Top Water Charters Fishing Reports and News Beaufort Morehead City Atlantic Beach Pamlico Sound: July 2011

Sunday, July 31, 2011

July 30 Bluefish and Sand Tigers

Same mission as yesterday. Stuff the box, stuff the live well, and go find something huge. First thing in the morning, the Bluefish were there. A dozen black schools of them. Every cast. Three anglers hooked up. I even joined the fray. We bailed them. For an hour. Stingsilvers were flying and popping off. Bluefish everywhere. Then we went looking for a fight. Brandon was ready. The first bite was a let down. A freaking Sharpnose Shark on a butterflied 3 lb Bluefish. What a letdown. Next bite was a monster. Brandon aint no 7 year old like yesterdays "monster slayer" but the fight was similar. Then the hook popped out after 10 minutes and that Shark was still on the bottom. We never saw this Shark....... A few minutes later, Brandon released a 150 lb Sand Tiger and he did it in 3 minutes. Makes me wonder how big the other one was! After the Shark and facing a "pick up the girls" deadline, I made a critically bad decision to go Amberjack hunting. It was a failure. A 14 mile round trip to fish for 15 minutes. Duh. No Amberjacks present and we missed a Barracuda bite and had a few other Barracudas swarm us but the bait was too smart and hid under the swim platform behind the motor. I was furious, needless to say. Sorry guys, we should've gone Blacktipping.... Total Catch for the Day: 75 Bluefish up to 3 lbs, 2 Spanish Mackerel at 2 lbs, a 7 lb Sharpnose Shark, and a 150 lb Sand Tiger

Friday, July 29, 2011

July 29 Every Cast Bluefish, Deep Jigging Mackerel, and a 250 lb Shark

Yeah, it was worth the wait. The weather was much prettier today than yesterday. It worked out good for Chris and the Boys.... The worst part of our day was that I didnt have my camera! I missed alot of great action shots on Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel. The schools of Bluefish were insane today. We spent a couple of hours casting over thousands of 1-4 lb Bluefish. Stuffed the cooler and the live well. Then we headed to a wreck that was covered up with Spanish Mackerel. We caught a few, but we had bigger fish to fry. One drop to the bottom and we got what we were looking for and then some! An epic battle between a 7 year old boy and an 8 ft long Shark...... And, the boy won! Classic. Probably the second largest Shark ever on Top Water Charters.... Not counting the Basking Sharks we have snagged and released. Anyway, it was a great day, non-stop action, a never to be forgotten Shark for a kid, lots of good eating fish, and a mission accomplished! Total Catch for the Day: 60 Bluefish up to 4 lbs, 10 Spanish Mackerel up to 2 lbs, 1 Pinfish, 1 Inshore Lizardfish, 1 At Thread Herring, and a 8 ft long 250 lb Sand Tiger Shark

Thursday, July 28, 2011

July 28 Too Much Wind

I hope I did the right thing..... Chris had a AM halfday charter and since we were both free tommorrow, I decided that we should let this wind blow out and try again in the morning..... Hopefully, the winds will be lighter, the seas smaller, and the fish hungrier tommorrow.... In the meantime, Robin and I went swimming and hung out and had a great day.....and we didn't catch a single fish!

Monday, July 18, 2011

July 18 Awesome Fishing Period

Today was one of those days.... Very consistent and easy Spanish Mackerel up to 2 lbs on metal first thing in the morning. A leaping missile attacks of 100+ pound Blacktip Sharks in open water a few miles east.... Hammering a school of Spanish Mackerel... Watching them chase down and engulf live Mackerel right by the boat was incredible... Then 2 acres of 1-3 lb Bluefish on every cast and up to 4 per cast on one of my crazy rigs! Bigger Bluefish too. Heather lost a 4-5 pounder because I didn't get the net quick enough. Scott had a 1 lb Bluefish chomped in half by a larger Bluefish. Then we ended up the day with 65 and 75 lb Blacktips on live Bluefish and cut Mackerel in the skinny water. What a blast. Easy day and, of course, I got to go back to Hatteras tommorrow. Total Catch for the Day: 12 Spanish Mackerel, 60 Bluefish, and 3 Blacktip Sharks

