Ocean Isle/Holden Beach – June 2022
Jeff, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that black drum action remains strong, with fish holding over shell and similar structures throughout the waterways.
There has been nice action on slot-sized red drum (to 27”) in many of these same areas. The smaller menhaden have just started showing up and have been producing most of the redfish bites.
Flounder have moved inshore and are just about everywhere. Anglers have found that any baits fished along the bottom are ending up with flatfish releases.
Deeper structure around the inlets and bridges are holding lots of sheepshead.
Off the beach, anglers are finding plenty of spanish mackerel in close while trolling during the high tide cycles.
Jessica Lowder, of Oakboro, caught (and released) this 24″ flounder on a Carolina rig with frozen shrimp in the ICW near Holden Beach.
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that the mixed bag of Gulf Stream species is mostly comprised of mahi, blackfin tuna, and scattered yellowfin. Anglers are having the most success running outside the break to the 100+ fathom range before targeting the weed lines and current edges, and being out in this range provides a better opportunity for larger mahi and blue marlin.
Grouper fishing has been steady, with the best target depths from 80-150’. This range also holds plenty of triggerfish and vermilion snapper.
King mackerel season is on, and though there are plenty of smaller fish schooled in the 50-70’ range, some big kings have reached the beach.
Schools of spanish mackerel have also been very abundant along the beachfront.
Tim, of Tideline Charters, reports that switching from shrimp and moving to pogies and mullet has been best for the red drum bite. Anglers are having success bottom fishing baits around the deeper inshore ledges.
Fishing live shrimp under slip corks around the jetties has been producing some good sheepshead numbers.
Speckled trout are still around, but they seem to only want to feed at the highest point of the tide cycles up tight against grass banks near the inlet.
Black drum have been staged up around shell banks in the ICW, with shrimp being the top producing bait.
Nearshore runs have been finding good groups of spanish mackerel off the beach. Sight-casting green or gold-colored 3/4 oz. Big Nic Spanish Candies have been working great for this bite.
Tripp, of Capt’n Hook Outdoors, reports that both blackfin and yellowfin tuna are around in good numbers, and they’re hitting ballyhoo rigged with Sea Witches or small Jag plugs. Cedar plugs and hard baits are also enticing some strikes.
There are dolphin and wahoo being caught out there, too. Anglers have done best when targeting the 150-180’ areas and trolling baits around 7 knots.
King mackerel are moving in and being caught anywhere from 40-100’. The size variations have swung a lot, with fish anywhere from 5-50 lbs. being caught.
Inshore anglers fishing live shrimp around creek mouths and shell beds in the ICW have been able to pick away at speckled trout. Rising tide cycles have been best for getting those trout bites.
The black drum bite has been decent, with fish mostly in the 18-20” range. Cut shrimp or crabs bottom fished around inshore structure (such as docks or oyster rocks) has been the best tactic.
Red drum are mostly being caught around docks with cut menhaden fished right by the pilings.
Todd, of Rigged and Ready Charters, reports that anglers are finding plenty of flounder around while fishing 5-6” Gulp swimming mullets.
Sheepshead and black drum are feeding on live fiddler crabs around inshore hard structures.
Nearshore anglers are seeing schools of spanish mackerel moving right on the beaches. Clarkspoons or Drone spoons fished behind #1 planers are a local go-to setup for putting fish in the boat.
King mackerel are showing up in good numbers in the 3-5 mile range for anglers pulling live baits and dead cigar minnows.
Bottom fishing in the 90-150’ range has been producing strong grouper and snapper action.
The mahi are here, and areas from 90’ out to the break will also produce blackfin tuna and wahoo.
Boomer, of Salt Fever Guide Service, reports that dolphin have moved into the area. Anglers are finding a mix of gaffer and slinger-sized fish while targeting weed lines in the 100+’ areas. They are migrating up from the south and being found anywhere along that line from Murrells Inlet on up past the Navy Wreck.
Trolling offshore temperature breaks in this same area has been producing double-digit numbers of blackfin tuna and a few nice-sized yellowfins (to 30+ lbs.). A few scattered wahoo round out the offshore counts.
Bottom fishing has remained strong, with catches of scamp and gag grouper around structure in the 100+’ range. Some of the bigger gags are holding deeper (in 220’).
Anglers out over these structures have been finding some big cobias moving into the area.
King mackerel are also moving closer in, with plenty of fish (and good bait) out in the 70’ range.
Philip, of Rod and Reel Shop, reports that inshore anglers have been finding some good whiting and croaker action while targeting deeper channels in the area.
Good numbers of red drum are being hooked from the ICW back into mainland rivers. A few catch-and-release flounder are also mixed in.
Surf anglers have found nice-sized bluefish and spanish mackerel moving within casting distance, and some pompano are being caught in the nearshore troughs against the sand.
Nearshore anglers have been catching a lot of spanish off the beach while both trolling and casting at schools.
A few king mackerel have also shown up close. Most of the shallow kings are smaller, with the majority of the larger fish holding 10+ miles out.
Bottom fishing the 15+ mile area has been producing black sea bass and keeper grouper.
Offshore anglers have been catching blackfin tuna, and mahi are now showing up in the area.
Rob, of Ocean Isle Beach Fishing Pier, reports that bottom fishing anglers have been catching some whiting and croakers on shrimp-tipped bottom rigs.
Red drum have been mixed in the bottom action, with both shrimp and fresh cut baits getting strikes.
A few good-sized sheepshead (to 4.5 lbs.) have been caught from near the pilings, and a few bluefish are around.
