North Carolina Charters

Saltwater Fishing In North Carolina

North Carolina is famous for its great saltwater fishing. In fact, the state has produced several world-record fish. These include the redfish, the bluefish, the hogfish, the Spanish mackerel, and the sand tilefish. Along the coast are inlets, river mouths, sounds, and islands. The state’s Outer Banks, a 200-mile long chain of barrier islands, flank much of North Carolina’s coastline. The islands have long been the scene for a multitude of ship wrecks – so much so that the area is often referred to as “the graveyard of the Atlantic.” Also, off the coast of Cape Hatteras is the edge of the continental shelf. Even more important to the sportsfishing industry is the famous Gulf Stream.

To truly understand why the saltwater fishing in North Carolina is so awesome, you have to know a little about the Gulf Stream. Think of it as a wide underwater river. It brings warm water from the southern tip of Florida up along the eastern U.S. coast. Fish often use it as a “highway.” Off the coast of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, the Gulf Stream is only around 15 miles away. This means that anglers can be fishing the Stream with just a short boar ride, plus the Gulf Stream affects the water closer to the coast by having a warming effect.

Charter Fishing In North Carolina

One of the most famous “hitchhikers” in the Gulf Stream is the blue marlin, and the Outer Banks are world famous for blue marlin angling. For almost two decades, the state boasted the all-tackle world-record blue marlin, a monster that weighed 1,128 pounds. That record has since been broken. The current state record weighed 1,228.5 pounds, exceeding the former world record. Just think – a record blue marlin might be in your future! Book a North Carolina fishing charter to help realize your dream of landing a huge billfish.

In addition to blue marlin, there are several other prized fish that might be landed while trolling offshore. These include wahoo, dorado, king mackerel, and tuna. Wahoo are extremely fast fish and provide a lot of excitement when hooked. The largest one recorded in the state was a hefty 150 pounds. Dorado, or dolphinfish, are a beautiful iridescent blue and yellow that grow to over 60 pounds in North Carolina waters. The largest king landed in the state weighed in at 82 pounds, 4 ounces. Tuna species here include bigeye, blackfin, bluefin, yellowfin, and skipjack. The largest of these is the bluefin, and the state record fish weighed a whopping 744 pounds. Many North Carolina fishing charters have experienced fishing guides for locating these species.

As mentioned earlier, the waters off the coast of North Carolina are littered with wrecks. These create habitats for all kinds of fish, which can be hooked while bottom fishing. Catches include red, cubera, and vermillion snapper; strawberry, yellowfin, Warsaw, and red grouper; black sea bass; trigger fish; and amberjack. For bottom fishing, you can choose between a North Carolina fishing charter or a party boat.