Saltwater Fishing Report - Northern, Central, & Southern District
| Northern
District Dare, Hyde, Currituck, &
Beaufort Counties Contact: Eddie Chessick April 20, 2003 For the 2003 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. |
| Charterboats:
Yellowfin tuna fishing was fair to good this week along with
scattered wahoo. There were some dolphin and several sailfish
landed. Jumbo bluefish were caught about ten miles off the beach.
Headboats: Preparing for the coming season. Private Boats:Striped bass fishing was excellent in Croatan Sound. Piers:Depending on water conditions, anglers caught skates, croakers, northern puffers, sea mullet and some puppy drum. Shore: Northern puffers, small bluefish, scattered sea
mullet and a few grey trout were caught by fishermen this week. At
the Point, some puppy drum and scattered larger drum were landed. |
| Central
District Pamlico, Craven, Carteret,
& Onslow Counties Contact: Suzanne Hill April 20, 2003 For the 2003 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. |
| Headboats:Great
fishing. Catches of black sea bass, snapper, and grouper.
CharterBoats:More great fishing reported. Large yellowfin, huge wahoo, kings and small dolphin. Billfish are also being caught and released. Private Boats: Fishermen that can fight the waves and make it out are catching nice bluefish around the Cape and on Ar 315. Bluefish, northern kingfish and northern puffers are being caught all around the Beaufort Inlet and Shackleford Banks area. The fish are good sized. Small Spanish were caught on Ar 315. Chopper blues were reported on the Atlas Tanker. Piers: All piers report puffers, sea mullet and bluefish. Shore:Fort Macon fishermen had a productive week. A pair of red drum measuring 2 feet in length were caught one day. Also seen were nice black drum, and bluefish. Dredging is messing up several good fishing spots along the beach. |
| Southern
District Pender, New Hanover, &
Brunswick Counties Contact: Dennis Trowell April 20, 2003 For the 2003 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. |
| Headboats:Some
area head boats have began fishing on a limited bases, and are
reporting very good catches of black sea bass. Gulf stream trips are
producing various kinds of grouper, snapper, amberjacks, and king
mackerels.
CharterBoats: Gulfstream charters are reporting good tuna catches this week, with some boats reporting as many as a dozen yellowfin tuna, along with a few dolphin, wahoo's, and king mackerel. Private Boats: Offshore, spring time yellowfin tuna fishing has begun with some fair catches taking place this week. Places like the Swansboro hole and farther south to the Steeples are producing the best. Closer to shore, scattered king mackerel catches around frying pan tower, and closer to shore were favorable water temperatures exist. Inshore, Atlantic bonito are along area beaches and near shore reefs, early morning and late evening hours are producing the best results. Fair catches of black drum are being reported in the bays behind Bald head island, and there are still reports of speckled trout around Southport, Oak island area. Piers: Area piers are reporting some good runs of sea mullets, along with some good size spots. Bluefish and black drum were also reported this week. Shore:Some large bluefish were reported this week in Pender and New hanover counties, along with some smaller blues, sea mullets, and a fair number of black drum. |