Sunday, July 17, 2011

July 17 Robin, Mackerel, and a Shark

Today I took my new girlfriend, Robin, out for a boat ride. We frolicked in the water. We caught 50 Sand Dollars.... Then I hauled her into the Ocean. I nailed 5 Spanish Mackerel in 6 casts on metal. Then we shutdown to drift and relax. Of course, I had to drop a half Mackerel overboard and turn the clicker on. Great timing, Capt Marty. At least, I finally got a fishing picture of Robin to put up for those who have been asking.... Hopefully there will be lots of more to come, for a long, long time. Believe it or not, she is cooler and sweeter than she is HOT. That's a hard reality for me to deal with!!!! Yep, it seems Capt Marty is hooked and it feels like 200# and a circle hook. I'm finished..... Total Catch for the Day: 5 Spanish Mackerel and a 15 lb Blacktip Shark

July 16 Bluefish, Sharks, and East Wind

Today we had grand illusions of Dolphin on light tackle. Amberjacks, Kings, and Cudas. Unfortunately, the weather man gave us 15 kts of east wind and 3-5 foot seas that pretty much made life in open water miserable..... So we went to a sloppy spot and cast for Spanish Mackerel, then we went and caught some Bluefish from small up to 2 lbs. After looking at some places we "couldn't go to" we found a nice quiet place that was pretty active with Sharks. The highlight of the day? I had a good one when Stacie caught a 75 lb Blacktip Shark and a nightmare when I suffered a steering failure in the Tower and nearly wiped out a Boat and a family on the beach at Cape Lookout. I am truly sorry for scaring anybody! It will definitely not happen again. Total Catch for the Day: 30 Bluefish up to 2 lbs, 7 Spanish Mackerel up to 1 lb, a 50 lb Southern Stingray, 1 Hogfish, 1 Black Sea Bass, 5 Inshore Lizardfish, and a 75 lb Blacktip Shark

Friday, July 15, 2011

July 13 Blacknose and Blacktip Sharks

Kevin and family fish a great half day with me today. I took them to the "sure kill" Bluefish spot and loaded the live well with 1-2 lb Bluefish and put enough in the box to to make everyone happy. Then we left the Bluefish behind and went looking for a Shark. Now came the easy part. In the last hour of our trip, we caught 3 adult Blacknose Sharks, a 45 lb Blacktip Shark that was a perfect specimen, and also released a Southern Stingray. The Blacknose Sharks were really cool because we were catching them in 2 foot of water. Weight guesses where probably 35 lbs, 28 lbs, and 20 lbs. The Blacktip Shark was cool because he stripped 200 yds of line in 5 seconds and gave my thumb a burn like I haven't had since Dec of 1989. Great Day. Great Charter. Total Catch for the Day: 40 Bluefish up to 2+ lbs, 3 Blacknose Shark up to 35 lbs, 1 Southern Stingray, and 1 Blacktip Shark at 45 lbs

Thursday, July 7, 2011

July 7 Stuck on an Island

I'm back at Hatteras and I'm working a non-fishing shift, so I don't expect to catch anything much. But, I might get lucky, who knows! Next week, if the weather is decent, I would expect the fishing to be excellent. Lots of action, and hopefully, some big fish. I know they are here, just got to be able to get to them! My Open Dates are GONE. Sorry about that!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

