FISHING REPORT: November 5, 2026
Weather/Water Conditions
We've had several days of strong offshore winds, but that hasn't stopped the inshore bite from heating up. The last two weeks have brought some excellent trout fishing, with warmer days and plenty of shrimp moving through the inlet. As we transition into winter, expect conditions and opportunities to change with the weather.
What's Biting Inshore
- Speckled Trout: The trout bite has really taken off over the last two weeks. These fish have been aggressive and willing to hit just about anything hitting the water, from bare hooks and paddle tails to MirrOlures. It hasn't taken much to get them interested!
- Flounder: A few stragglers are still making their way out of the inlet. There have been some keepers mixed in, but most reports have been undersized fish.
- Black Drum & Red Drum: We're starting to hear more reports of both species back in the inlet. A few fish have also been caught farther back on the grass flats as water moves out of the inlets and warmer days bring fish into the shallows.
What's Biting In The Bay/Ocean/Offshore
- Black Sea Bass & Tautog: Offshore winds have limited opportunities, but anglers who found calmer days and made it out to the Bridge-Tunnel with blue crab have been getting into some tautog and sea bass.
🌊 Offshore
The wind has made offshore fishing tough, with limited opportunities to get out. The Swordfish Tournament wrapped up at the end of October, bringing some impressive fish to the leaderboard, along with a bigeye tuna. Congratulations to everyone who participated and put some great fish on the board!
Best Bite Window
Best times: Warmer days and moving water have been productive, especially around the inlet and grass flats.
Tide influence: Pay attention to water moving out of the inlets, as drum have been showing up farther back on the flats.
Fishing Tips
Baits & Lures
- Cut Mullet: A great bait to keep stocked through the winter months.
- Shrimp: Shrimp have been moving throughout the inlet, and the fish have been feeding heavily on them. One of our top recommendations heading into winter.
- White Paddle Tails: A great choice during the day, especially with the clear water.
- Dark Purple/Pink Paddle Tails: Keep these handy for nighttime fishing.
- MirrOlures & Subsurface Hard Baits: Work them slowly, especially near the bottom. Yo-Zuri hard baits are another great option.
- Topwater Lures: Take advantage of calmer days and throw some topwater when conditions allow.
Slow down your presentation and work baits close to the bottom. With shrimp moving through the inlet, matching what the fish are feeding on is a great place to start.
Stop by Long Bay Pointe and we'll get you stocked up with the right bait and tackle for the winter bite!
Looking ahead
As we move into winter, keep shrimp and cut mullet in the rotation, and take advantage of those calmer weather windows whenever you can. The trout bite has been a great way to close out the season, and we're looking forward to seeing what next year brings.
That's a wrap on our fishing reports for 2026! Thank you to everyone who followed along, shared reports, and sent us pictures throughout the year. We'll be back next year with plenty more fishing updates. In the meantime, keep sending your catches and fishing reports to our social media pages for a chance to be featured. We love seeing what everyone is getting into out there!
From all of us at Long Bay Pointe Bait & Tackle, thank you for another great season. Keep those lines tight!