Southern District Fishing Report —
Pender, New Hanover and Brunswick Counties
Contact: Dennis Trowell (Dennis.Trowell@ncdenr.gov)
For the week of Sept. 11-17
Ocean: Offshore wahoo fishing continued with anglers typically catching two to six fish a trip and some of the fish weighing up to 70 pounds. Anglers also caught good numbers of sailfish and some dolphin. Bottom fishing was outstanding in wasters 40 to 45 miles from shore. Anglers caught their limits of huge vermilion snapper, triggerfish, and scamp groupers. Closer to shore, in the 15- to 25-mile range, the fall gag grouper bite was excellent, and anglers caught lots of nice size fish weighting between 75 and 85 pounds. Fishing on nearshore reefs produced outstanding gulf flounder catches along with some big Spanish mackerel and red drum.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Anglers continued to catch solid numbers of trout, drum, and flounder. The jetties at Masonboro Island and Little River was the hot spot for over-the-slot red drum, but the spotted seatrout were biting in the Cape Fear River north of Snow’s Cut. The lower Cape Fear River between Snow’s Cut and Southport was the place to find flounder. Good numbers of black drum showed up in area creeks and bays around docks and oyster rocks. The highest numbers came from the bays behind Bald Head Island and in lower Brunswick County around the Sunset Beach Bridge. Sheepshead were biting well around the ADM Dock and the Hole in the Wall in the second bay at Fort Fisher.
Piers/Shore: Fishing improved over previous weeks, and anglers caught sea mullet, pompano, bluefish, red drum, black drum, and some keeper flounder. There were a few king mackerel caught on area piers in Oak Island. Surf fishing produced similar catches with pompano, sea mullet, and both species of drum dominating.
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.
