Southern District Fishing Report —
Pender, New Hanover and Brunswick Counties
Contact: Dennis Trowell (Dennis.Trowell@ncdenr.gov)
For the week of Aug. 7-13
Ocean: Offshore, the wahoo fishing began to heat up, and most of the fish caught weighed in the 35-pound to 45-pound range (a few were larger). Bottom fishing improved, as well, with some good catches of scamp and red groupers. Closer to shore, king mackerel were caught around the 23-mile rock area, along with a few gaffer dolphin and an occasional sailfish. Fishing on nearshore reefs produced flounder, gray trout, and some over-the-slot red drum.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Fishing seemed to slow some with the heavy rains. Fishing was best for flounder, trout, and drum in the lower Cape Fear River from Snow’s Cut to Southport, and in the bays and creeks behind Bald Head Island. Fishing the waters of lower Brunswick County and from Ocean Isle to Calabash has been good all summerl. Sheepshead and large adult red drum were caught around the Masonboro and Little River rock jetties. A few tarpon were caught behind Battery Island, but the best fishing seemed to be off the point of Bald Head Island on Frying Pan shoals.
Piers/Surf: Pier fishermen continued to catch low numbers of sea mullets, pompano, red drum and black drum and keeper flounders. There were a few days with wind out the northeast that caused mullets to run down the beach, but for the most part it was typical late summertime fishing. Anglers fishing from the surf caught much the same, but with a few more black drum and red drum than were caught on the piers.
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)
Arecreational 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.
