UTERRed porgy fishing in Wilmington & Crystal Coast
In Wilmington & Crystal Coast, red porgy peak May–October and are around year-round, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. June: Pinkies on the offshore ledges.
No note for October — see the months around it.
Red porgy in Wilmington & Crystal Coast, month by month
- JanuaryAround
- FebruaryAround
- MarchAround
- AprilAround
- MayPeak
- JunePeakPinkies on the offshore ledges.
- JulyPeak
- AugustPeak
- SeptemberPeak
- OctoberPeak
- NovemberAround
- DecemberAround
Where to fish red porgy near Calabash, Southport, Wilmington
South-facing beaches between Cape Fear and Cape Lookout, the Cape Fear River, marsh creeks and ICW behind Masonboro, Topsail and Bogue banks, Core Sound and Harkers Island — with the Cape Lookout and Frying Pan shoals, hundreds of nearshore wrecks and ARs, and the Big Rock and the Gulf Stream 30–50 miles out.
Fish Scouter charts 272 artificial reef, 208 wreck spots in the The Southern Outer Banks & Cape Fear map area — the kinds red porgy hold on.
What to use for red porgy
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- Cigar minnowsNose-hooked on a stinger rig for kings, or a 4/0 circle hook dropped to the bottom for grouper.
- Leader30–60 lb fluorocarbon
- Hook2/0–7/0
- Braid30–65 lb
Feeds in 58–78°F water, best at 62–74°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch red porgy in Wilmington & Crystal Coast?
Peak season is May–October. Red porgy are here year-round. June: Pinkies on the offshore ledges.
Where do red porgy hold in Wilmington & Crystal Coast?
Look on ledge / hard bottom, artificial reef, wreck — around Calabash, Southport, Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, Topsail, Swansboro.
What is the best bait for red porgy in Wilmington & Crystal Coast?
Live bait: squid, cigar minnows. Squid: Strips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig. Tackle: leader 30–60 lb fluorocarbon, hook 2/0–7/0, braid 30–65 lb.
What are the rules for red porgy in Wilmington & Crystal Coast?
Size and bag limits and closed seasons are set by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and change — read the current rule at https://www.deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/marine-fisheries/rules-proclamations-and-size-and-bag-limits before you keep a fish. A licence is sold at https://www.ncwildlife.org/licensing.
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All about red porgy · The Southern Outer Banks & Cape Fear, the whole year