July 4 Great Casting Action and Smoking Blacktips in Shallow Water

Honestly, today was too rough for a center console..... I am not taking somebody fishing to get paid. We are all in for catching, or all in for exploring... I figured out from pleading "its too rough" with Stephen that #1 we came too far to be denied and #2 he was wanting to catch a bunch of fish.... He was warned, and he said "Let's Go!" So we turned the corner at Barden's Inlet at 7am and got smacked down by 25 kts of SW wind and 6-8 foot seas in a falling tide and ripping long shore current. An hour ro the Shoals and a long search finally got us the other side. Then we pulled into a Bluefish wonderland. Periods of "every cast" fishing followed by searches for something else. We stayed for hours and we rocked and rolled and we slayed the Bluefish. Then we went up the Beach to the North and searched for anything else. Nothing. Back to Cape Lookout and I decided to try a spot that Ive been watching develop.... A pair of 2 lb live Bluefish went overboard. Minutes later a 125 lb Blacktip leaped beside the boat. Then the first strike occured. It went from there he is..... to all the line is gone in about 10 seconds..... The amount of drag we were fishing was incredible. And the hook pulled. Again and again. We were 0 for 4 at one point and I was starting to believe that we were jinxed in a Slough covered with the biggest, baddest, fastest Blacktip Sharks I'd ever seen. Finally, we got a manageable 100 pounder and Stephen released him. Thank goodness. That was it for the catching and a long boat ride home followed and we searched Barden's Inlet, Beaufort Inlet and 8 miles between. But it was the 4th of July and there was a lot of cocunut butter in the water... No fish! Total Catch for the Day: 45 Bluefish up to 3 lbs and a 100 lb Blacktip Shark

July 3 Bluefish, Bluefish, and more Bluefish

The weather was okay for fishing but it was a war-zone for catching fish because of where I knew we had to go! 18-20 knots of SW wind and 4-6 foot seas. I knew where the fish were, but it was a helluva ride to the spot. I'm not sure how safe it was, but we beat and battered our way to a spot where we could catch a 2-3 lb Bluefish on nearly every cast. Metal and Top Water Plugs. Unfortunately, yesterdays Spanish Mackerel bite never materialized but the Bluefish were chewing. I also saw a couple of large Ladyfish that tried to eat a top water plug but they were unsuccessful. Too bad, that would've been really cool. After loading the live well and the cooler we battered our way back to a place to where "I thought we could catch a big Blacktip Shark". But, honestly, we got there too late and the tide had turned and the boat traffic was brutal. We did have a huge Blacktip Shark devour a live 3lb Bluefish and smoke 300 yards of 50# mono in a matter of seconds. Reel Dump for sure. As quick as I dumped the anchor, the line went slack and we recovered our Bluefish, still on the hook. Without a single mark on it! Unbelievable. Total Catch for the Day:75 Bluefish from 2-3 pounds

July 2 Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish on Every Cast

Jason and crew joined me for a pretty rough adventure but I knew a good spot that was very, very fishy and was in the lee of the SW wind and swell. the only problem was the ride there and the ride back... Looking back on it, this was the gravy and was just the tip of the iceberg for the next 2 days. We found a spot where the Spanish Mackerel were biting pretty good early in the morning. After a short frenzy, it turned into straight Bluefish. Every cast on metal. You couldn't miss! With a live well full of Bluefish and a cooler loaded with Blues and Mackerel, we had intentions to go Amberjack fishing but decided to go back to the Cape Lookout Bight had try for a "calm water" Blacktip Shark. Unfortunately, our only catch on the Shark Spot was a 60 lb Southern Stingray. Other fishy things I saw were a big Pompano and a 40 lb Barracuda on the Cape Lookout Shoals. Total Catch for the Day: 15 Spanish Mackerel up to 1 lb, 40 Bluefish up to 3 lbs, and a 60 lb Southern Stingray

Friday, July 1, 2011

July 1 Bluefish and 90 lb Blacktip Shark

Testing my concentration to new heights, Robin caught Bluefish on every cast up to 4 lbs and livebaited a Bluefish to a fired up 90 lb Blacktip Shark. 100 lb Woman vs. 90 lb Shark. It was a pretty Shark, but................ This was pretty much a scouting trip for the upcoming weekend and honestly, fishing was great but we were not looking to slaughter a bunch of fish. Looked like Mackerel, Bluefish, and Sharks are here IN FORCE. Sorry guys, I picked a hell of a day to leave the camera at home. Total Catch for the Day: 8 Bluefish up to 4 lbs, 1 Spanish Mackerel, a 90 lb Blacktip Shark

June 1 Largemouth Bass Chewing

Korey, Chris, and I at Lennoxville. Korey had a 6lb 8oz Bass. I got a couple of fat 4 lb Largemouth Bass. Thanks to Korey for allowing us access to all these large Bass that have been Beaufort's hidden gem for decades. Total Catch for the Day: 13 Largemouth Bass

