Summer Heat, Storm Windows — Week of July 20

Cape Hatteras Point is sitting at 83.5° with a light 0.5ft tide swing — not a lot of water moving, so fish the changes hard. Best window is the outgoing into that 08:45 low, then again on the push back to the 14:30 high. Pompano are still working the trough on Hi-Lo rigs with sand fleas or Fishbites. Bluefish and Spanish on the edges early — throw a white bucktail or a 4" topwater at first light before the thunderheads build. Watch the W wind switching SW tonight, that'll dirty things up.

Avon Pier is the same water, same tide. Spanish macks and blues on the end early on jigs and Gotcha plugs. If you're chasing kings, get a Kingfish Wire Rig out with a live bluefish or menhaden — SW wind at 10-13 will lay bait up against the pilings. Pompano in the wash on the second bar during the 08:45 low.

Hatteras Inlet is fishing well for flounder on the channel edges — Carolina rig with a mud minnow or a chartreuse bucktail tipped with Gulp. Drum are on the flat edges at the tide change. That SW wind kicking 15-21 tonight is gonna make the inlet sloppy, so hit it midday on the 14:30 high slack. Oregon Inlet showing a better 1.1ft tide swing — flounder in the cuts, drum on the sound side flats. Best window is the outgoing from 13:57 down to the 20:25 low. Storm activity heavy up there today, keep an eye on the radar.

Down in Murrells Inlet the water's hot — 86° — so redfish are shallow early and deep midday. Fish the grass on the 13:24 high with a topwater stick bait, then work the channel drops on the outgoing toward the 19:22 low for flounder and trout. Speckled trout are holding in the deeper holes where the water's cooler. Carolina rig with live shrimp or a chartreuse bucktail slow-rolled on bottom.

Folly Beach is 86.7° and cranking. Whiting and pompano on Hi-Lo rigs in the trough — best on the 07:25 low and again around the 13:58 high push. Redfish in the trough at first light before the sun hits it hard, fish finder rig with cut mullet. Nearshore Spanish and blues are thick — white bucktail or a small topwater on the SW wind chop.

Bottom line: fish early, watch the storms, and time your tide windows. Heat's on but the fish are eating.