East Wind Blowing, Drum on the Edges — Week of July 13

Cape Hatteras Point is getting hammered by an east wind at 17-21 knots and thunderstorms rolling through most of the week. Water's holding at 82.2°F, which is prime pompano territory. Fish a Pompano Hi-Lo Rig with fresh sand fleas or shrimp on the incoming push toward the 08:03 morning high — that's your cleanest window before the afternoon cells build. The evening high at 21:02 is worth a shot too if the lightning stays offshore. Bluefish are cutting through the wash on the moving water, so keep a Bucktail Jig White in the bag. Drum will be around on the bottom cuts at first light — Fish Finder Rig with mullet or cut bunker.

Avon Pier is fishing the same water. Spanish macks have been running the second bar early — get there before the 08:03 high and throw metal or a Bucktail Jig White. King rigs on the end for anyone soaking a live bait — Kingfish Wire Rig with a live bluefish or mullet. Pompano in the wash on the Hi-Lo. East wind is dirty but the pier gives you the reach to get past the churn.

Hatteras Inlet is going to be rough with that 21 mph east wind pushing straight into the mouth. Fish the sound side flats on the outgoing — low tide at 15:06 will pull bait out of the marsh and stack drum on the edges. Flounder Carolina Rig with a mud minnow or finger mullet along the channel drops. Bucktail Jig Yellow/Chartreuse tipped with Gulp works if the wind lets you feel the bottom.

Oregon Inlet is showing 79°F — a few degrees cooler than down south. Flounder are staged in the cuts on the moving tide. Work a Flounder Carolina Rig through the channel edges on the outgoing toward the 13:35 low. Sound side flats will fish for drum on the higher water around 20:05 — Topwater Stick Bait 4" at first light or last light where the grass meets sand.

Murrells Inlet is the pick of the week. Light east wind at 2-7 mph, water at 85.3°F, and big tide swings — a 6.6ft high at 19:24 will flood the spartina and put redfish tailing on the grass edges. Work a weedless soft plastic or a Topwater Stick Bait 4" on the flood. Trout are holding in the deeper holes on the 13:02 outgoing — that -0.7ft low will concentrate bait through the drains. Flounder on the channel drops with a Carolina rig and mud minnows.

Folly Beach is the cleanest surf on the report — SW wind at 5-9 mph, water at 86°F. Whiting and pompano on a Hi-Lo with fresh shrimp, fishing the incoming to the 07:27 morning high and again toward the 20:02 evening high. Redfish in the trough on cut mullet with a Fish Finder Rig — the low tide at 13:32 will expose the structure, mark it, then fish it as it fills back in. Spanish macks nearshore if you've got a boat or a long cast off the pier.