conditions, but overall the weather has continued pushing the fishing in the right direction.
Despite the rain, water temperatures have continued to slowly climb, and that warming trend has kept the bite active across the area.
The warmer stretches between storms have produced some of the better action, especially in the inlets and around shallower water where temps are rising fastest.
Looking ahead to the weekend:
- Warmer temperatures continuing
- Lighter winds compared to the past week
- Better boating conditions setting up on the bay and oceanfront
- Stable water temperatures holding across the area
This upcoming weekend’s forecast is looking much better than what we’ve had recently, so if you’ve been waiting for a clean weather window to get out there, this should be a good one.
What's Biting Inshore
The inshore bite continues to build across the area this week.
We’re starting to see more drum showing up in the inlets, especially around oyster beds, docks, and warmer backwater areas. While the red drum bite has had a slower start than some expected this year, things are beginning to pick up and it’s looking really promising moving forward.
Black drum are being caught consistently, and the sheepshead bite remains strong, especially around structure and throughout the bay near the CBBT.
There’s also been plenty of croaker and spot caught in the inlet over the last week, giving anglers plenty of action while targeting a variety of species.
Most consistent setups:
- Popping cork with shrimp for drum around docks and oyster beds
- Blue crab fished on bottom for black drum
- Soft plastics for red drum around warmer water and moving current
- Frozen shrimp and mullet continue producing across the board
What's Biting In The Bay
Fishing has stayed productive from the surf all the way offshore.
Out in the bay, the black drum and sheepshead bite around the CBBT has been strong, with anglers continuing to find success around structure and bridge pilings.
The surf bite has stayed consistent as well. Frozen shrimp and mullet are still top producers, while paddle tails and spoons are continuing to pick up a few bluefish here and there. We’ve also seen some solid drum landed from the surf over the past few weeks.
We’re also beginning to see Spanish mackerel show in better numbers, with fish being caught from the piers and by anglers trolling both the bay and oceanfront.
Offshore reports have looked great this week too, with plenty of:
- Black sea bass
- Golden tilefish
- Mahi mahi
We’ve loved seeing everyone stopping in with catches this week. Those citation catches are coming in hot and it’s been awesome seeing what everyone’s been getting into.
Best Bite Window
Timing has rewarded people a lot this week:
- Early afternoon has been the prime cobia window
- Striped bass bite is still best during nighttime hours
- Bull drum have been feeding best early in the day and later in the afternoon
Tide influence:
Moving water continues to be key, especially around structure and current lines.
If you’re targeting cobia, spend time looking carefully before blind casting; there are plenty of fish cruising right on the surface ready to eat.
Fishing Tips
A few things helping anglers get it done this week:
- Fish popping corks with shrimp around docks and oyster beds for drum
- Drop blue crab on bottom around deeper structure for black drum
- Work soft plastics slowly through warmer pockets in the inlet for reds
- Keep paddle tails or spoons handy in the surf for bluefish action
- If you’re running the bay or oceanfront, keep an eye out for cleaner water and bait activity—Spanish and cobia opportunities are improving
If you can time your trip around the weather and find warmer water, your chances go way up.
What’s been getting it done lately:
- Frozen shrimp
- Frozen mullet
- Blue crab
- Popping cork rigs
- Soft plastics
- Paddle tails
- Casting spoons
We’ve got bait, rigs, tackle, and everything you need rigged up and ready to go for the current bite.
Looking ahead
The forecast for this upcoming weekend is looking much better, and conditions are setting up nicely to get back out there.
As water temperatures continue to hold and slowly warm, expect:
- More red drum pushing deeper into the backwaters and inlets
- Continued strong black drum and sheepshead action throughout the bay
- Better numbers of Spanish mackerel showing along the piers and trolling routes
- Good opportunities to target cobia, flounder, and surf drum as conditions settle down
Fishing continues to improve all around right now. Get those setups ready, figure out where you’re heading this weekend, and make it happen.