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BAITS
What should I put on the hook this month?
Match the bait to what is actually in the water this month, not to what your tackle box is used to.
Right now
Reading the buoys and the tide station for surf baits…
Live data unavailable
Live water temperature is not answering right now. Read the band table above by season, and start with fresh cut mullet on a fish finder.
Check the buoy page →Water temperature to bait
This table is the guide. It does not change with the weather, which makes it the part worth printing and keeping in the truck.
| Water temperature | When | What to put on |
|---|---|---|
| Cold | Water under 55F, December to March | Cut mullet, blue crab, sand fleasWater under 55F, December to MarchFish are slow and close. Small baits, long soaks. |
| Cooling | 55-65F, late October to November | Fresh mullet, cut bunker, finger mullet55-65F, late October to NovemberThe fall drum run. Fresh bait is the whole game. |
| Mixed | 65-75F, April to May and September | Shrimp, cut mullet, live mud minnows65-75F, April to May and SeptemberEverything is moving. Carry two baits and let the fish pick. |
| Warm | Over 75F, June to August | Shrimp, squid, cut spot, sand fleasOver 75F, June to AugustSmall bait, small hooks, and fish at first light. |
The baits worth carrying
| Bait | What it does | Where to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh mullet | The best all-round surf bait on the Banks, cut into silver-dollar chunks.Drum, bluefish, flounder; the surf in fall and winter. | Drum, bluefish, flounder; the surf in fall and winter. |
| Cut bunker | Oily and bloody, it holds a scent trail in moving water.Bull drum and bluefish, cut into larger chunks on a big circle hook. | Bull drum and bluefish, cut into larger chunks on a big circle hook. |
| Shrimp | Cheap, tough enough for a high-low, and nearly every species eats it.Whiting, spot, croaker, pompano, puppy drum in calm water. | Whiting, spot, croaker, pompano, puppy drum in calm water. |
| Sand fleas | Free from the beach at the wash line, and the top pompano bait.Pompano and sea mullet; rake them as the tide drops. | Pompano and sea mullet; rake them as the tide drops. |
| Squid | Stays on the hook in a running current when softer baits wash off.Bluefish, croaker, and as a tough trailer on a high-low. | Bluefish, croaker, and as a tough trailer on a high-low. |
| Blue crab | A natural drum food; half a crab on a big circle hook.Sound and inlet drum, and surf bull drum in the fall. | Sound and inlet drum, and surf bull drum in the fall. |
| Live mud minnows | A bait that swims is a bait that gets eaten.Sound side under a cork, puppy drum and speckled trout. | Sound side under a cork, puppy drum and speckled trout. |
| Cut spot or croaker | Fresh oily strips you caught yourself the day before.Bluefish, drum, and anything else on the beach that day. | Bluefish, drum, and anything else on the beach that day. |
Bait handling
Fresh beats frozen nearly every time. A bait that still smells like the ocean outfishes one that smells like the freezer.
Match the chunk to the hook. A bait too big for the hook hides the point, and a hidden point catches nothing.
Sand fleas are free. Rake them out of the wash line as the tide drops and you have pompano bait for nothing.
Carry two baits, not six. One natural bait and one oily cut bait will tell you what the fish want faster than a full tackle box.
Species to bait
| Species | First bait | Second bait |
|---|---|---|
| Red drum, surf | Cut mulletCut bunker | Cut bunker |
| Puppy drum, sound | Live mud minnowHalf blue crab | Half blue crab |
| Sea mullet and whiting | ShrimpSand flea | Sand flea |
| Pompano | Sand fleaShrimp | Shrimp |
| Bluefish | Cut bunkerSquid strip | Squid strip |
| Speckled trout | Live mud minnowSoft plastic | Soft plastic |
| Flounder | Live mud minnowFinger mullet | Finger mullet |
| Spot and croaker | BloodwormShrimp | Shrimp |
Next in the chain
Updated Oct 30, 2026