Regional Saltwater Fishing Reports

Northern District  Dare, Hyde, Currituck, & Beaufort Counties
Contact: Brian Melott June 11
For the 2006 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.

Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)

A recreational Recreational Fishing License goes into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state's coastal and ocean waters. Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.

Charterboats: Fishing offshore has produced large yellowfin tuna, limits of dolphin, along with some wahoo and king mackerel.  Billfish catches are increasing.  Midrange catches are still good with blueline tilefish, black seabass, tautog, grouper, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish being caught.  Inshore catches have been slow with only a few spotted seatrout and bluefish being caught.
 

Headboats: Fishing has been slow to moderate with a mixed bag that includes pigfish, pinfish, skate, shark, croaker, seatrout, bluefish, and Spanish mackerel.

Private Boats: Catches similar to charter boats with the exception of more flounder being caught in the shallow waters of Oregon Inlet. We are seeing increasing numbers of cobia, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, spotted seatrout, weakfish, and crocker.  Sheepshead, tautog, and black seabass are being caught near the bridge pilings at Oregon Inlet.

Piers: Spotted seatrout are being caught in the early morning hours with bluefish, Spanish mackerel, kingfish, spot, and cobia being caught throughout the day.

Shore: Catches similar to piers with more spotted seatrout being caught in the surf zone from Oregon Inlet northward.  Anglers are catching more Spanish mackerel and bluefish when a fish “blitz” hits.  Increasing numbers of red drum are being caught from Avon southward.

General Overview: Water temperature in the surf (Kill Devil Hills-70°F) has helped to make all anglers happy, with better catches. Favorable weather trends are predicted for the coming week.     

Central District  Pamlico, Craven, Carteret, & Onslow Counties
 Contact: Suzanne Hill June 11
For the 2006 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.

Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)

A recreational Recreational Fishing License goes into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state's coastal and ocean waters.

Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.

Headboats: Fishing is great. Boats are catching red grouper and gags, beeliners and grunts.  Good catches of triggerfish , black sea bass and spottailed  porgies  abound. One spottail pinfish weighed 2 pounds.

CharterBoats: Dolphin large and small.  Anglers are reporting catches  from just about everywhere - Station Rock, the 90" Drop and the Big Rock, also "C"   Charlie buoy off Swansboro.King mackerel were found at Northwest places.  Bluefish and Spanish  are everywhere.

Private Boats:  Cobia are still around the Cape Lookout area. An 8-foot hammerhead shark was seen basking in the sun on the top of the water offshore.  Flounder around 2 to 3 pounds are being caught in Bogue Sound.  Spanish mackerel and bluefish are continuing to hang around both Beaufort and Bogue Inlets - also along the beaches.  Small boats are having great catches of dolphin.

Piers/Shore:  Spanish are still being hooked on the piers ( most are concentrated between Sportsmans Pier and the Sheraton Pier). Anglers are catching lots of pan-sized spots and pigfish. There are many undersized flounder tossed back . The  catches of Florida pompano have been surprising as they are large - up to 3 pounds. Again, bluefish are everywhere.  The biggest sea mullet I have seen all year were caught this week on sand fleas.

Southern District  Pender, New Hanover, & Brunswick Counties
 Contact: Dennis Trowell June 11
For the 2005 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.

Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)

A recreational Recreational Fishing License goes into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state's coastal and ocean waters.

Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.

Headboats:  Full/day trips are catching a little of everything. Vermilion snapper, groupers, triggerfish, and a host of other bottom fish. Half/day trips are producing sea bass, and some nice flounders.

 

CharterBoats: Gulf stream trips are slowing down. Boats that fished out there last week caught mostly dolphin, with a few wahoo reported as well. Full/day trips produced a variety of species last week. Grouper, red snapper, African pompano, cobia, and an assortment of bottom fish were caught. Inshore charters are catching flounder, drum and Spanish mackerel.

Private Boats: Offshore, boats fishing in the stream reported fair numbers of dolphin, with a hand full of wahoo. Grouper fishing remains good in the 30 to 40 mile range. Closer to shore, there were some nice king mackerel caught around Yaupon reef, along with some cobia . The flounder fishing is improving. Fish are being caught on the inside as well as in the ocean on near/shore reefs. There still is a good trout bite around Ocean Isle down to the Little River rock jetty.

Piers: Brunswick county piers report good trout fishing early in the morning on live shrimp, along with some flounder, drum, and Spanish mackerel. No king reports last week. New Hanover and Pender counties reported good Spanish mackerel along with some keeper flounder, sheepshead, and sea mullet. There were a few cobia caught as well.

Shore: Things are a little slow. Sea mullet, pompano, and blue were caught last week.

 

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