Southern District Fishing Report —
Pender, New Hanover and Brunswick Counties
Contact:Dennis Trowell (Dennis.Trowell@ncdenr.gov)
For the week of July 10-17
Ocean:Offshore fishing improved from the previous weeks and included catches of dolphin and good numbers of sailfish releases. Anglers targeting groupers and snappers caught their limits of vermilion snapper along with lesser amounts of scamp, gag, and red groupers. Closer to shore, king mackerel, dolphin, amberjacks and an increasing number of sailfish were caught in the 10-mile to 20-mile range. Nearshore reefs started yielding good numbers of flounder, some over-the-slot red drum and big spadefish. Spanish mackerel were caught along area beaches. Anglers also caught a lot of sharks behind shrimp boats working just off the beaches. Anglers who want to try for tarpon should fish on the shoals just off the point of Bald Head Island at night and in the deeper holes of the Cape Fear River or the channels behind Battery Island.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: The bite was good overalldespite the heat wave. The best catches continued to come from the creeks and bays behind Bald Head Island. Anglers reeled in decent numbers of spotted seatrout, red drum and black drum, along with some keeper flounder. Anglers also caught sheepshead and black drum at area jetties, docks, and bridges using fiddler crabs and mud crabs for bait. Some anglers beat the heat by fishing a night under dock and bridge lights. Those doing this caught ladyfish, bluefish, big spotted seatrout, red drum and some flounder.
Piers/Surf: Area piers reported typical summertime catches that included sea mullets, pompano, black drum, red drum and keeper size flounder. The king mackerel and Spanish mackerel fishing slowed some with the heavy rainfall, but pier fishermen still saw some good days catching Spanish mackerel in the early morning. Lots of sharks, mostly black tips and spinners, were caught on the ends of the piers by anglers targeting king mackerels. Those surf fishing on the barrier islands caught much the same, including red drum and black drum.
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.
