Swansboro/Emerald Isle – June 6, 2019
Hannah, of The Reel Outdoors, reports that surf anglers have enjoyed a very good bite on sea mullet and pompano. Bottom rigs tipped with shrimp and sand fleas have produced the most fish, with some being citation-sized.
Bluefish are in large schools feeding on baits in and just outside of the breakers. Casting glass minnow jigs to the surface-feeding fish has been the most successful.
A few spanish mackerel are mixed in with the blues, though better numbers are being caught off the pier.
Red and black drum are in the deeper holes along the shoreline. Anglers are having success while fishing bottom rigs with sand fleas, shrimp, and Fishbites bloodworm strips.
Nearshore reefs have been stacked with king mackerel. Trolling dead bait rigs and spoons have both been producing good numbers of 8-15 lb. fish.
Gulf Stream anglers are reporting a great bite on mahi around weed lines.
Paige Fortier with a 39 lb. barracuda she caught near the D Wreck off Cape Lookout while trolling for kings.
Dale, of Dudley’s Marina, reports that red drum have broken up into smaller schools in the marshes behind Bear Island. Soft plastic jerk shads and Gulp baits are getting bites when worked on the flats and along grass banks.
Speckled trout are being caught around creek mouths off the ICW. Popping cork rigs have been the top producing bait, with topwater plugs getting a few fish in the mornings.
Flounder are holding on deeper ledges and holes along grass banks. Using 1/4 oz. jig heads with Gulp shrimp works great when bounced along the bottom.
Bluefish are in deeper channels inside the inlet. Cut baits and soft plastics are both catching fish.
Nearshore anglers are trolling Clarkspoons outside the breakers, and they’re loading up on bluefish and spanish mackerel.
King mackerel are staged at ARs in the 5 mile range.
Chris, of Pogie’s Fishing Center, reports that red drum fishing has been great in the marshes behind Bear Island. Early morning anglers are catching a few fish on topwater plugs, and then transitioning to soft plastics as the day wears on. Adding scent to the soft plastics has helped hook-up ratios.
Speckled trout are being caught at creek mouths off the ICW and in the New River. Popping cork rigs have been producing a majority of the fish when worked along the deeper grass banks.
Keeper flounder are feeding along deeper ledges around the inlet, and bluefish are in the channels from the inlet to the ICW.
Rob, of Sandbar Safari Charters, reports that inshore fishing has been really good, with slot-sized red drum working through channels in the marsh. Soft plastic baits are most popular, as anglers cast along the banks searching for the smaller schools, but Carolina-rigged cut and live baits catch fish as well.
Black drum are being hooked around docks and oyster beds with Carolina-rigged baits. Nice-sized sheepshead (to 4 lbs.) are mixed in with the black drum.
A few pompano are inshore in the deeper holes near the inlet.
Bluefish and a few spanish mackerel are in the channels around the inlet, but they’re in much larger numbers just off the beach.
Plenty of king mackerel are being caught at local ARs in the 3-10 mile range.
Randy Runyon with a 65 lb. mahi caught around the Big Rock. They were fishing with Capt. Everett Grissom out of Emerald Isle.
Jonathan, of On Point Charters, reports that speckled trout are still feeding in the creek mouths around the ICW. The top producer is soft plastics under a popping cork.
Red drum are broken up in their summer schools, and they’re hitting soft plastics fished on flats around the marsh.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are schooled up in large numbers from the beach out to three miles. A few larger spanish mackerel (to 5 lbs.) are now showing up at the ARs.
Flounder are being caught while jigging bucktails at nearshore structure. Anglers are pleased to find that many of these fish from the ARs are keepers.
King mackerel (to 15 lbs.) are at the nearshore wrecks from 3-7 miles.
Bobby, of Teezher Charters, reports that mahi have shown in good numbers, and they’re hitting skirted ballyhoo around weed lines in the Gulf Stream.
A few larger wahoo are mixed in, with most (if not all) of the wahoo coming off baits fished behind a planer.
Closer to the beach, schoolie king mackerel are hitting dead bait rigs and slow-trolled live baits around the ARs.
Bluefish and spanish mackerel are making easy limits for anglers trolling spoons outside the breakers.
Josh, of Liquid Fire Sportfishing, reports that king mackerel fishing has been great at nearshore ARs in the 3-10 mile range. Slow-trolling live baits and dead bait rigs have been producing a majority of the larger fish.
Gaffer-sized mahi are being caught around weed lines at the temperature break.
A few larger wahoo (to 40 lbs.) are mixed in around the mahi.
Spanish mackerel and bluefish are holding in large schools tight to the beach.
Teresa, of Bogue Inlet Pier, reports that spanish mackerel and bluefish are hitting Gotcha plugs thrown towards the feeding schools.
Keeper-sized flounder are being caught on baits on the bottom that are closer to the breakers.
Puppy drum are feeding on cut mullet fished under a Carolina rig.
Black drum are hitting Carolina-rigged shrimp and sand fleas.
Anglers are hooking pompano and sheepshead while fishing sand fleas next to the pier pilings.