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Big Fish on Light Tackle

Top Water Charters and Capt. Marty Moore is one of North Carolina's Premier Nearshore and Inshore Big Fish on Light Tackle Fishing Guides. Consistently producing Fish that earn NC Citations is my trademark. Since 1988, I have personally landed 846 NC Citation winning Fish for 34 Different Species. A few of my Personal Top Fish are 10 lb 11 oz and 10 lb 6 oz Flounders, a 83 lb Red Drum, 94 and 83 lb Cobias, a 83 lb Yellowfin Tuna, 96, 85, and 83 lb Wahoos, a 66 lb Amberjack, a 67 lb Black Drum, a 9 lb 6 oz Speckled Trout, a 53 lb King Mackerel, a 33 lb Permit, a 12 lb 8 oz Sheepshead, a 19 lb 4 oz False Albacore, a 11 lb Spadefish, a 12lb 4 oz Bonefish, a 4 lb 8 oz Ladyfish, a 2 lb 14 oz Sea Mullet, a 140 lb Tarpon, a 66 lb Swordfish and a 380 lb Bluefin Tuna.

A few of my Best Light Tackle Catches are a 240 lb Bluefin Tuna caught on a 20# live bait tackle, a 350 lb Blue Marlin caught on a 30# trolling tackle, a 50 lb Yellowfin Tuna caught on 10# spinning tackle, a 34 lb 8 oz King Mackerel caught from the Beach on 10# spinning tackle, 75 lb Cobia caught on 15# spinning gear, 73 lb Cobia caught on 20# spinning tackle, 61 lb Cobia caught on 10# spinning tackle, a 60+ lb Red Drum caught on 10# spinning tackle, 83 lb, 85 lb, and 96 lb Wahoos all caught on 20# livebait tackle, a 46 lb Red Drum caught on 8# conventional tackle, a 39 lb Red Drum caught on a 7wt fly rod, a 7 lb Largemouth Bass caught on a 3wt fly rod and a 135 lb Sandbar Shark caught on 12# spinning tackle.

I also caught a 37 lb 4 oz King Mackerel in 2001 that was worth $52,000 in the Snead's Ferry King Mackerel Tournament

My Clients and Guests have landed over 500 NC Citations since 1998 with Standout Fish like the N.C. State Record 11 lb 3oz Spadefish, a 68 lb Wahoo, a 67 lb Wahoo, a 92 lb Cobia, a 85 lb Cobia, a 84 lb Cobia, a 82 lb Cobia, a 81 lb Cobia, a 85 lb Amberjack, a 83 lb Amberjack, a 80 lb Amberjack, a 375 lb Bluefin Tuna, a 500 lb Great Hammerhead Shark, a 200 lb Sand Tiger Shark, a 62 lb Black Drum, a 24 lb False Albacore, a 15 lb Sheepshead, a 10 lb 8 oz Speckled Trout, 47 lb Striped Bass and too many Red Drum and Flounders to count.

UPCOMING BEST FISHING

In the Boxes that follow are the types of FISHING and varieties of FISH that Capt Marty recommends fishing for! I try to keep this pretty current as we move forward through the calendar year. As the seasons change the Fish available and the methods of Fishing change. I will do my best to accommodate my Clients wishes, but I will also be completely honest about our chances if a Client wants to Fish for a specific type of Fish. I will always recommend what I believe is our "best bet for success" based on the weather, the time of year, and what happened yesterday! This is how I fish and it's based on 30+ years of Experience and Learning the Hard Way

