Northern Beaches – June 2022
Madison, of TW’s Bait and Tackle, reports that surf fishing was a little slower after a strong front recently moved through the area. The good news, though, is it doesn’t seem to have pushed fish too far off, with puppy drum already back to feeding in good numbers as they were in past weeks.
Bluefish are still moving into the area from the south and are hitting plugs fished off piers (and sometimes within casting distance of surf anglers), and bottom fishing from the beach with smaller baits has been producing sea mullet.
Sound fishing has been picking up a lot, with large speckled trout (to 6+ lbs.) being weighed in. Puppy drum action is also getting better for anglers fishing the inside areas from the inlet up towards Wanchese. Schools of over-slot reds have been spotted on some of these same flats inside the inlet.
Bonner Bridge Pier fishing has been producing a few bluefish, black drum, and some citation sheepshead.
Anglers out on the Little Bridge have been catching speckled trout and puppy drum.
Offshore fishing has started to fire off in recent weeks with the arrival of dolphin into the area. There have been quite a few boats returning with dolphin limits, yellowfin tuna, a few wahoo, and scattered king mackerel.
Nearshore anglers fishing the opening of black sea bass season have been finding plenty of keepers (to 4+ lbs.).
Jason Hanson hooked this cobia on a 2 oz. bucktail while fishing offshore in the Nags Head area. He was fishing with Capt. Gene Perry of Getcha One Fishing Charters.
Aaron, of Carolina Sunrise Charters, reports that anglers are finding some great red drum action while targeting the inshore flats. With warmer waters moving in, a variety of tactics are enticing strikes. Anglers are finding success with anything from topwater plugs and popping cork setups to bottom-rigged cut bait.
Speckled trout are also in the mix, with action recently picking up.
This time of year, anglers have their eye on the cobia migration as they push into the area, and fish have already shown up.
John, of Drumbeat Charters, reports that nearshore anglers found cobia starting to show up off Hatteras Island right before that big NE storm moved through. Anglers look forward to conditions stabilizing and getting back out to target these larger schools of fish as they migrate north.
Red drum fishing has been solid in the sounds. Anglers have had success both bottom fishing in the inlets and working flats around inshore structure.
Some large sheepshead are being caught around the bridge pilings.
Before the blow, some schools of spanish mackerel were being seen off the beach, a great sign that warmer water fishing is on its way.
Gerry, of Fishing Unlimited, reports that Little Bridge anglers have been catching some speckled trout and a few puppy drum in recent days.
Smaller bits of shrimp or artificial bait strips fished on bottom rigs has been producing croakers and spot.
Sound anglers are also finding the larger speckled trout mixed in with puppy drum while fishing the marsh banks and inshore flats.
A few sheepshead are moving in around bridge pilings, and deeper inshore areas around the inlet are producing sea mullet.
The Bonner Bridge Pier has been producing black drum, sheepshead, puppy drum, flounder, and the occasional black sea bass.
Andy, of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, reports that anglers have started to return with great numbers of mahi on the offshore trips. More than a few times, this has meant limits.
Tuna remain in the same areas, with both yellowfin and blackfin included in the trolling action.
A few large bigeye tuna and scattered wahoo round out the dock counts.
Billfish action is starting to pick up as we get closer to summer, with both blue marlin and sailfish release flags flying.
A mixed bag of bluefish, ribbonfish, and spanish mackerel are all being found on the nearshore trips, and bottom fishing produced some keeper black sea bass with the season now open.
Cobia started to show up, and anglers look forward to action firing off as more schools move into the area.
Sound fishing trips are producing good numbers of larger speckled trout and puppy drum, and fishing around pilings of the Bonner Bridge Pier has produced sheepshead.
Meredith, of Pirate’s Cove Marina, reports that tuna fishing has been good, with catches of yellowfin, blackfin, and a few large bigeye (to 140 lbs.).
Gaffer-sized mahi showed up in really good numbers, with even larger citations (to 41 lbs.) mixed in.
Some boats have been recording white marlin releases on their trolling trips, and wahoo are also scattered in the action.
Offshore bottom fishing has produced black sea bass and tilefish.
Cindy, of Avalon Pier, reports that anglers have been seeing some great puppy drum action, with plenty of slot-sized fish (to 26”) around.
A few speckled trout are mixed in, and they’re running in the deeper cuts behind the breakers.
Anglers fishing bottom rigs are catching black drum and sea mullet, and bluefish and a few spanish mackerel are being caught by anglers casting plugs.
John, of Bob’s Bait and Tackle, reports that bottom fishing in the surf has been producing some nice-sized sea mullet alongside scattered spot.
Pompano will be moving into the area in better numbers as water temperatures keep warming and cleaning up.
There has been a pretty class of bluefish hitting the surf zone, with some larger choppers (to 7 lbs.) mixed in.
Inshore trips have been catching larger speckled trout and red drum.
Cobia are arriving into the area on their northern migration. Also moving into the area will be some schools of trophy-class red drum and spanish mackerel.
Jeff, of Albemarle Fishing Charters, reports that the sounds had good striped bass action right up through the end of keeper season. These post-spawn stripers are still around, with not much pressure on them after the season closed. Anglers fishing Rat-L-Traps around pilings and ledges will find some strikes alongside a mixed bag of freshwater species.
As salinity rises moving closer to summer, look for some red drum to move up into the area.
Surf anglers are doing well while bottom fishing around Oregon Inlet. Good-sized sea mullet, croakers, and some spot are all hitting smaller cut baits.
Puppy drum action has been pretty strong all spring, and these reds should continue to produce steady bottom fishing action.
