Central District Fishing Report —
Pamlico, Craven, Carteret and Onslow Counties  Contact: Jesse Bissette (Jesse.Bissette@ncdenr.gov) For the week of Aug. 12-19 Ocean: Boats trolling offshore had good catches of wahoo, and a few of the fish were citation- size fish. Dolphin and blackfin tuna were caught as well. Those fishing the bottom offshore had good luck catching amberjack and grouper, along with some vermilion snapper, triggerfish, and black sea bass. Closer to shore, anglers had success light lining live bait over the artificial reefs for king mackerel and large Spanish mackerel. Many of the Spanish mackerel were citation-size fish. Those trolling for Spanish mackerel saw inconsistent catches. Anglers who put the time in were generally rewarded with some fish to bring back to the dinner table, but there weren’t many full coolers. A few bluefish were caught by those trolling as well. Fishermen targeting flounder around the nearshore ledges and reefs caught some keeper fish. Live mullet on a Carolina rig was the most productive bait.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: The big red drum bite on the Neuse was pretty sporadic. Anglers throwing popping corks around schools of menhaden over shoals had the most success, although soaking dead bait did catch a few fish. Anglers caught smaller red drum fishing the marshes; most of the fish were very small, but there were a few slot sized fish in the mix. Spotted seatrout were caught in the deeper holes of the marshes. Soft plastics and live bait caught the majority of the fish. The N.C. Port wall and the docks along the Intracoastal Waterway gave up some flounder to those targeting them, although most were too small to keep. Live bait on a Carolina rig worked well, as did jigs and other soft plastics. Bottom fishermen in the Port turning basin and Bogue Sound caught Atlantic croaker and pigfish, along with a handful of spot, weakfish, and pufferfish. Good eating-sized black drum and sheepshead were caught by anglers fishing with fiddler crabs around area bridges.
Piers/Shore: Fishing on area piers and in the surf was pretty slow. Anglers throwing plugs early in the morning were able to catch a handful of bluefish and Spanish mackerel, but the action was definitely not fast-paced. Live bait fished off the end of the piers tricked a few nice sized Spanish. A handful of flounder were caught by those fishing in the surf with mullet on a Carolina rig. Bottom fishermen landed a mixed bag of pompano, sea mullet, spadefish, and croaker.
For the fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (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 Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional Highly Migratory Species harvest reporting requirements are also in place. To obtain a permit go to: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/compliance/permits_reporting/index.html Report a tagged fish 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 fishing license went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state's coastal and ocean waters. Click here for the latest seasons, size and bag limits. Please note: New reports are usually posted by early Monday afternoon. |
