June will see lots of kings all the way from the beach to the stream. 7-18 miles will be a great place to find school kings in good numbers. Dead bait rigs or lures will usually work better for these fish as you can cover more ground. The big kings will be on the beach but will not be fooled as easily. Live blues or menhaden for those boys will be the ticket.
Spanish will be on the feed right outside the inlet on the tidelines. Yo-zuri deep divers and Clarkspoons will be the ticket for the school fish but live mullet on a cork rig will be the heat for the larger fish.
We will see good numbers of over-slot reds on the surf at Lea Island, as well as along the south end of Topsail. Gold Hopkins and Kastmasters are great lures or, for live bait, use live finger mullet on slider rigs with circle hooks.
The mahi mahi will have moved inshore by June. The 200/200 Ledge and 23-mile Rock are great places to locate mahi. Last year quite a few mahi were caught as close in as three miles off the beach, and this should be the case this year as well. You can troll for them in the same manner as you would the kings. Make sure you have a spinning rod at the ready with a 3/0 circle hook and some cut bait in case the schoolies show up. If they do, make sure you try and let the bait fall at a natural pace.
Sheepshead will go on the feed on most inshore pilings and oyster beds. The drawbridge at Topsail always holds some really nice fish in good numbers. The Hwy 172 bridge is another great place to find them. Baiting up with sand fleas or one-armed bandits will fill the cooler. The ocean piers are also a great place to catch sheepshead as well. Keep your leaders short and make sure you have a sharp hook and strong line.
Capt. Chris Medlin
East Coast Sports
910-328-1887
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