N.C. Wildlife Resources
Commission
| Regional
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Northern
District Dare, Hyde, Currituck, & Beaufort
Counties
Contact: Brian Melott September
30, 2007
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 went into effect
Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state's coastal and ocean waters.
Tagged Red Drum:
Download PDF with reward details. |
Ocean: Offshore catches dropped off
considerably, with only a few yellowfin tuna and dolphin being
caught. Billfish catches slowed as well, with only a few sailfish
and marlin being landed. Midrange anglers caught some nice king
mackerel in the 10 to 15-mile range, but the consistent catches of
blueline tilefish, triggerfish, and hake seem to be a thing of the
past. Nearshore success rates remain good, with high volume amounts
of small bluefish making up the bulk of the catches. Anglers also
caught a few Spanish mackerel.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Spotted seatrout and weakfish kept trout
fisherman busy this week with most of them being caught in the very
shallow waters near land masses. Flounder catches made a modest
improvement, with more favorable keeper ratios than previously.
Striped bass were caught at Manns Harbor.
Piers/Shore: Spot and croaker filled up coolers this week,
with short duration/high volume catches occurring daily. Red drum
catches continued to increase, with most of them being in the legal
slot range. Pier and shore anglers are also sharing the bluefish
and Spanish mackerel with the nearshore boaters. Assorted others,
including kingfish, silver perch, skates, sharks, puffers, and
seatrout were caught.
General Overview: Rough seas and unfavorable
weather conditions limited opportunities this week. Cooling temps
and fair weather are predicted for the week ahead. Water temps in
the surf, (Kill Devil Hills) remain in the lower-mid 70s. |
Central
District Pamlico, Craven, Carteret, & Onslow
Counties
Contact:
Suzanne Hill September
30, 2007
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 went into effect
Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state's coastal and ocean waters.
Tagged Red Drum:
Download PDF with reward details. |
Ocean: Headboats are catching their
limits on vermilion snapper and pulling up a few grouper and
triggerfish here and there. The charter boats are catching wahoo and
mackerel. King and Spanish mackerel have been caught near 45-minute
rock in Bogue Inlet. Large kings have also been brought in from dead
tree hole and Reef AR-342. The dead tree hole area is full of
baitfish right now.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Bluefish are still running strong. Large
Blues are being caught right in both Beaufort and Bogue inlets.
Spanish and large red drum have also been turning up in Beaufort
Inlet. A few small spot have been caught in the turning basin of
the state port, under the Highway 58 Bridge and in Bogue Inlet. Over
the coming weeks the spot fishing should really pick up.
Piers/Shore: Bluefish are thick around the piers
and beaches. Good size blues and Spanish have been caught off of
both the Oceana and Bogue Inlet Fishing Piers. The small pier at
the foot of the Morehead/Beaufort Bridge has proven to be a choice
place for filling coolers with spot. |
Southern District Pender, New Hanover, &
Brunswick Counties
Contact:
Dennis Trowell September
30, 2007
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 went into effect
Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state's coastal and ocean waters.
Tagged Red Drum:
Download PDF with reward details. |
| Ocean: Offshore, when boats were able
to fish, the wahoo bite was on. No real big monsters, but lots of 35
to 45-pound fish. Closer to shore, the kings have moved in on the
beaches. There were a few days they caught them decent down off of
Southport, but the high winds have made it difficult to fish. When
the winds finally lay out a little, fishing should get good. There
still are some flounder catches coming off the near/shore reefs
along with some gray trout.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Fishing was about the same as last
week, or maybe a little slower. I did not hear of any trout catches,
but there are plenty of trout around in the Cape Fear and around
Southport. The flounder fishing, well it's been what's it been all
year - not too good. I saw fish over five pounds, just not too many
of them. The drum have become a lot more active over the last couple
of weeks. Fish are being caught in the bays and creeks, as well
along area rock jetties.
Piers/Shore: Two things stick out this week on area piers
- spots and king mackerel. First the spots - the best catches by far
are coming out of Onslow and Pender counties. South of that has been
slow. The king mackerel bite has had its moments in all three
counties. Topsail piers really smoked them over the weekend. Along
with the spots and kings there are some Spanish mackerel, sea
mullets, flounder, bluefish, and some black drum. |
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