Ocean Isle/Holden Beach – June 20, 2019
Jeff, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that flounder are biting in the backwaters and on the nearshore reefs. Finding keepers is more common now, and live bait works best in bringing them in. Shrimp, mud minnows, and finger mullet are the top producers.
Trout are still around, and they’re chewing best on live shrimp under a popping cork.
Black and red drum are biting live and cut bait. Fishing around oyster beds on the falling tide is a good place to look.
Terry Chavis, of Laurinburg, NC, with a 7 lb. sheepshead caught while fishing around structure in Holden Beach.
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that the recent wind and rain has muddied up the waters along the beach out to 30-35’. Thus, the spanish mackerel have moved deeper, but they are still catchable. Trolling #00 Clarkspoons behind #1 planers has been the most productive. The hot color now will be gold spoons, and there won’t be much of an opportunity for casting to them until the water clears.
Menhaden have been scarce off Ocean Isle, Sunset, and Holden beaches. The schools have been primarily holding up to the east between Ocean Crest and the Cape Fear River.
There’s been a couple of cobia recently, but the bite is slowing down. The most common way they have been caught lately is as a bycatch while slow trolling for king mackerel.
King mackerel and oversized spanish mackerel are biting well in the 60-80’ depth range. The kings are mostly all school size (in the 6-10 lb. range), and the spanish are big (in the 4-8 lb. range). Using a #4 or #6 sabiki jig to catch threadfins, and then putting them on naked live bait rigs and slow trolling them around the schools of bait has been the most productive.
Grouper and snapper fishing is strong in the 90-120’ depth range. Live pinfish will get the grouper bites, and vermilion snapper like squid or fresh cut bait. Fish up 10-30’ off the bottom for the vermilion snapper (and also triggerfish). Genuine red snapper are abundant. They will eat up your live pinfish, but remember you can’t keep them. All must be released.
The mahi bite has pretty much died off to nothing. Some fish are scattered inshore, but overall they are few and far between. Unless you are willing to run 80+ miles off to fish the core waters of the Gulf Stream, mahi fishing is pretty much done for the year.
Hope Trexler and Tyler Batten showing off a 26.5″ red drum that fell for a Gulp shrimp while fishing near Tubbs Inlet.
Kevin, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports that several slot red drum are being caught on mud minnows and cut shrimp. The best places to look are docks along the ICW and close to a creek mouth. Oyster bars are also good places to start looking, and target the falling tide. Artificial baits like Gulps and Bass Assassins are great search baits for finding schools of reds (and trout). The topwater action is heating up on large speckled trout and reds in the early mornings.
Nearshore, the king mackerel are biting close to the beach out to 15 miles. A few cobia are also showing up.
Black sea bass are thick everywhere in the 45-65’ range, and a few flounder are mixed in (along with bluefish and an occasional bull drum). Cut baits on two-drop rigs or 2 oz. bucktails tipped with strip baits work best.
Offshore, the king mackerel are thick around Frying Pan Tower. Cigar minnows trolled slow work great, along with Drone spoons and Sea Witches pulled behind planers.
Tripp, of Capt’n Hook Outdoors, reports that red drum and trout can be caught in the same areas, mostly in very deep holes that can hold cooler water and near any kind of structure or oyster rock. Live shrimp under a float rig is the best option to bring these fish in.
The flounder bite has been steady, with most fish caught being in the 17-20” range. The flounder are biting mud minnows on bucktails or Carolina rigs.
Offshore, the schoolie kings (in the 6-10 lb. range) are chewing in 50-70’ of water on dead cigar minnows. Pushing out into deeper water, such as 80-100’, should produce larger kings.
The grouper are biting in 120-170’ of water on live and dead cigar minnows.
The Gulf Stream trolling bite has slowed down dramatically, as most of the dolphin are pushing inshore and will be caught while slow trolling for kings.
Tim, of Tideline Charters, reports that the rain has the water muddied up, but the fishing has stayed consistent. Live shrimp has been the ticket for the red drum, with floating shrimp under a cork along grass banks producing redfish from 20-28”.
Live shrimp on the bottom in shallow creek holes has produced black drum.
Trout are still around, and fishing live bait under a cork along grass banks has been the best tactic.
Keeper flounder are biting mud minnows on 1/4 oz. jig heads fished on the bottom in deeper sections of the creeks, though creek mouths with moving water on the changing tide have been holding fish as well. Smaller pogies fished on the bottom around points along the bank with good current has also been a successful way to target the flatfish.
Cecil, of Rod and Reel Shop, reports that the typical summer species are all biting: flounder, red drum, black drum, trout, and more. Live bait works best this time of year in bringing all of these fish to the boat.
Spanish mackerel, whiting, bluefish, pompano, and drum are being brought in off the beach fronts. Spots have made an early appearance as well. Live shrimp is a good all-around option for fishing from the surf.
Just off the beach, spanish mackerel are biting in 20-40’ of water, and king mackerel have been out around the 455 buoy.
Jerry, of Ocean Isle Beach Fishing Pier, reports that a few speckled trout are biting here and there on live shrimp when the water has been clear. Pier anglers are also seeing some black drum, pompano, a few spots, and large whiting.
