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 champs, 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.
| Fish | Weight | Location Caught | Year | Angler |
| Albacore (False) | 26 lb.. 8 oz. | Off Wrighstville Beach | 1991 | Lyman Kinlaw, Jr. |
| Albacore (True) | 61 lb. 0 oz. | Off Oregon Inlet | 2002 | Timothy P. Burns |
| Amberjack | 125 lb. 0 oz | Off Cape Lookout | 1973 | Paul Bailey, Jr. |
| 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 | 62 lb. 0 oz. | Off Oregon Inlet | 2005 | David N. Hiebert |
| Bluefish* | 31 lb. 12 oz | Cape Hatteras | 1972 | James Hussey |
| Cobia | 113 lb. 6 oz | Cape Hatteras | 2003 | Lewis A. Boyd |
| 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, Strawberry | 28 lb. 8 oz. | Off Topsail Beach | 1972 | Jackie Blanchard |
| Grouper, Warsaw | 245 lb. 0 oz | Wrightsville Beach | 1967 | Cora Keen |
| Grunt, White | 4 lb. 8 oz. | Off Cape Lookout | 1969 | Vernon Councilman |
| Hog Snapper* | 21 lb. 6 oz. | Fry Pan Shoals | 2005 | Derek Williams |
| Hogfish/Pigfish | 2 lb. 4 oz. | Atlantic Ocean | 1991 | Walter M. Campbell |
| Jack, Crevalle | 47 lb. 0 oz | Off Cape Hatteras | 1989 | Kenneth O. McArthur |
| Mackerel, King | 82 lb. 4 oz | Off Ocracoke | 1999 | James Winch |
| Mackerel, Spanish* | 13 lb. 0 oz | Ocracoke Inlet | 1987 | Robert Cranton |
| Marlin, Blue | 1,142 lb. 0 oz | Oregon Inlet | 1974 | Jack Herrington |
| Marlin, White | 118 lb. 0 oz | Oregon Inlet | 1976 | Ethel B. Cootes |
| Mullet, Sea (Kingfish) | 3 lb. 8 oz | Bogue Banks Pier | 1971 | Ted Drinnon |
| Perch, White | 1 lb. 13 oz. | Pembroke Creek | 1986 | John David Stallings |
| Pinfish | 2 lb. 11 oz. | Off Beaufort Inlet | 2002 | Kevin R. Valla |
| 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. |
| 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 | Cape Lookout | 1970 | Ben Grant |
| Spadefish, Atlantic | 9 lb. 1 oz. | Off Oak Island | 2001 | Spencer Smith |
| 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 | 175 lb. 0 oz | Bogue Inlet Pier | 2005 | Jesse J. Lockowitz |
| Tilefish, Sand * | 4 lb. 5 oz | Off Oak Island | 2004 | Frank L. Ballas |
| Tautog | 19 lb. 0 oz | Off Oregon Inlet | 1992 | Louis M. Knoerzer |
| Triggerfish, Gray | 11 lb. 6 oz | Morehead City | 1992 | Annette F. Carrico |
| 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 |
| Tuna, Bigeye | 311 lb. 8 oz | Off Oregon Inlet | 1992 | Clarence N. Cook |
| Tuna, Blackfin | 39 lb. 0 oz. | Off Oregon Inlet | 2002 | Robert W. Spencer |
| Tuna, Bluefin | 744 lb. 0 oz | Off Oregon Inlet | 1995 | Thomas Bailey |
| Tuna, Skipjack | 22 lb. 3 oz. | Off Wrightsville Beach | 1968 | J.W. Johnson, Jr. |
| Tuna, Yellowfin | 237 lb. 0 oz | Atlantic Ocean | 1979 | James Mixon, Jr. |
| Wahoo | 150 lb. 0 oz | Ocracoke | 1994 | Kevin M. Elwell |
*World All Tackle Record
