Southport/Oak Island – June 2022
Angie, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that surf anglers have been catching nice-sized sea mullet and some bluefish.
Inshore anglers are finding better numbers of sheepshead staged up around bridges and pilings throughout the area.
Red drum and trout fishing remains steady. There are plenty of fish to be found, with anglers having the most success targeting areas with lower fishing and boating pressure.
Amanda and Culley hooked these black drum on Carolina rigs with fresh shrimp in the Fort Fisher area. They were fishing with Capt. Mason Porter of Grand Slam Fishing Charters.
Josh, of Oak Island Sporting Goods, reports red drum have broken up and are spread throughout the waterways. Black drum have followed this same pattern, and both are staged up around oyster beds and similar structure.
Some speckled trout are also mixed in the action for anglers fishing with live mud minnows, MirrOlures, or soft plastics.
Surf anglers have been seeing smaller pompano and bluefish actively feeding.
There has been a good sea mullet bite, with the best action coming from anglers rigged with fresh sand fleas. The classic shrimp on double-hook bottom rigs will also produce plenty of bites.
Jennifer, of The Tackle Box, reports that nearshore anglers have been catching plenty of spanish mackerel off the beaches both when trolling and casting spoons.
Inshore anglers are reporting good black and red drum action while fishing around docks and inshore shell structures. A few speckled trout are mixed in these same areas.
Surf anglers have been able to hook up with a few larger sharks with big cut baits.
Hunter, of Dockside Fishing Charters, reports that redfish have been biting really good in the Oak Island area. Anglers are having the most success fishing deeper waterway holes and under docks on falling tide cycles. Live shrimp and mud crabs fished on jig heads or Carolina rigs with lightweight (15 lb.) leader lines have helped with bite numbers. These reds are still holding in decent groups, and finding one fish usually means finding multiple.
Speckled trout action has been getting better by the day. The warmer water fish have shown back up, with most being a nice 16-20” class. Live shrimp under a cork fished in the ICW has been the top producing tactic.
Black drum fishing remains solid for the 14-20” class of fish. Carolina-rigged cut shrimp fished around docks or back in mainland creeks has produced the best action.
Both kings and spanish mackerel have been staged up on the beach in 20-25’ of water. Anglers looking for numbers over size are doing great with Clarkspoons behind planers, but the larger spanish and king mackerel have been hitting live pogies best.
Kirk, of Take Up The Slack Fishing Charters, reports that black drum fishing has been really good for anglers targeting oyster beds both in the waterway and around creeks.
Red drum are mostly moving out of the creeks and are breaking up as they move to target bait pushing into the area. Bottom-rigged live bait will produce best in these warmer weather months, with plenty of action also to be found by anglers scouting spots with a variety of artificials.
Nearshore anglers have been finding good numbers of spanish mackerel schooling up along the beaches, and king mackerel have also been pushing in.
Robert, of Reelin’ Pelican Fishing Charters, reports that mahi are moving into the offshore waters as they migrate up into the area. Blackfin tuna and scattered wahoo will be mixed in with this offshore trolling action.
Nearshore, the news has been the arrival of some kings moving in. Anglers are finding strikes while pulling live baits anywhere from the beach out to 15+ miles. Most have been the schoolie-sized kings (12-20 lbs.), with larger fish (to 55 lbs.) mixed in.
Schools of spanish mackerel are all over the beaches, and they’re hitting trolled spoons.
Backwater anglers have been finding nice-sized black drum and sheepshead while fishing around structure with fiddler crabs.
Red drum and trout are spread out just about anywhere and mostly traveling in smaller groups.
Elliot, of Angry Pelican Charters, reports that mahi are starting to show up in good numbers.
The longer runs out to the break have also been producing blackfin tuna and a few wahoo.
For nearshore action, king mackerel have moved onto the beachfronts and have joined schools of spanish mackerel and sharks.
Inshore anglers are finding a mixed bag of red drum, speckled trout, sheepshead, and black drum fishing structured areas along the waterway.
Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that spanish mackerel schools have been pushed up onto the beaches in really good numbers.
A few kings have worked their way in close as well. Sizes have been greatly varied, with smaller schoolies one day, and then the next day hooking large “smoker” kings (to 50 lbs.). Finding consistently bigger kings has been best for those running out to the 90’ range.
Anglers are starting to keep their eyes out for cobia. The larger menhaden schools are around, and at any time anglers can stumble upon a few cobia hanging with them.
Bottom fishermen looking to find some grouper will be best served targeting the 80-100’ range.
Dolphin are starting to show up in the Stream and just inshore of it. Action can be found around breaks starting in the 30-40 mile range.
Carr Covington and Webb Wells with two upper-slot redfish that fell for live mud minnows in the Lower Cape Fear River. They were fishing with Capt. Christian Wolfe of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters.
Brian, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that most fishing action has been producing bluefish and scattered whiting, and stable conditions should see spanish mackerel returning, as well as better numbers of whiting.
King mackerel are mixed in, so on any day the kings will be back within striking distance of anglers fishing off the end.
Ben, of Oak Island Pier, reports that anglers have been catching bluefish (with plugs) and croakers (while bottom fishing).
Good numbers of king mackerel are just starting to show up, and spanish mackerel also will push in as the water cleans up and bait balls move around the pier.
Bottom fishing anglers will soon see the return of good-sized whiting.
