Topsail/Sneads Ferry – June 2025
Devon, of East Coast Sports, reports that inshore anglers are seeing red drum get more active and work back into the waterways.
Some speckled trout are being hooked, though mostly by the early morning topwater anglers.
Black drum are being caught with shrimp around hard structure.
Nearshore anglers are landing a lot of spanish mackerel.
King mackerel are being found anywhere from the beach out to 15 miles.
Some of the deeper wrecks (10-mile range) are seeing amberjack move back in.
Offshore, runs into the 30-40 mile range are producing gaffer-sized mahi and wahoo.
Mike, of Native Son Guide Service, reports that black drum action has been fairly reliable, with nice-sized fish (to 22”) being caught with cut shrimp.
It’s important to note that the bait stealer species are back in, so anglers should be sure to carry extra bait on trips.
Red drum (22-27” range) are feeding well and are now in their more scattered summer patterns. Anglers are having some success very early in the day (first hour or so) with topwater plugs, and after the early morning, it is best to stick to either cut menhaden or mullet. That extra scent in the water has really helped the bite.
Loads of flounder are mixed in for anglers bouncing soft plastics along the bottom.
Bluefish (2-3 lb. range) are all over the bigger creeks and the channels closer to the inlets.
Nearshore runs are seeing some solid spanish mackerel fishing. The rain can push the bait and the spanish further offshore, but soon enough they will move back into the 15-30’ range.
Bottom fishing for black sea bass and grunts in the 45-50’ areas has been another good option.
Anglers off the beach this time of year should aways have a cobia rod set up and close by. While bottom fishing, check around schools of menhaden or turtles on the way out, and simply keep an eye out in case they cruise right up to check out the boat.
Ricky, of Speckled Specialist Charters, reports that the speckled trout fishing keeps getting better. Live shrimp has been showing up in the area and has been a game-changer in success rates. Floating live shrimp under a slip-cork around bridges and docks has been a top tactic. Topwater plugs are producing good numbers, and plugs with “pink” or “salt & pepper” color patterns have been other recent favorites.
Both of these tactics are also showing success with the red drum that are getting more active in the area.
Aaron Harrison, of Wilmington, with an upper-slot redfish caught on a 4″ Saltwater Assassin sea shad behind Topsail Island. He was fishing with Capt. Allen Jernigan of Breadman Ventures Guide Service.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that the spanish mackerel are biting. Plenty of these spanish are in the 14-16”+ range, with some 2+ lb. fish also starting to mix in. The larger fish are mostly coming from casting small metal jigs. For numbers, #00 Clarkspoons in the pink/silver color pattern has been a top producer.
Bottom fishing, when the weather allows boats to push a little deeper, is producing gag grouper that are biting on cut cigar minnows and boston mackerel.
Amberjack have started to move in around larger structures in the 50-70’ range.
Those that are getting out into 100’+ are seeing large black sea bass and vermilion snappers to add to the box.
Joe, of Atlantic Sportfishing, reports that anglers have been catching plenty of gag grouper in the 60-90’ range.
Vermilion snapper, triggerfish, and black sea bass are being caught when targeting structure a little deeper.
King mackerel are here, with the bite ranging anywhere from the beach out to 15 miles.
Offshore, the mahi bite has kicked off in the Stream, and as water temperatures warm up in the coming weeks, these fish will move nearshore. Anglers are favoring ballyhoo with skirts in blue/white, pink/white, and green/pink color patterns.
Wahoo and some blackfin tuna are mixed in on these trolling trips. With the wahoo, it’s a good idea to have something with purple/black in the spread, whereas tuna can’t resist a Green Machine running behind something with splash (such as a bird teaser).
Jeremy Tritt, of Mocksville, with a 22″ black drum caught from the surf next to Jolly Roger Pier. He was using shrimp on a Pompano rig.
Taylor, of South End Adventures, reports that nearshore trips are having plenty of success catching spanish mackerel on Clarkspoons behind planers. Most of the fish are coming from either right around the inlet during rising tides or over hard bottoms and ledges in the 40-50’ depth range.
Atlantic bonito are still scattered in the catches, though the warming water temperatures should have them moving out soon.
Some king mackerel are being caught along the beaches. For more consistent king action, anglers are running out to the 10-20 mile range and pulling Drone spoons and Sea Witches with cigar minnows for “snake” sized fish.
This 10-20 mile range also has productive bottom areas, with catches of keeper grouper, black sea bass, and some big grunts.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that casting anglers are consistently catching spanish mackerel and bluefish.
Bottom fishing efforts are producing mixed bags of black drum, Virginia mullet, croakers, speckled trout, and some large pompano (to 4 lbs.)
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that bottom fishing anglers have seen catches of pompano, sea mullet, sheepshead, spots, speckled trout, and pigfish.
Some spanish mackerel (to 4+ lbs.) and bluefish have been showing up for anglers casting plugs.
Tyler, of Seaview Pier, reports that with water temperatures pushing up, the king mackerel bite has slowed a little, but large spanish mackerel have moved in. Spanish and bluefish are being caught by casting diamond jigs and Gotcha plugs in the early mornings.
Speckled trout are being caught with live shrimp under corks, and some sheepshead are being caught off the pilings.
