North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Records
North Carolina has always had some of the most fertile waters in the world. The protection of the outer banks, numerous estuaries and sounds, and the nutrient rich waters of the Gulf Stream all come together in just the right way to make North Carolina a true fisherman's paradise. Our great state's coast boasts no less than 4 world all-tackle records for saltwater catches.
Do you want to see how that last big catch stands up to the state records, or do you just need a good dose of humility to help your fishing karma? North Carolina's fishing records are impressive and they can make even a seasoned angler read the weight twice. A 31 pound bluefish or a 94 pound red drum are enough to make for a good year, let alone a good weekend. An 1,100 pound marlin or a 100 pound sailfish just aren't fish that you come across very often so it's sometimes nice to check out the fishing records to see what's possible. No matter how much that record breaking fish was, or how long ago it was caught, there are bigger fish in the sea just waiting to be caught.
The following saltwater fishing records for the state of NC are provided by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NC DMF). If you have questions about the official North Carolina fishing records you can visit their web site by clicking here.
Updated January 17, 2013 |
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FISH |
WEIGHT |
LOCATION CAUGHT |
YEAR |
ANGLER |
Albacore (false) |
26 lb. 8 oz. |
Off Wrightsville Beach |
1991 |
Lyman Kinlaw, Jr. |
Albacore |
62 lb. 0 oz. |
Off Oregon Inlet |
2001 |
Brien L. Hamer |
Amberjack |
126 lb. 7 oz. |
Off Swansboro |
2008 |
Michael Krantz |
Barracuda |
67 lb. 7 oz. |
Cape Lookout |
1985 |
Buddy D. Garten |
Bass, Black Sea |
8 lb. 12 oz. |
Off Oregon Inlet |
1979 |
Joe Mizelle |
Bass, Striped |
64 lb. 0 oz. |
Off Oregon Inlet |
2005 |
Keith Angel |
Bluefish* |
31 lb. 12 oz. |
Cape Hatteras |
1972 |
James Hussey |
Cobia |
116 lb. 8 oz. |
Oregon Inlet |
2006 |
Billy R. Lucas, Jr. |
Croaker |
5 lb. 0 oz. |
Oregon Inlet |
1981 |
Daniel Graber |
Dolphin |
79 lb. 0 oz. |
Cape Hatteras |
1993 |
Sean J. Yurkanin |
Drum, Black |
100 lb. 1 oz. |
Cape Fear River |
1998 |
Charles R. Dycus |
Drum, Red* |
94 lb. 2 oz. |
Hatteras Island |
1984 |
David G. Deuel |
Flounder |
20 lb. 8 oz. |
Carolina Beach |
1980 |
Harold Auten |
Grouper, Gag |
46 lb. 0 oz. |
Off Ocean Isle Beach |
2011 |
Timothy Gallimore |
Grouper, Red |
33 lb. 8 oz. |
Off Atlantic Beach |
2007 |
Chuck Deeter |
Grouper, Strawberry |
28 lb. 8 oz. |
Off Topsail Beach |
1972 |
Jackie Blanchard |
Grouper, Warsaw |
245 lb. 0 oz. |
Wrightsville Beach |
1967 |
Cora Keen |
Grouper, Yellowfin |
42 lb. 10 oz. |
Off Carolina Beach |
2009 |
Michael Hall |
Grunt, White |
4 lb. 8 oz. |
Off Cape Lookout |
1969 |
Vernon Councilman |
| Hogfish* | 21 lb. 6 oz. |
Frying Pan Shoals | 2005 |
Derek Williams |
Jack, Crevalle |
47 lb. 0 oz. |
Off Cape Hatteras |
1989 |
Kenneth O. McArthur |
Kingfish, Northern |
3 lb. 8 oz. |
Bogue Banks Pier |
1971 |
Ted Drinnon |
King Mackerel |
82 lb. 4 oz. |
Off Ocracoke |
1999 |
James Winch |
Spanish Mackerel* |
13 lb. 0 oz. |
Ocracoke Inlet |
1987 |
Robert Cranton |
Marlin, Blue |
1,228 lb. 8 oz. |
Off Oregon Inlet |
2008 |
Trey Irvine |
Marlin, White |
118 lb. 8 oz. |
