Central District Fishing Report —
Pamlico, Craven, Carteret and Onslow Counties
Contact:Jesse Bissette (Jesse.Bissette@ncdenr.gov)
For the week of July 10-17
Ocean: Offshore boats continued to catch plenty of dolphin, though most were on the small side. A few blackfin tuna and wahoo were caught and a good number of billfish were released, as well. Those bottom fishing offshore brought black sea bass, gray triggerfish, vermilion snapper, grouper, and amberjack back to the docks. Spanish mackerel and bluefish were caught by anglers trolling the beaches. Undersized and barely legal king mackerel were caught, as well. Anglers jigging around nearshore artificial reefs caught flounder. Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Anglers fishing very early in the morning using top-water lures saw some great spotted seatrout action in the marshes. There wasn't a huge number of fish around, but those that were caught were very large. Anglers caught red drum in the same areas using both live bait and artificial lures. They caught flounder near the N.C. Port wall and the U.S. Coast Guard Station at Fort Macon. Anglers bottom fishing in the state port turning basin caught croaker, pigfish, weakfish and pinfish. Sheepshead were caught using fiddler crabs and sea urchins around area structure. Piers/Surf: Muddy water again limited the catches on area piers. Anglers throwing plugs managed to land a few Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Those fishing the bottom caught black drum, pinfish, puffers, stingrays and small sharks.
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 Speciesharvest 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 smallking mackerel withSpanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make sure you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here) Arecreational fishing licensewent into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state's coastal and ocean waters. Clickherefor the latest seasons, size and bag limits. Please note: New reports are usually posted by early Monday afternoon. | 
