Hard to believe it but it’s already June…the year is flying by! May fishing has been stellar with great catches of mahi and some good wahoo fishing as well in the first part of the month. There have even been some yellowfin tuna showing back up and the billfish got started about mid-month also. Now that June has arrived, it is time to get out there and catch some fish. Of course, here on the Crystal Coast all eyes will be on The Big Rock tournament to see who can win it all this year!
June fishing is typically very good, but always becomes a bit of a transition as well. The gaffer mahi fishing will still be good early in the month. As we move on into the month and the hot water continues to push inshore more and more, there will be a bit of a change. The smaller mahi will become more prevalent, but are usually in large groups so you can catch a bunch fast. The gaffers will still be around, just not as many. The fish are hungry and aggressive so they will hit most anything, but bright colors are always a good bet, as well as the old standby blue/white seawitch. Smaller baits can be very effective and once the little guys get thick many of us in the fleet will pull some “dolphin weenies” to increase the hookup ratio.
There will still be some wahoo around but they are not an everyday event in June. The blackfin tuna can occasionally be found and if you are prepared, you can catch a bunch in a hurry. Mini-green machines are a good, quick “go-to” bait if you find a school – put them in the water, get the boat in a circle and jig the baits over the school. Sailfish and white marlin are starting to show up more also.
June is an excellent time to catch the blue marlin you have been waiting for. The fish are here and generally are pretty aggressive. They are chewing on these smaller fish so they often pop up in your spread while you are after the gamefish. We often like to get out and look for some gamefish early, then shove out a bit deeper and try to add a bonus to the day. You can increase your chances by picking an area to start fishing that also has some decent-looking water offshore of you. That way, all you have to do is ease on out. The old standby blue/white Islander and horse ballyhoo combo is hard to beat. The Big Rock tournament is the largest blue marlin tournament on the East Coast and runs from June 8 – June 15; it is a lot of fun and worth checking out. Even if you are not fishing it, you can come down to the weigh-in and see the fish come in. They have a real-time vhf radio feed that is broadcast over the internet which is pretty cool. Since we only kill these fish during a tournament, it is one of the few chances you will get to see a large marlin, unless of course you manage to catch one.
The weather is getting better, the fishing is great with many options and opportunities. Get out there and catch some fish, if you don’t have a boat, then give us a call and we will get you out there! Like I said, great fishing with a chance to catch a fish of a lifetime. How can you beat that?
FORECAST BY:
Capt. Troy Pate, James Joyce II
252-917-0445 • www.moreheadcitycharter.com