I don't have much of a report, but I did go out 4 times last week including Saturday and Sunday which were in-season. I've caught 15 flounder, but no real size to them. A few were probably about 15", but I didn't measure them. I caught an 18.5" and one that was probably in the 20-21" range. I released the 18.5" one because it was in the first 5 minutes of my day and I didn't want to limit out that soon. The larger fish ate a live finger mullet and I had it in the bottom of the yak in the net trying to get the fish gripper in its mouth and it flopped up, hook popped out, and it landed on the kayak rail and slid over the edge back into the water. My stepdad caught a couple just over 17" and several shorter ones.

I got my fish on 1/4 oz jighead with a Z-Man Diesel Minnow and one on a finger mullet. My stepdad got his on a Slick soft plastic with a weighted worm hook and a couple on a popping cork. I had a few good strikes on finger mullet that didn't get the hook as well as something decent that hit my jighead, but got off before I could see it. The latter I believe was a flounder despite it lacking the traditional headshakes because drum usually turn it on once you set the hook and this was a heavy weight that just tried to stay down. Everything was caught/hooked fairly shallow and tight to the bank. The deepest action has been on live finger mullet just along the drop in ~4-6' of water.

With the wind looking unfishable this weekend and flounder season ending on a Friday so we don't even get 3 weekends... I guess my season is about done other than a few days I may be able to sneak out for a few hours after work. What a joke.

Like +3QuoteFlag

Thanks for the detailed report. I hope to get serious about fall fishing after this storm blows through.

Like +1QuoteFlag

Thanks for the detailed report. I hope to get serious about fall fishing after this storm blows through.

That makes 2 of us! Right now I've been messing around up in Nags Head, but next weekend my dad comes in for 10 days down in Frisco so I took those days off and will be fishing with him a lot down on Hatteras. This weekend's crappy weather will be a good time to finalize my gear prep and clean out the truck. This time of year I keep the kayak loaded and all of my gear inside the truck so I can go at a moment's notice, but after a few weeks with a cast net and a minnow bucket in the back seat things are starting to smell.... interesting!

Like +1QuoteFlag

Last night over 30 drum were caught off Rodanthe pier. We got word and drove up and we’re able to get two keeper slots in 10 minutes.

Like +1QuoteFlag

Last night over 30 drum were caught off Rodanthe pier. We got word and drove up and we’re able to get two keeper slots in 10 minutes.

The piers have been killing it. Above the bridge they've been piling it on as well. Before and after the storm things have been hot.

The post-storm weather was good for the sound as well. I went out yesterday and drifted some live finger mullet and cast lures for an hour along a channel, but the wind soon drove me out of that spot without a bite. I moved to a more favorable location and picked up a small keeper flounder. A ways down I picked up a 20.5" flounder which would be my best of the day. While I was working the shore a school of puppy drum swam right beside me. I dropped my jig down and it took 0.2 secs before one snapped it up. Fortunately I was able to land, measure, and release it just in time for the school to locate my finger mullet off the back. I would have been hooped if I had two on at once.

At the end of the day I had 10-12 flounder, all but 1 or 2 were keepers and 20.5" was my best. I had 6 drum; 5 were clones at 23" and one was shorter. I also picked up a stray bluefish.

Like +3QuoteFlag

The 2023 season is a wrap for this guy. The winds for the remainder of the week are unfavorable for kayak fishing. I snuck out after work yesterday from 4:30 to 7:00 and caught about a dozen flounder. All were small with the two largest being 17". All came very shallow on 1/4 oz jighead with a Z-Man diesel minnow. I tried fishing tight to the shore and off of it and the fish were very tight to the shoreline. Some of the smaller ones were impressive fighters. I thought I had a stud on more than a few times only to pull up a 15" fish.

Staycation starts in 4 days so I'll have almost two weeks to get serious about fall trout. The water has cooled a little bit which will be good for fishing. Here's hoping the winds stay light more days than not!

Like +1QuoteFlag

Thanks for the reports and pics Mstaszew. I am heading down Thursday to do some work on the house. Gonna try to wet a line if I can find some time. I have not really been following the weather, but hoping for a decent day my wife can get in some beach time while I fish. Good luck with any future trips.

Like +1QuoteFlag

Thanks for the reports and pics Mstaszew. I am heading down Thursday to do some work on the house. Gonna try to wet a line if I can find some time. I have not really been following the weather, but hoping for a decent day my wife can get in some beach time while I fish. Good luck with any future trips.

The first few days may be a bit windy on the beach. I don't know what the rain forecast looks like as I'm usually just concerned with the wind and NOAA says it's a good week for beer and disc golf. Click to follow link...

Like +1QuoteFlag

Last night over 30 drum were caught off Rodanthe pier. We got word and drove up and we’re able to get two keeper slots in 10 minutes.

Kara from the Red Drum reported they were slaying drum on the point yesterday. It figures, I left last Friday!

LikeQuoteFlag

Last night over 30 drum were caught off Rodanthe pier. We got word and drove up and we’re able to get two keeper slots in 10 minutes.

Kara from the Red Drum reported they were slaying drum on the point yesterday. It figures, I left last Friday!

It's true the evening had a legitimate conga line. I have not seen a good one in 12 years.

LikeQuoteFlag