* * * IMPORTANT NOTICE * * *
You are currently viewing the old OUTDOOR CENTRAL.COM website ARCHIVES.  For the latest in hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation related news, and an ALL NEW experience, including user friendly navigation, search capabilities, an Outdoor Central Video Network, and more, be sure to visit our NEW WEBSITE, located at http://www.outdoorcentral.com.    Visit the new, improved website, you'll be glad you did!  CLICK HERE
 
9/18/2006

Regional Saltwater Fishing Reports

Northern District  Dare, Hyde, Currituck, & Beaufort Counties
Contact: Brian Melott September 17, 2006
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: Offshore success has been good when trips were made, which has been somewhat limited due to weather conditions.  Anglers that managed to fish caught limits of  both dolphin & yellowfin tuna, along with a few nice wahoo.  Midrange fishing was affected by weather conditions also.  Anglers still managed to catch a few nice blueline tilefish and black seabass.  Inshore success was moderate when weather permitted, catches were the same as mentioned in private boat report.

Headboats: Fishing was limited by weather conditions this past week with few trips made.  Fishing was slow, with a mixed bag of species being caught.  Bluefish, pigfish, croaker, spot, and silver perch were most prevalent.

Private Boats: Offshore & midrange success was exactly the same as mentioned in charter boat report.  Inshore success was limited by the weather, with moderate catches of flounder, croaker, spot, kingfish, and weakfish. Some large specimens of red drum & spotted seatrout were caught.

Piers: Anglers were happy with lots of spot caught. Bluefish, Spanish mackerel, croaker, red drum, silver perch, kingfish, and pompano were caught in moderate amounts.

Shore: Catches were similar to those of pier anglers with few exceptions.  Beach anglers had more success with spotted seatrout and pompano in the near shore surf-zone.  Red drum catches in the surf have improved throughout the Outer Banks region.

General Overview: Weather conditions limited fishing to some extent.  Fishing was good when weather permitted.  Weather conditions are predicted favorable for the coming week.

Central District  Pamlico, Craven, Carteret, & Onslow Counties
Contact: Suzanne Hill September 17, 2006
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.  Full day trips are catching grouper, snapper, grunts, porgies, triggers and jacks. Half day trips are coming in with  an assortment of flounder, trout and sea bass.

CharterBoats: Many trips were weathered out this past week. Half-day trips came in loaded with Spanish mackerel.  Full-day, offshore,  trips had wahoo and dolphin.  Sailfish, little tunny and king mackerel were also being caught.  Excellent catches of grouper were reported down off Onslow County. The smaller  guide boats are reporting  many undersized and oversized red drum catches.  The captains say it has been the best year in a long time for red drum fishing.

Private Boats: The water is like coffee in the Turning Basin of the state port. Anglers report throwback pigfish, croaker, spot, sea bass, rays, trout, bluefish and flounder. There are a few spots in Gallants Channel around the drawbridge. There are also a few spots around the Emerald Isle Bridge.  Small kings are still out Bogue Inlet, Spanish are still at the Cape as well as off the beaches down to the Sheraton Pier.  We did see some small bluefish caught in both Bogue and Beaufort Inlet .

Piers: I weighted a 5 pound red drum caught on the Sportsman Pier and a 2 pound black drum. Other than that, small fish everywhere- blues, pompano, croaker and spot.

Shore: No report.

Southern District  Pender, New Hanover, & Brunswick Counties
Contact: Dennis Trowell September 17, 2006
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:  When the weather finally cleared up, the full-day trips had some of the best catches of the year. Limits of vermilion snapper and groupers were reported as well as a host of other bottom fish. Half-day trips reported sea bass, flounders and some gray trout.

CharterBoats: Boats were only able to fish a couple of days last week, but produced good catches. Gulf stream trips produced wahoo along with a few blackfin tuna, dolphin, and some sailfish releases. Full-day trips had very good catches of grouper and other assorted bottom fish. Inshore charters reported some good flounder and trout fishing last week, despite dirty water conditions.

Private Boats: Offshore, there are some wahoo starting to show up along with some blackfins and dolphin. Grouper fishing is very good right now in the 35 to 45 mile range. I haven't heard any king mackerel reports since the rough weather we have had, but with all the bait on the beaches, they could show at any time. Near-shore reefs are producing large drum, fish up to 45 pounds, gray trout and flounders. The best flounder catches in the ocean are taking place off of New Hanover, Pender and Onslow counties. Inshore, the fishing is surprisingly good with the water conditions we are having and all the rain. There is a very good trout bite right now in the southern part of the river, with some very nice fish being caught, as well as some drum and flounders. There are some big drum being caught at both rock jetties right now, with the better bite down at Little River. All of these fish are way over the slot limit and have to be released.

Piers: Well its a little early, but the spots have shown up. They are not the big yellow bellies, but they are not bad size either. Along with the spots there are also some sea mullets, pompano's, both species of drum, flounders, and even some Spanish mackerel being pulled over the rails.

Shore: Lee Island, Masonboro Island, and Bald Head Island should be producing some drum right now. There should also be pompano, sea mullet, and bluefish biting as well.

 

 

<%server.execute "/search-similar.asp"%> Click Here To Return To The Previous Page
  <%server.execute "/bottom.asp"%>