So what's happening NOW or what's coming soon..... Look Below and Keep Reading

Live Bait Fishing for King Mackerel

Live Bait Fishing for King Mackerel is usually done with 20# mono on light rods and small conventional reels. We fish with very light drags and small treble hooks. When a King Mackerel strikes, usually a live Menhaden, you have no idea whether you have 2 treble hooks stuck in the jaw and throat of the King Mackerel, or you could also have 1 prong of one hook snagged into the Mackerel's skin. Therefore, the idea is to let the King burn off line versus a light drag. After withstanding the initial blistering run, we move the angler to the bow of the boat and we track him down! Without a doubt, on pretty days in October and November, this is what we "need" to be doing.... Since I took up this fishery seriously, back in 1988, in addition to the targetted King Mackerel, the potential bycatch is staggering... Wahoo, Yellowfin Tuna, Blackfin Tuna, Bluefin Tuna, Sailfish, Barracuda, Amberjack, Crevalle Jack, Spanish Mackerel, Cobia, Red Drum, Red Snapper, Grouper, a dozen Shark species, False Albacore, Houndfish, Gafftopsail Catfish, Tarpon have all been hooked and/or landed onboard Boats that I was personally fishing aboard..... Oh yeah, back in 1998 during the Hardee's Atlantic Beach KMT we hooked up 4 Billfish at one time. Two pulled off, and we released a Sailfish and I tried my best to release my catch... Because it was caught on a ribbonfish, it had 4 treble hooks in it. By the time I got him unhooked, he had expired! What was it? It was a 44", 8 lb SPEARFISH! So yeah, when Live Bait Fishing for King Mackerel, anything is possible

Run and Gun Casting.... Spring Summer & Fall

Casting Metal Lures, Top Water Plugs, and Flys in the Spring, Summer, and Fall is one of my all-time favorite fisheries. Our main targets are Albacore, Spanish Mackerel, Red Drum, Atlantic Bonito, and Bluefish. The Red Drum are usually found on the Shoals at Cape Lookout and generally, we are casting into huge schools of fish in crystal clear water. These Drum schools are a year-round possibility. The Atlantic Bonito is a special fish for a few reasons. They are a handsome fish that also happens to be a rugged fighter. Very similar to Albacore, but there's one major difference. The Atlantic Bonito is delicious on the table, it prepares and eats just like Yellowfin Tuna. No Joke! Another thing that makes the Atlantic Bonito so special is that they are usually only around for about a month and on a day to day basis, they are usually only worth fishing for about 2 hours every morning. We really need to be sitting on the spot at first light. Atlantic Bonito are one of the few fish that are worth this kind of trouble! Adult or "Chopper" Bluefish also provide many thrills in the Spring. Finding vast schools of 8-12 pound Bluefish in 2-3 foot of water guarrantees a great day of fishing. Great jumpers and surface strikers, these Chopper Bluefish aren't really that good to eat, however I'd never pass up an opportunity to catch a couple of them! Smaller Bluefish can usually be found at various places and at various sizes throughout much of the year. The 1-4 lb class of Bluefish is often a trip saver from April through November. These smaller Bluefish are still great fighters, but are also very tasty. Spanish Mackererel are very reliable from May through October. These Mackerel are beautiful, sporty, and great eating. Spanish Mackerel tend to get progressively larger throughout their season, and large numbers of 5-7 lb fish are sometimes common. They are a very popular fish. Albacore are a good possibility in the Spring, great in September, and keep right getting better right through November! Albacore are lengendary fighters and they are definitely the best game in town on many windy, cold mornings in the Fall when fishing is impossible for anything else!

Cobia Fishing

Cobia Fishing is one of the most exciting inshore Fisheries that we have here in NC. It offers the inshore angler a chance at catching a tough fighting, great eating gamefish that averages 30 pounds and grows to weights over 100 pounds. Fishing for Cobia is availiable by 2 completetly different methods. The "old way" is to fish with bait on the bottom and wait for a Cobia to find you. This method can produce great fishing at times and there is usually enough bycatch (Bluefish, Sharks, and Rays) to keep you busy. The other method is far more exciting, but can be limited by the weather. In this fishery, we ride around and search for Cobias and cast to them. This is probably the most exciting and suspenseful inshore fishery that we have going right now. Delivering a bucktail to a cruising 50+ pound Cobia is very exciting. This method also allows us to fish with much lighter tackle since there is usually no anchor lines and other boats in the immediate vicinity. By either method, catching a big Cobia is a fish that will always be worth bragging about and provide lots of great fish dinners.

