FISHING REPORT: September 24, 2026
Weather/Water Conditions
We're heading into the final week of our regular weekly fishing reports, and the weather is giving us plenty to talk about.
The nor'easter moving through this week is going to make for some rough conditions, especially for anyone trying to get offshore this weekend. While it may not be the best weather for getting out on the boat, these storms can create some great fishing conditions once they move through.
The rough weather should push plenty of spot into the inlets, along with speckled trout and some other cool fish. The protected water inside the inlets will continue to hold bait while everything gets stirred up outside.
Once things calm down, we're expecting the surf bite to really pick back up as bait moves back out of the inlets and holds in the shallower, warmer water along the beach.
What's Biting Inshore
The inshore bite has stayed strong with overslot red drum, keeper flounder, and striped bass all making an appearance.
- Red Drum: Overslot drum continue to be the main drum story inshore. We're still seeing bigger fish around, while puppy drum have been much harder to come by.
- Flounder: The flounder bite continues to impress, with some solid keeper-size fish being caught. Citations are still coming in after what has been a great flounder season all summer.
- Striped Bass: Stripers are showing up around the docks during the later evening and early morning, making those cooler low-light hours a great time to target them.
- Speckled Trout: Starting to be caught in the inlet, lots of smaller guys caught off the beach and by the lesner
Inlet Fishing
The storm should push plenty of spot into the inlet, and we're expecting speckled trout and other fall species to take advantage of that bait.
The protected water will also give baitfish somewhere to stay out of the worst of the conditions, which should create some good feeding opportunities once things settle down.
Keep an eye on the inlets as the water clears and the bait starts moving again.
Most consistent setup we've seen: Follow the bait. As spot and other baitfish move into and back out of the inlets, predators will be right behind them.
What's Biting In The Bay/Ocean/Offshore
The surf fishing has been really great for the last two weeks, and we expect it to stay that way as we move through the fall.
Once this storm passes, watch for bait moving back out of the inlets and settling into the shallower, warmer water along the beach. Those bait movements can create some excellent feeding opportunities for everything from blues and Spanish to drum and kingfish.
We're still seeing plenty of Spanish mackerel and bluefish along the beach and in the Bay.
And right before the storm, Ryan Rable and crew put an awesome kingfish on the beach, giving us another reminder of just how much variety we're seeing along the coast right now.
The recent drum fishing tournament also went well, with some solid drum caught along with plenty of bluefish and Spanish mackerel from the beach.
Hot Tip: Don't write off the surf after a storm. Once conditions settle down, look for bait moving out of the inlets and along the warmer, shallower water. That's where the predators will be looking for an easy meal.
Bay & Offshore
The Bay continues to hold Spanish mackerel and bluefish, with plenty of bait still moving around.
The nor'easter is going to make offshore fishing rough for the time being, so this weekend may be one to stay closer to shore.
Once the weather settles and the ocean lays back down, offshore should be in good shape again. The storm is also helping build some new sandbars, which could create some interesting new structure for surf anglers.
Those new sandbars should be worth watching on both the Bay side and along the Oceanfront and Sandbridge as we move into fall.
Best Bite Window
With the weather changing and fall setting in, the best opportunities will continue to revolve around moving bait and moving water.
Best times:
Early morning and evening, especially once the weather settles after the storm.
Tide influence:
Pay attention to bait moving in and out of the inlets. Spot, mullet, and other baitfish will use those protected areas during rough conditions, and predators will follow them as they move back toward the beaches.
Fishing Tips
With the fall transition underway, we're still liking:
- Paddle tails — great for Spanish, blues, trout, and other inshore predators
- Glide baits — still a great option around structure for larger fish
- Metal casting jigs — excellent for Spanish and blues from the surf
- Live spot and other live bait — especially as spot pushes into the inlets
- Live mullet — still a great option around the surf and inlets
- Cut bait — a good choice when targeting drum and other larger surf species
- Sand fleas and shrimp — still worth having for bottom-feeding surf species
Looking ahead
This is the last week of our regular weekly fishing reports as we head into October. From here on out, we'll be switching over to biweekly fishing reports so we can continue keeping you updated as the fall bite develops.
The cobia season is officially behind us, but the fishing is far from over. The nor'easter will shake things up this week, pushing bait into protected water and likely changing where the fish are holding.
Once the weather settles, we're expecting the surf bite to stay strong, with Spanish, bluefish, drum, and other fall species taking advantage of the bait moving along the beaches.
We're also looking forward to seeing the speckled trout bite continue to develop, more puppy drum showing up, and seeing what other species this unusually warm year brings our way.