Ocean Isle/Holden Beach – June 2025
Brant, of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, reports that offshore and Gulf Stream runs are targeting mahi and billfish with a lot of success. Starting efforts for mahi in 100+ fathoms has been the minimum for the best chance of success.
Wahoo and blackfin tuna are in areas as shallow as 30 fathoms.
Grouper season is still happening, and the 80-150’ depths have been best. Grouper love live bait (such as cigar minnows and pinfish), but so do amberjacks, so sometimes anglers may need to use cut baits to keep the amberjacks away.
Nearshore trips are finding spanish mackerel along the beachfronts (in 30-40’), with the occasional Atlantic bonito still in the area.
King mackerel have made a strong arrival into the area, with most of the kings out in the 50-70’ range where they are following schools of cigar minnows.
This is the best time of the year to catch cobia. Anglers should be on the lookout for them anywhere from the beach out to 100’. The cobia are often found around schools of menhaden along the beachfronts.
Tim, of Tideline Charters, reports that the red drum bite is great right now. These fish are well into warm water patterns—scattered and very active. The reds are hitting just about everything, including topwater plugs, live shrimp, finger mullet, and menhaden. A bunch of small “peanut” menhaden are in the area, and sometimes it has been better to use them as fresh cut bait. Focus on deeper oyster beds on low tides, whereas higher tides should have anglers targeting ambush points against banks and drains coming out of the marsh. Most of the catches are a class of 23-26”+ fish.
Black drum (to 18”) have been cooperative in the backs of creeks, with this being one of the best spring seasons we have had in recent memory.
Anglers are also seeing some flounder as the water warms up.
Lorelei Hendricks brought in this 40″ bull drum offshore of Sunset Harbor on fresh cut shrimp. She was fishing with Capt. Inman Hendricks of Little Secret Charters.
Tripp, of Capt’n Hook Outdoors, reports that a fair amount of bait (both shrimp and small menhaden) are starting to move around in the creeks and ICW. This has made a difference in the red drum bite, with a 20-25” class of fish actively feeding. Both docks and ICW/creek banks and ledges have been the main focus areas.
Some black drum are mixed in when targeting areas such as docks and deeper oyster beds with cut or live shrimp.
Sheepshead fishing has picked up on the mid to falling low tide around pilings with live fiddler crabs on knocker rigs.
Offshore, the king mackerel have shown up in the 65-80’ range. With most of this first push of kings being on the smaller side, live menhaden or cigar minnows slow trolled has been the best way to entice strikes.
A good grouper bite is happening anywhere from 65’ on out to the deeper 200’ bottoms. Live pinfish or dead cigar minnows are the baits of choice.
Gulf stream action is seeing mahi, blackfin tuna, and wahoo all in play on trips targeting ledges around temperature breaks. For all three species, a skirted ballyhoo pulled at 7 knots will get strikes.
Anthony, of Salt Fever Guide Service, reports that offshore anglers are finding wahoo and blackfin tuna (12-25 lbs.) in fairly good numbers. Overall, smaller wahoo are primarily being caught, with a few larger (40-60+ lb.) fish in the mix.
Mahi fishing is picking up as the warmer Gulf Stream waters start to push in with the weed mats. Most of the gaffers (15-35 lbs.) are still out in the 70-mile range (offshore of the break), with a handful of fish being caught while out trolling on the break.
Bottom fishing is as good as it gets. Lots of scamps and gags are in the 130-250’ range, and yelloweye snapper, triggerfish, and vermilion snapper are in the same areas.
Solid black sea bass are mixed in over nearshore structure.
King mackerel are showing up in the 80-100’ range.
Mack Welborn, of Raleigh, landed this 25″ red drum in a creek near Sunset Beach using a soft shell crab. He was fishing with Capt. Tripp Hooks of Capt’n Hook Outdoors.
Philip, of Rod and Reel Shop, reports that inshore anglers have been enjoying strong red drum action up along grass lines.
Flounder have clearly started to arrive, and they are mostly striking at the same live or artificial baits being used to target reds.
Anglers fishing fiddler crabs or shrimp around the docks are catching some black drum and sheepshead.
Deeper inshore holes are holding whiting and all the croakers you can stand.
Out in the surf, anglers are seeing a mixed bag of whiting, croakers, sharks, bluefish, and some pompano.
Nearshore, anglers are catching spanish mackerel and (still) the occasional Atlantic bonito, though this should be the last of them. Clarkspoons behind planers or Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnows have been the top lures for this trolling bite.
King mackerel have started to make a showing, with catches anywhere from the beach out to 10 miles. This spring bite can be hard to lock down as these fish move in and out quickly. Both live bait and dead cigar minnows have been enticing strikes.
Anglers are starting to see the first mahi from offshore runs, as well as some large grouper.
Jerry, of Ocean Isle Beach Fishing Pier, reports that the majority of catches are whiting and croakers.
When water conditions are clean, anglers are seeing spanish mackerel and bluefish in good numbers.
