Carolina Beach – June 2025
Lewis, of Island Tackle and Hardware, reports that surf anglers are seeing the usual summertime mixed bag of bottom species. Whiting, croakers, sharks, bluefish, and some pompano are around.
Inshore anglers are doing well targeting black drum, and tons of flounder are showing up both in the ICW and Cape Fear River.
Off the beach, spanish mackerel have been the main catch for anglers trolling spoons and casting jigs.
Atlantic bonito have mostly moved away from the area.
King mackerel are scattered all over, with catches from the piers out to 10+ miles.
Grouper fishing has been good for anglers fishing the deeper bottom structure.
Gulf Stream runs are finally seeing some mahi being caught.
Christian, of Seahawk Inshore Fishing Charters, reports that anglers are catching good numbers of spanish mackerel. Sight-casting Big Nic Spanish Candies to surface feeding schools is the best tactic.
Red drum fishing continues to pick up, with the smaller class of 16-18” fish becoming more active and better numbers of slot-sized fish mixed in. Most of the reds are being caught with Carolina-rigged (or jighead-rigged) fresh cut or live bait. Oyster points and shoreline grass edges on the rising tide are working best.
Black drum are being caught on both fresh shrimp and fiddler crabs. Most have been in the 14-17” range, but bigger fish are mixed in. Tide height is not important as long as the water is moving.
Tommy, of Mungo Fishing Charters, reports success targeting red drum with both natural baits and artificials (such as topwater plugs). Live bait anglers are doing better fishing menhaden on Carolina rigs around creek mouths and along grass lines on a falling tide. Rock structures around the jetties will also produce some action. Cut mullet, menhaden, or cut blue crab will also get the job done.
Black drum are around in deeper pockets near oyster bars, deep holes in the creek bends, older docks, and out on the jetties. Carolina-rigged dead baits (such as shrimp or crabs) and live fiddler crabs have been best.
Speckled trout are hitting hard baits such as topwater plugs and MirrOlure Heavy Dines and MirrOdines, as well as soft plastic paddle tails or imitation shrimp from D.O.A.
Mason, of Grand Slam Fishing Charters, reports targeting sheepshead with live crabs (larger crabs preferred) in the waterways around docks in 10-12’ of water with a little current. Live mullet or menhaden are catching red drum in these same spots.
The red drum bite has been best around Bald Head Island and the mouth of the Cape Fear River. A 3-4” menhaden on the bottom around good current and nearby structure is key.
Casting D.O.A. shrimp imitations into currents and eddies and then letting those baits slowly drift through the water column can produce speckled trout.
Tisha, of Wilmington, with a 32″ redfish caught floating a pogie under a slip cork in the Carolina Beach area. She was fishing with Capt. Mason Porter of Grand Slam Inshore Charters.
Drew, of Strike Inshore Charters, reports that red drum are aggressively hitting a variety of topwater plugs, live baits, and paddle tails. Topwater baits should be targeted along banks where the winds are somewhat blocked and the current is slow or not moving at all. Mendaden are readily available, as is finger mullet but in less quantities. Rising water temperatures have red drum moving up onto grass lines, shell banks, and staging up off oyster points. The reds can be seen tailing and blowing up on bait in shallow areas anytime from an hour after high tide to the mid/upcoming tide.
Tony, of Reel Teal Charters, reports success with red drum when targeting docks and creek structures with live menhaden, live mullet, or cut pinfish.
Sheepshead and black drum are around hard structures in the river and are hitting fresh shrimp or live fiddler crabs.
Nearshore anglers are catching spanish mackerel right off the beach and out over structure. Trolling deep diver plugs or spoons at 5-6 mph works well. For Clarkspoons, the #0 or #1 spoons behind #1 or #2 planers and a run of 25 lb. fluorocarbon leader is best.
Bottom fishing at these nearshore structures has produced ringtails, white grunts, and the occasional keeper black sea bass. Cut squid on bottom rigs or 3/4-1.5 oz. vertical jigs over the wrecks have been working.
Rod, of OnMyWay Guide Service, reports that anglers are finding spanish mackerel along the beaches from 15’ out to 50’. A standard Clarkspoon and planer combo is the top producer when trolling at 6-8 mph.
Springtime king mackerel are in the 5-20 mile range, and anglers will do best slow-trolling cigar minnows rigged on Blue Water Candy dead bait rigs. Shiny “crystal” patterns or anything with pink will entice strikes. Live menhaden also work great. Regardless of the bait choice, be sure the speed has the bait swimming rather than spinning.
Offshore bottom fishing in the 30-mile range has been stellar. Gag grouper have been solid, and pinkies, triggerfish, and some of the biggest black sea bass seen all year are also being caught.
When bottom fishing this time of year, anglers should have two spinning rod setups: one a heavier setup with a large bucktail for cobia, and one a lighter setup with a smaller bucktail for mahi. Both species will come to check out a boat in this area. Also, running a drift line with a cigar minnow under a wire leader can produce king mackerel.
Mahi are deep (400-1200’) around the Gulf Stream, as the area awaits eddies and warmer water to move these fish in closer.
The deeper end of that range (800-1200’) is seeing some blue marlin.
Blackfin tuna and wahoo are staged up around ledges closer to the break.
Greyson, of Kure Beach Pier, reports that bottom fishing anglers are catching whiting, croakers, and a few bluefish.
Anglers casting jigs and Gotcha plugs are hooking bluefish and spanish mackerel.
Although catches have recently slowed, some king mackerel (to 40 lbs.) were recently caught.
