When I think of June I think of summer and summer fishing; longer days, lighter winds and hot temps make June one great fishing month! June around Wrightsville Beach is the time of the year where if one species of fish is not biting, you can easily go find another one to fish for. Here are some of the fish I target on a daily basis in June.
Flounder are really getting their act together by June. You can find flounder just about anywhere when June rolls in. Just knowing where to look to find the keepers is the key! In the Wrightsville area, I look for keeper flounder around deeper channel drop-offs in waters of five to 15 feet deep. The local inlets, Carolina Beach, Masonboro, Mason’s and Rich’s, are always a good place to find some keeper-sized flounders. Last, but certainly not least, are the artificial reefs, ledges and hard/live bottoms from one to ten miles off the beach. These areas always hold very nice flounder in June.
If you want to go the artificial route for catching flounder, try bigger baits; this will help you catch more keeper-sized flounder. I prefer Berkley Gulp five- and six-inch Jerkshad in colors pearl white, chartpepper/neon and new penny. Two other great flounder baits are the Berkley Gulp Mud Minnow and Ripple Mullet patterns. These baits are great for casting up and down inshore drop-offs in creek channels. I rig these baits on jig heads in sizes from 1/4-ounce, 3/8-ounce and 1/2-ounce weights, and in red, gray and brown colors.
If you would like to go with live bait for the flounders, try mud minnows, small mullets or small menhaden as live bait. Rig these live baits on Carolina rigs with an Eagle Claw L 042 1/0 hook and eight to 15 inches of 30- to 40-pound clear mono or fluorocarbon as leader. I prefer egg sinkers as my weight. The secret to how much weight you use is the old rule “as much as you need to stay on the bottom but the least as you can get away with!”
Redfish are in their summer trend by June and the trick to summer reds is go early before the sun is high in the sky. Topwater lures and rattling corks in the shallow waters early mornings and late afternoons will produce redfish. Working grubs like Berkley Gulp three-inch shrimp later in the day in deeper waters will also produce reds for you. Slow-rolling spinner baits with a Berkley Gulp Ripple Mullet in the color root-beer gold/chart tail as the trailer has produced me some nice reds when the water heats up. Sometimes it can be just like fishing in colder mouths…slow down your presentation a little when the water gets hot. Give the redfish a little more time to catch up with your bait.
Cobia fishing is in full swing by early June and should be good until early July. I look for cobia around inlets, shoals and bait schools; near shore/offshore reefs and ledges are all good places to look. With the water being so clear in June, it is easier to see those brown logs swimming in the water and when I see them I throw big jigs, swimbaits and live bait to the cobia. Color really does not seem to matter for the jigs; but “go bright” (Blue Water Candy makes some nice ones!) When I’m not sight-casting for them, we are fishing around inlets, shoals and near shore artificial reefs. I float fish, bottom fish and kite fish in these areas with live menhaden, blues and mullet as bait. You can chum if you like, but the sharks and rays will come and they will come in numbers!
Tackle run down: PENN Battle Spinning reels in 3000 & 4000 sizes for the redfish and flounder. For cobia: PENN Battle 6000 & 7000 and Fathom 15, 25N casting reels. For rods: Fenwick HMG and PENN Legions 6’6” & 7’ medium and med/heavy for the redfish and flounder. Rods for cobia: Ugly Stik Tiger Lite Jigging series and PENN Bluewater Carnage. For line: Spiderwire Ultra-cast in 15- and 20-pound test and Berkley Big Game mono in 30- and 40-pound test for the cobia.
I hope June fishing is good to you and thanks for reading Coastal Angler Magazine!
Forecast by: Capt. Jot Owens
Penn Tackle Elite Staff
Ranger Boats Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com • 910-233-4139