NIGHT (and Day) FISHING for GIANT RED DRUM

In August and September we have a very reliable and outstanding fishery in the Southern Pamlico Sound and Neuse River for Trophy Red Drum. These fish will average from 30 to 50 lbs. My personal best came in August of 2000. Caught just a couple hundred yards off the Beach at Cedar Island, this huge Red Drum was 59" long and weighed 83 lbs. I started fishing for these Red Drum in the Cedar Island area back in 1997 and since that year, my success rate has hovered around the 90% mark. Catches of 20-30 Red Drum per night isn't all that uncommon.... I offer this type of fishing from mid-August through September. I fish out of Cedar Island, right by the NC Ferry Operation. The hours for this trip are usually 6pm until midnight. Cost is $350

In addition, Red Drum commonly "turn up" in the Ocean as I run my regular trips out of Beaufort Inlet. Sight casting when conditions are good and fish are avaliable is a Fantastic Fishing Experience! If I had to generalize, I'd say March through June is our best bet for sight casting to Large Red Drum. Then I would guess that August through December are mt best months to find schools of Slot-sized (18" to 27"). Red Drum also turn up while fishing for other fish. They are a distinct possibility 12 months of the year!

Sight Casting to Red Drum

This is why I bought the Tower! I feel like for the first time, I will be able to consistently sight cast to schools of Red Drum in the Ocean nearly year round. These Drum will average from 7 to 15 pounds and when we find them it will be a very memorable fishing experience. I expect that I will be able to target these Red Drum consistently from April through May and again from August through mid-November. Possibly even on into January and beyond! Finding schools of Giant Red Drum is also becoming more common at Cape Lookout! Sight Casting for Red Drum is something that we can easily combine with other types of Fishing trips such as Cobia, Albacore or Speckled Trout. It would usually only take an hour or so to determine if the schools of Drum that I like to target are availiable.

Wreck Fishing

Wreck Fishing is a great way to spend a day on the water. Two of my all-time favorites, Amberjack and Barracuda, are very exciting and fun fish to catch. Amberjacks can be caught on Top Water Plugs, Bucktails, Metal Jigs, or Live Bait. Top Water Plugs draw awesome surface strikes and provide a great visual experience. Live Bait would be my second choice. Watching a pack of aggressive Jacks chase a 2 pound Bluefish down is incredible. Either way most people who haven't fished a Wreck before have never experienced seeing dozens of "big" fish swimming around the boat. Amberjacks frequently do this! Barracudas are another great fish. They respond best to live baits and tube lures. They are awesome jumpers for both height and distance, easily out-performing King Mackerels and Wahoos in this department. They have blinding speed and are also rugged fighters. Bigger Cudas fall for live baits more frequently, but the ones that chase down and bite tube baits are amazing too. You simply CAN NOT reel these baits too fast. It is impossible. Other Wreck Fish include: Flounders, King Mackerel, Spanish Mackerel, Spadefish, Crevalle Jacks, Cobia, Sea Bass, Sharks, and others. Anything is possible on a Wreck off Beaufort Inlet!

Dolphin Fishing

The traditional "Big 3" of the offshore meat fishing world is Wahoo, Dolphin, and Tuna. Of these 3, Dolphin are the most common and readily accessible to the Small Boat, Center Console Fleet. From early summer until mid-October I am able to target for Dolphin with some degree of consistency from Boat and I can usually do this within 25 miles of land. Wahoo and Tuna are also possible, especially later in the season. Giant Wahoo actually are fairly common catches among the small boat fleet in late October and early November. My 3 career largest Wahoos all came within 10 miles of land and were all caught close to Halloween. I would never claim to compete with the regular Charter Boat Fleets in the offshore trolling game, but I do offer this type of Fishing at half their price and lots of "hands on action" for my clients. Of course, great weather is absolutely necessary!

Bottom Fishing

Bottom Fishing or Jigging with Metal Jigs or Bucktails off Beaufort Inlet is a great way to spend a day on the water. This is a Year Round fishery, only affected by NMFS closures. On pretty days, it is possible to fish farther offshore in deeper water and catch a variety of Groupers, Snappers, Amberjacks, Porgys, Black Sea Bass, Grunts, and Sharks. This type of Fishing is for Full Days only and very weather dependant on my 25 foot Center console for obvious reasons, but the fishing can be awesome when conditions are favorable.