Off Oregon Inlet |
1976 |
Ethel B. Cootes |
Mullet, Sea |
3 lb. 8 oz. |
Bogue Banks Pier |
1971 |
Ted Drinnon |
Perch, White |
1 lb. 13 oz. |
Pembroke Creek |
1986 |
John David Stallings |
Pigfish/Hogfish |
2 lb. 4 oz. |
Atlantic Ocean |
1991 |
Walter M. Campbell |
Pinfish |
2 lb. 14 oz. |
Off Beaufort Inlet |
2006 |
Hope L. Sanderson |
Pompano, African |
40 lb. 10 oz. |
Southport |
2003 |
Brandon D. Matthews |
Pompano, Florida |
8 lb. 0 oz. |
Carolina Beach |
2001 |
John F. Vickers |
Porgy, Jolthead |
11 lb. 8 oz. |
South Hatteras Inlet |
1978 |
Norman C. Morse |
Porgy, Saucereye |
13 lb. 2 oz. |
Off Cape Lookout |
1987 |
Glenn D. Greer |
Sailfish |
100 lb. 0 oz. |
Off Ocean Isle |
1987 |
John P. Grooms, Jr. |
Scamp |
27 lb. 1 oz. |
Off Atlantic Beach |
2012 |
Toby Grantham |
Shark, Blue |
478 lb. 0 oz. |
Crystal Fishing Pier |
1961 |
Bobby Kentrolis |
Shark, Dusky |
610 lb. 0 oz. |
Nags Head Pier |
1963 |
Robert T. Keller |
Shark, Hammerhead |
710 lb. 0 oz. |
Nags Head Pier |
1960 |
Robert T. Keller |
Shark, Lemon |
421 lb. 8 oz. |
Kure Beach Pier |
1978 |
Stanley Seawell |
Shark, Mako |
768 lb. 0 oz. |
Off Oregon Inlet |
1983 |
Russell J. Langford |
Shark, Scalloped Hammerhead |
234 lb. 0 oz. |
South of Cape Point |
1990 |
Timothy P. Harlow |
Shark, Thresher |
185 lb. 0 oz. |
Off Oregon Inlet |
2005 |
Brandon Bailey |
Shark, Tiger |
1,150 lb. 0 oz. |
Yaupon Beach Pier |
1966 |
Walter Maxwell |
Sheepshead |
19 lb. 4 oz. |
Off Oregon Inlet |
1999 |
Chris Robbins |
Snapper, Cubera |
46 lb. 8 oz. |
Atlantic Ocean |
1993 |
Edward W. Ruskowsky |
Snapper, Red |
40 lb. 0 oz. |
Off Cape Lookout |
1970 |
Ben Grant |
Snapper, Vermillion |
6 lb. 9 oz. |
Off Ocean Isle |
2009 |
Todd Helf |
Spadefish, Atlantic |
11 lb. 3 oz. |
Off Hatteras Village | 2009 |
Steven C. Chadwick |
Spearfish, Longbill |
98 lb. 0 oz. |
Off Cape Hatteras |
1978 |
John R. Windsor |
Spot |
1 lb. 13 oz. |
Manns Harbor |
1979 |
Hubert Basnight |
Swordfish |
441 lb. 0 oz. |
Off Wrightsville Beach |
1979 |
J. Horace Murray, Jr. |
Tarpon |
193 lb. 5 oz. |
Sea View Pier |
2008 |
Malcolm Condie |
Tautog |
19 lb. 0 oz. |
Off Oregon Inlet |
1992 |
Louis M. Knoerzer |
Tilefish, Blueline |
16 lb. 8 oz. |
Off Oregon Inlet |
2006 |
Terry M. Shepherd |
Tilefish, Golden |
45 lb. 0 oz. |
Off Cape Hatteras |
2010 |
Guy R. Jones |
| Tilefish, Sand* | 4 lb. 5 oz. |
Off Oak Island |
2004 |
Frank L. Ballas |
Triggerfish, Gray |
11 lb. 6 oz. |
Morehead City |
1992 |
Annette F. Carrico |
Triggerfish, Queen |
10 lb. 11 oz. |
Off Jacksonville |
2012 |
Benjamin Peterson |
Trippletail |
27 lb. 7 oz. |
Ocean Crest Pier |
2009 |
Thomas M. Cutler |
Trout, Gray |
14 lb. 14 oz. |
Nags Head Surf |
1980 |
Sterling L. Ammons |
Trout, Speckled |
12 lb. 4 oz. |
Wrightsville Beach |
1961 |
John R. Kenyon, Jr. |
Tuna, Bigeye |
311 lb. 8 oz. |
Off Oregon Inlet |
1992 |
Clarence N. Cook |
Tuna, Blackfin |
40 lb. 11 oz. |
Off Oregon Inlet |
2011 |
Michael Accattato |
Tuna, Bluefin |
805 lb. 0 oz. |
Off Oregon Inlet |
2011 |
Corey Schultz |
Tuna, Yellowfin |
237 lb. 0 oz. |
Off Cape Lookout |
1979 |
James Mixon, Jr. |
Tuna, Skipjack |
22 lb. 3 oz. |
Off Wrightsville Beach |
1968 |
J.W. Johnson, Jr. |
Wahoo |
150 lb. 0 oz. |
Ocracoke |
1994 |
Kevin M. Elwell |
*World All Tackle Record
Questions concerning these records? Contact
Carole Willis via e-mail or at 800-682-2632.
