Dog Days Drum and Pompano — Week of August 3

Cape Hatteras Point and Avon Pier are running 83.3°F — solid pompano temps but the SW at 23 is stacking chop on the bar. Tides are weak this week, barely a half foot of swing. Best window is the outgoing after the 12:41 high dumping toward the 19:22 low — fish the slack edges before the current rips. Pompano Hi-Lo rigs with fresh sand fleas in the second trough, and don't sleep on a Fish Finder rig with cut mullet if you're looking for a slot drum in the wash at first light before the wind builds. Kings are still off the end of Avon on live bait — Kingfish Wire Rig, pin a menhaden, let it swim.

Hatteras Inlet is the flounder play right now. Water's warm but the current through the inlet keeps bait moving. Fish the Flounder Carolina Rig with a mud minnow or finger mullet on the flat edges during the outgoing — that 12:41 high draining to 19:22 low is your prime window. Bucktail Jig Yellow/Chartreuse tipped with Gulp works on the drops if you want to stay active. Drum are pushing the flat edges early before the sun gets on it.

Oregon Inlet is fishing a different tide cycle — low at 06:22 and the 11:48 high is a legit 1.1 footer, which is the most water movement anywhere on the OBX this week. Work the incoming from about 08:00 up to that late morning high for flounder in the cuts. Sound side flats have drum in skinny water at dawn — topwater stick bait 4" over the grass edges before the SW wind kicks up past 15.

Down in Murrells Inlet, water's 84.2°F and the tide swing is real — 5 feet plus. That's your saving grace this week. Redfish are tucked deep in the spartina on the top of the 11:19 high, then falling out onto the oyster edges as it drops toward the 17:38 low. Fish the last two hours of the outgoing with a gold spoon or a Bucktail Jig Yellow/Chartreuse tight to the grass. Trout are holding in the deeper holes early morning — topwater stick bait 4" before the sun gets high, then switch to soft plastics under a cork once it heats up.

Folly Beach is the hottest water of the week at 85.8°F. Whiting and pompano are still in the trough — Pompano Hi-Lo with shrimp or fleas, fish the incoming to the 11:40 high. Redfish showing in the trough at first light and again on the evening outgoing toward the 18:01 low. SW wind at 21 is going to muddy things up midday, so get your licks in early or wait for the evening slack. Watch the thunderstorms — they're building every afternoon this week, SC and NC both.

Bottom line: fish the edges of the tides, not the middle. Get out early before the SW builds, and if the sky turns green, get off the water.