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Black sea bassShoulder seasonSpecies here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker60
- Spot58
- Florida pompano57
- King mackerel51
- Crevalle jack50
- Gray snapper45
- Red drum43
- Summer flounder43
- Gray triggerfish41
- Little tunny41
- Black sea bass40
- Red snapper40
- Gag grouper39
- Red grouper39
- Spanish mackerel39
- Greater amberjack36
- Atlantic tarpon35
- Southern flounder35
- Spotted seatrout35
- Black drum34
- Sheepshead33
- Bluefish32
- Weakfish31
- Cobia30
Best score today · 12 AM · Black sea bass
- Now
- 401 PM EDT
- Best window
- 9 PM-12 AMFlood tide
- Tide now
- High0.5 ft
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Shell Point scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 1 PM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
37Tide: High slackCurrent: 0.5 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
59Wind: 14 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
Open-Meteo Marine
58Water temp: 82°F, warmLight: OvercastSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 2.6 ftSeason & habitat · Black sea bass
Species seasonality
54Season: ShoulderHabitat: Poor fitDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: no rule on file
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
No rule for Black sea bass is on file here yet, so its status is unknown, not closed. Confirm limits with NCDMF before you keep a fish.
Source: NCDMF · synced today
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Black sea bass is best here
Shoulder season for Black sea bass · 1 more week at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Shell Point
- Depth
- 1-7 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Point · Inner · Semi-exposedPoint · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonBlack sea bass
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing Shell Point
Shell Point is a cape in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. Depth is 1-7 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads point, inner water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 24 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, spot and Florida pompano. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, spot, king mackerel and crevalle jack, and shoulder season for Florida pompano, gray triggerfish, little tunny and black sea bass. Atlantic croaker peak from August through October. Spot peak from September through October. Florida pompano peak from March through April and from October through November.
Tackle & technique
- Black sea bass
- Black sea bass hold tight to wrecks, reefs, rock piles and jetties, from 15 feet inshore in late spring to well over 100 feet on offshore wrecks in late fall. Anchor or drift right over the structure and fish a two-hook high-low rig with squid or clam, or bounce a small jig on the bottom. The biggest males sit on the highest relief.
- Atlantic croaker
- Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.
- Spot
- Spot school over mud and sand in bays, tidal creeks and channels and around piers and bridges, generally in less than 25 feet of water. Fish a two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and bits of bloodworm or shrimp, and move until you find a school. In fall the biggest fish run out of the sounds past piers and inlets, and the bite can go all day.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Shell Narrows68
Channel · 1.6 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 68
- Spot 64
- Florida pompano 63
14 kt NEH 1:12 PM · 0.5 ftL 7:02 PM · 0.3 ft
- Deep Cove35
Bay · 1.1 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 35
- Black drum 35
- Black sea bass 35
20 kt NEH 1:12 PM · 0.5 ftL 7:02 PM · 0.3 ft
- Judith Narrows35
Channel · 2.1 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 35
- Black drum 35
- Black sea bass 35
20 kt NEH 1:12 PM · 0.5 ftL 7:02 PM · 0.3 ft
- Bernice Creek35
Bay · 2.1 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 35
- Black sea bass 35
- Crevalle jack 35
20 kt NEH 1:12 PM · 0.5 ftL 7:02 PM · 0.3 ft
Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with NCDMF before you keep a fish.