Top 5 Inshore Fishing Techniques June 2025

June 5, 2025

I’m standing in ankle-deep water on the edge of an oyster bar, watching the tide begin to turn. A gentle current break forms where the channel meets the grass flat in front of me. The sun has just cracked the horizon, painting everything in gold as the world wakes up, pelicans squawk near the inlet, and mullet leap freely across the surface.

This is June.

In a few hours, the heat will be hellish, and I’ll be back at the dock, cold drink in hand. But right now? I’m locked in on this brief, magical window when inshore fishing is at its best.

I send a Rapala Skitterwalk across the break and begin a steady retrieve. Twitch, pause, twitch. As it skitters over the flat, a few finger mullet scatter. Then, an explosion. A speckled tail flashes, my lure vanishes, and the rod bows heavy. I’m on.

This is the beauty of summer fishing. The hours right after sunrise and again just before sunset offer a short reprieve from the sweltering heat. The fish know it, and they feed hard.

**1. Why June 2025 is Prime for Inshore Fishing

June is the tipping point. Water temps are up, but not yet boiling. Bait is flooding the marsh. Shrimp, pogies, mullet, and everything that feeds on them are fully awake.

Speckled trout are stacking in salty outer bays to spawn, while reds roam the flats, hunting along grass lines and oyster bars. With the right tide and a bit of early light, it all clicks. If you're waiting for “perfect” conditions, this is it.

**2. What Gear Do You Actually Need

I keep things simple when I’m fishing inshore. There’s no need to haul around a full tackle shop. Most of the time, I’m throwing artificials, and my bag stays light and efficient.

**Here’s what I pack:

• Topwater lures****A few walk-the-dog style plugs (like the Rapala Skitterwalk). These are go-tos in low light when fish are feeding aggressively near the surface.
• Jig heads** (⅜–¼ oz)**I pair these with Gulp Swimming Mullets or shrimp-style soft plastics. They’re deadly around oyster bars and drop-offs.
• Popping cork****A must-have, especially when the water is stained after summer rains. Paired with a DOA shrimp or live bait, it’s almost unfair. When using a popping cork setup, I’ll tie on about 18–24 inches of fluorocarbon leader. That extra length gives you a buffer if a fish takes the bait into oyster shells and starts fraying your line.

**For rods and reels:

• **Rod:**A medium-weight, fast-action rod is ideal. It gives you the sensitivity to feel subtle trout bites and enough backbone to drive a hook into a red’s tough jaw.
• **Reel:**A 3500–4500 size spinning reel matches up perfectly for this style of fishing—plenty of line capacity and drag power without overkill.

**Recommended Setup:

**Best Rod-Reel Combo for Inshore Fishing

• PENN Battle IV Spinning Reel and Fishing Rod Combo

** ****Main Line

• 30lb Braided Fishing Line

** ****Leader Material

• 20lb Fluorcarbon Leader

**3. Where to Find Redfish and Trout in the Summer

When the heat cranks up, finding cooler water becomes essential. Fish are still feeding, but they’re looking for places that offer temperature relief and ambush potential.

**Focus on areas like:

• Drop-offs at the edge of grass flats
• Oyster bars with nearby deeper pockets
• Creek mouths with consistent current

These spots allow fish to move between depths throughout the day and access food funneling through current seams. If you can find moving water and bait intersecting in one of these locations, you’re likely to find reds and trout hanging around, waiting to strike.

**4. Fishing with Live Bait

While I prefer throwing artificials, there are times when live bait simply outperforms everything else, especially on slower or high-pressure days.

**Two reliable live bait setups:

• Live shrimp under a popping corkDrift it across a creek mouth or along a current seam. If there are fish around, they won’t ignore it.
• Live bait on a jig headWhen fish are holding deeper, rig a live finger mullet, mud minnow, or shrimp on a jig head and cast it into channels or along the edge of a flat. This can entice bigger reds, and larger mullet can help weed out the smaller bites.

Even if you’re a die-hard artificial angler, keeping a few live bait tricks in your pocket can turn a slow morning into a productive one.

**5. Catch More Fish This June

Summer isn’t the time to hit snooze.

Set your alarm, brew that coffee, and get out on the water before the sun climbs too high. Those first couple of hours of light or the hour before sunset are when everything comes alive.

Whether you're in a skiff, a kayak, or just wading the flats barefoot, June is full of opportunity. Even if all you’ve got is a quick morning window before work, it’s worth making the cast.

The fish are out there. You just have to show up.