North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
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Central District Pamlico, Craven, Carteret and Onslow Counties
Contact: Scott Smith

For the 2010 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (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 (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place. To obtain a permit go to: http://www.hmspermits.gov.

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. Be SURE to properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)

A recreational 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.

For the week ending August 28

Ocean: Plenty of Spanish mackerel, blues and king mackerel were caught close to shore, with anglers reporting their best luck using live menhaden for bait. Offshore anglers caught a few dolphin along with large numbers of large wahoo, amberjacks, king mackerel, and a couple of barracuda. A majority of the larger wahoo were caught 20 or more miles from shore. Closer to shore, catches consisted largely of dolphin and amberjacks. Those fishing on headboats saw good catches of large vermillion snapper, gag grouper, black sea bass, grey triggerfish, white grunt, amberjacks, and dolphin on light lines.

Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Anglers in Bogue Inlet reported flounders, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish. Small numbers of pigfish, pinfish, and small black sea bass were reported as well. Anglers in New River reported speckled trout, black drum, and small flounders. Beaufort Inlet anglers caught small cobia, bluefish, and large Spanish mackerel reported in the 6-pound range. Sheepshead were caught along bridge pilings using fiddler crabs and sea urchins, as were some red drum and flounders in the creeks. Anglers reported better luck with live shrimp or mullet, with some fish also caught on gulp baits. Juvenile sharks were out, biting on cut bait and bottom rigs. A number of large tarpon were reported in Core and Pamlico sounds. A few fishermen landed giants bottom fishing with cut bait or live menhaden.

Piers/Shore: On the piers juvenile sharks were caught in some abundance, along with high numbers of bluefish, Spanish mackerel, kingfishes (sea mullets), flounders, spadefish, spot, croaker and puppy drum. The king mackerel fishermen caught Spanish mackerel in the 3- to 5-pound range, king mackerel and an occasional tarpon.

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