A totally different fishing experience can be had by bottom fishing or jigging speck rigs much closer to the Beach. This fishery is best during Fall and Winter. Staying within 3-4 miles of shore allows me to fish many more days with type of weather that is common in winter. Fishing can be excellent for Black Sea Bass, Bluefish, Gray Trout, Sea Mullet, Black Drum, Croaker, Hogfish, Dog Sharks, and many other varieties.

Bottom Fishing in the Sounds and Inland Waterways can be fantastic from September through November. This is a great way to introduce children to fishing. Our most commonly targetted fish is the small, but tasty Spot. If we can find a Spot we jusy might find a cooler full! Other fish caught while "Spot Fishing" include Croakers, Sea Mullet, Gray Trout, Bluefish, Flounder, Black Drum, Red Drum, Hogish and more.

Capt Marty's Top 15 Catches

1. 50 lb. Yellowfin Tuna (my 1st Tuna) caught on 10# and a stingsilver while casting to Albacore 5 miles off the Beach on 9-19-1988. Amazing.
2. 240 lb Bluefin Tuna caught on 20# and a cigar minnow light line while Grouper fishing on 11-28-1997. I fought this fish for 4 hours and covered 7 miles.
3. 83 lb. Wahoo caught while King Mackerel fishing by myself out of a huge fleet of Carteret County's best fishermen on 11-8-1995. This story is too long to tell here...
4. 66 lb. Amberjack caught on a #00 Clark Spoon on 6-24-1988. The Amberjack swallowed a 2 lb. Mackerel I was reeling in. This fish really got me "HOOKED".
5. 96 lb. Wahoo caught on 15# and a boston mackerel on a light line while Grouper fishing on 10-2-2001. I hooked this one seconds after Gerald Currin had decked a 67 pound Wahoo and was still "bragging".
6. 10 lb. 11 oz Flounder caught in Taylor's Creek on a windy day on 10-18-2003. My career largest Flounder was caught in a place I'd ignored during 20 years of Flounder Fishing!
7. 83 lb. Cobia caught off Cape Lookout while fishing by myself on 5-15-2002. I hate to admit this, I actually tried to break this one off because I was convinced it was a Stingray!
8. 350 lb. Blue Marlin caught on 30# while Dolphin fishing off Ocracoke on 5-20-2001. I rigged the baits, set out the lines, hooked the fish, fought the fish, wired the fish, tagged the fish, and released the fish!
9. 7 lb. 4 oz. Largemouth Bass that I caught on 5-2-09 on a 3 wt fly rod and a tiny rubber-legged spider. I hooked a tiny Bream that the Bass swallowed. I knew when she jumped, she'd throw the Bream... When she did, as the Bass re-entered the water, line started to peel off my reel again. the tiny fly was somehow lodged in the Bass's lip! Caught in a tiny pond at MHC Wal-Mart. Unbelievable!
10. 3 lb 8oz Spanish Mackerel caught on the Morehead Ocean Pier in August of 1974. My first "REAL" fish. I turned down a trip to the movies so I could stay out on the Pier that afternoon.
11. 37 lb. 4 oz. King Mackerel (combined with a 30 lb.4 oz the day before) that won $52,900 in the Snead's Ferry KMT on 8-12-2000
12. 34 lb. 8 oz King Mackerel caught from the Shackleford Banks surf on a peanut shad rigged up on a Penn 440SS (small spinning reel) with 8# on 7-14-2001.
13. 12 lb. 8 oz Sheepshead that ended a 10 year quest to catch a Citation Sheepshead on 8-12-2007.
14. 24 lb Blackfin Tuna that ate a stingsilver one mile off Atlantic Beach on 5-6-2010. I was casting for Bonito with a 10# spinning rod and had chased some Albacore inshore of AR-315. The Tuna was a blind strike and took an hour to land!
15. 67 lb. Black Drum caught on 5-3-2011 that outweighed my previous best Black Drum by 62 lbs and made me actually believe (for the first time) that I might actually accomplish my life's mission of collecting all the NC Citations!

