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RED DRUM
How do you catch red drum on Hatteras Island?
The fall run at Cape Point is the best surf drum fishing on the East Coast. This is the setup that fishes it.
Right now
Sizing up the surf for red drum…
No live reading right now
Live buoy data is not answering, so read the table above. In the fall run, fresh mullet on a fish finder just past the first bar.
See the buoy feed →Red Drum through the year
- Prime
- Good
- Off
- JANGood
- FEBGood
- MARGood
- APRGood
- MAYGood
- JUNGood
- JULGood
- AUGGood
- SEPPrime
- OCTPrime
- NOVPrime
- DECGood
September through November is the run, but puppy drum live in the sound all year.
Red Drum: bait, rig and sinker
4 bait-to-rig lines for red drum, led by fresh mullet chunk. These do not change with the weather, so print them and keep them in the truck.
| Bait | Rig | Sinker weight | Rod and line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh mullet chunk | Fish finder, 6/0-8/0 circle hook4-8 oz pyramid or frog tongue11-13 ft heavy rod, 20-30 lb braid, 50-80 lb shock leaderThe bull drum setup, cast just past the first bar into the slough. | 4-8 oz pyramid or frog tongue | 11-13 ft heavy rod, 20-30 lb braid, 50-80 lb shock leader |
| Cut bunker (menhaden) | Fish finder, 7/0-9/0 circle hook4-8 oz frog tongue11-13 ft heavy rod, 20-30 lb braid, 60-80 lb shock leaderA bigger chunk for bigger fish when the bull drum are on the point. | 4-8 oz frog tongue | 11-13 ft heavy rod, 20-30 lb braid, 60-80 lb shock leader |
| Half blue crab | Fish finder or Carolina rig, 5/0 circle hook3-5 oz pyramid10-11 ft medium-heavy rod, 20 lb braid, 40 lb leaderNatural drum food in the sound and the surf, especially around the inlets. | 3-5 oz pyramid | 10-11 ft medium-heavy rod, 20 lb braid, 40 lb leader |
| Soft plastic on a jig head | 1/4-1/2 oz jig headNo sinker, cast and retrieve7-8 ft medium spinning rod, 10-15 lb braid, 20-30 lb leaderSight-casting puppy drum on the sound flats. Look for tails and wakes. | No sinker, cast and retrieve | 7-8 ft medium spinning rod, 10-15 lb braid, 20-30 lb leader |
Red Drum water
4 access points where red drum actually show, each with its walk-in facts and today's call.
Reading a drum flat
Red drum are a patience game. In the sound they patrol the grass edges on the flood tide, backs breaking the surface as they tail; the trick is to lead them, not chase them. On the ocean side the autumn migration stacks fish against the Cape Hatteras shoals, and that becomes a night game with the rod in a sand spike and the drag locked down. Young drum forgive a sloppy presentation, the big breeders do not. Give them a fresh chunk, keep the line tight, and resist the swing — the circle hook does the work on its own. Night is when the largest residents feed, so fish the dark hours, keep the lamp off the water, and set the bait where the current bends around the point. Watch for the slow push of a big fish rather than the nervous taps of pups, and give the rod a moment to load before you lift it. In the sound the water is shallow and clear, so a quiet approach and a long cast beat a heavy splash every time.
- Water
- Surf zone and sloughsEstuaries and soundsGrass flats and marsh edgesInlets and passesPiers and structure
- Methods
- Surf fishing (bottom rigs)Sight casting in shallowsPier fishingKayak fishingCharter fishing
Red Drum: the three calls
Fresh mullet beats frozen every time. A chunk that still smells like the ocean is the difference between a bite and a soak.
Fish the falling tide at Cape Point. The drum follow the bait out of the sound and the point concentrates them.
Hook a circle hook with a tight line, not a big swing. Drum hook themselves; jerking the rod just pulls the hook.
The red drum tackle
Red Drum rules before you keep one
2 boxes carried straight from the state rule page. Measure before it goes on ice.
| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Size | 18-27 in slot (total length) |
| Bag limit | 1 per person per day |
| Any red drum over 27 inches must be released. | |
Updated Oct 30, 2026