Capt Marty's Personal NC Saltwater Citation Tally

All Fish caught by Capt Marty on Rod n Reel
Starting with a 66 lb Amberjack caught on June 24, 1988 in Beaufort Inlet
Species / # Citations / Largest Wt
1. Red Drum / 363/ 83 lbs
2. Flounder / 70 / 10 lb 11oz
3. Speckled Trout / 68 / 9lb 6oz
4. Cobia / 67 / 94 lbs
5. Amberjack / 48 / 66 lbs
6. Sheepshead / 34 / 12lb 8oz
7. Spanish Mackerel / 31 / 9 lbs
8. King Mackerel / 30 / 53 lbs
9. Bluefin Tuna / 21 / 380 lbs
10. Wahoo / 21 / 96 lbs
11. Barracuda / 15 / 36lb 8oz
12. Shark / 8 / 241 lbs
13. Black Drum / 8 / 67 lbs
14. Sailfish / 7 / 88"
15. Striped Bass / 7 / 35lb 8oz
16. Grouper / 5 / 35 lbs
17. Florida Pompano / 5 / 2lb 9oz
18. Black Sea Bass / 5 / 4 lbs
19. Crevalle Jack / 4 / 28 lbs
20. Red Snapper / 4 / 15lb 6oz
21. Tilefish / 4 / 12lb 8oz
22. Atlantic Bonito / 3 / 25"
23. Yellowfin Tuna / 3 / 83 lbs
24. Sea Mullet / 3 / 2lb 14oz
25. Triggerfish / 3 / 7lb 15oz
26. Blackfin Tuna / 2 / 24lb 8oz
27. False Albacore / 2 / 19lb 3oz
28. Gray Trout / 2 / 6lb 2oz
29. Blue Marlin / 1 / app 400 lbs
30. White Marlin / 1 / app 60 lbs
31. Spearfish / 1 / app 8 lbs
32. Dolphin / 1 / 40 lbs
33. Spot / 1 / 1 lb
34. Porgy / 1 / 6lb 7oz
TOTAL 849
Citation Saltwater Fish from other States
Snook / 4 / 35" (Texas)
Striped Bass / 1 / 47 lbs (Virginia)

Capt Marty's Personal NC Freshwater Citation Tally

Starting with an 8" Flier caught in a Wake County Pond in July of 1982
Species / # Citations / Largest Wt
1. Hickory Shad / 38 / 2 lb 9oz
2. White Perch / 25 / 1 lb 4oz
3. Blue Catfish / 6 / 42 lbs
4. American Shad / 6 / 5 lbs
5. Rainbow Trout / 5 / 21"
6. Largemouth Bass / 3 / 8 lb 4oz
7. Bluegill / 3 / 2 lb 2oz
8. Bowfin / 2 / 33"
9. Chain Pickerel / 2 / 28"
10. Green Sunfish / 2 / 10"
11. Pumpkinseed / 2 / 11"
13. Yellow Perch / 2 / 1 lb 6oz
12. Brook Trout / 2 / 20"
14. White Catfish / 1 / 4 lbs
15. Bullhead / 1 / 2 lb 8oz
16. Redfin Pickerel / 1 / 14"
17. Flier / 1 / 8"
Total 102
Citation Freshwater Fish from other States
Brown Trout / 2 / 16 lbs (NY)
Walleye / 6 / 28 7/8" (Ohio)
Freshwater Drum / 3 / 24" (Ohio)

2001 NC Citation Count

Citation sized fish caught by Capt Marty or Top Water Clients and Guests
1. Blue Marlin 1
2. Bluefin Tuna 4
3. Cobia 4
4. Dolphin 1
5. Flounder 2
6. Grouper 1
7. Pompano 1
8. Red Drum 70
9. Red Snapper 2
10. Sailfish 2
11. Speckled Trout 7
12. Spot 1
13. Wahoo 5
Total 101
***I spent 45 days in South Padre Island, Texas from early October until Thanksgiving catching Mangrove Snapper (up to 3 lbs), King Mackerel (up to 19 lbs), Spanish Mackerel, Hardhead Catfish, Pompano, Speckled Trout (up to 3 lbs), Red Drum (up to 5 lbs), Ladyfish (up to 5 lbs), Palometa, Gulf Sea Mullet (up to 2 lbs), Little Tunny, Bluefish, Sand Sea Trout, and (finally) SNOOK (up to 9 lbs). Of course, I fished every day or night possible.***.