Top Water Charters Fishing Reports and News Beaufort Morehead City Atlantic Beach Pamlico Sound: March 2012

Thursday, March 29, 2012

MEGA MILLIONS

My life has been a cake walk.... I was a 46 year old that never had to grow up.... I found a career where I could fish 100-200 days a year... I chased pretty girls.... Got my feelings hurt a few times, but hey, that's life..

Then I met a girl that I really fell for... In August, my life couldn't be better. Fishing was good. My girlfriend was the prettiest and the sweetest thing ever... We had some BIG NEWS!!!

Then came Hurricane Irene... Robin and I got dealt a horrible blow to our plans.... Shark Island got blown down and Fishing was a struggle from that point on.....

By Christmas, for a whole bunch of very complicated reasons that were No Ones Fault, my relationship fell apart

By March, my Perfect Bill of Health was shattered by a MRI that showed some major Back Problems. 30 days of Pain and a threat of Paralysis on my Right Leg.

ALL THAT BAD NEWS.....

Well, tonight it ends baby! Tonight I'm all set to win the MEGA MILLIONS drawing! I'm getting ready to WIN THAT $500 MILLION..... THAT's 500,000,000 DOLLARS

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

March 27 IT WAS A BAD DAY

Okay, here goes. About 30 days ago, I was blindsided by an intense back pain... Nothing I hadn't experienced before and it always lasted 2-3 days and went away..... Well, this time it didn't. I didn't let it stop me. I went fishing a few times. I caught a few Shad, I caught a few Red Drum.... In between, I saw 2 Doctors. Both assumed a Muscle Sprain, but as I explained myself, them nor I could figure out why it didn't go away.... Finally, on a whim, I had an MRI.... I also got prescribed Predisone that made me feel great! So great, in fact, we were catching 40 lb Red Drum on Friday... Then Chris and I were headed to the Neuse River on Monday.... My phone rang.... My MRI results and with it my 46 year old youthful exuberence and reckless way of life came to a grinding halt..... I am the proud owner of 2 BULGING DISCS, 1 HERNIATED DISC, and 1 UNKNOWN MASS that is pushing against a BUNDLE of NERVES that evidently controls my right leg.... Surgery Recommended but I opted for Steriod Injections and Physical Therapy. With no improvement on my leg, I'll be looking at Surgery regardless. But I'm holding off on that.... Doctor's orders---Rest and no lifting heavier than a coffee cup... I said "Hey Doc, guess what I was doing Friday, beating down the Ocean for 60 miles. up and down a ladder in the breakers, lifting and tossing 6 big ass Red Drum." He shook his head and said, I should be paralyzed right now, please don't do it again.... So, Capt Marty is on the shelf. No more worrys about a broken heart. I got a broken back. Im lucky. Im sorry. For those affected, I am truly sorry... I will come back better, lighter, stronger. I cant believe the way my life has changed since Dec 19th. I really thought the Bonito and the Cobia would be my escape.... Looks like a big fat NEEDLE in my SPINE will get that job though... Anyway, So long for a while.... Capt Marty is on the Shelf!

Monday, March 26, 2012

March 25 Catching Bait

With visions of a 50 lb Flathead Catfish swimming around in our head, Chris and I went to the Mung Hole and collected a few Bluegills to use for live bait... The fish weren't nearly as festive as the day before, I only caught one on the fly. Also, the Bass were window shopping, but not buying. The few Bluegills that are headed to the Neuse River with us all fell for the Roostertail Spinner. Total Catch for the Day: 8 Bluegill

Saturday, March 24, 2012

March 24 Beaufort Freshwater Grand Slam on Fly

Freshwater Fly Rod action in Beaufort is fast and furious this morning, all on popping bugs.... If you don't mind small fish and I don't.... Im just glad that my back is allowing this today! My best fish of the day was a 14" Largemouth Bass that I caught and then discovered a dead battery in my camera. I ran in for lunch and a new battery and caught another slam and got the pictures for proof...... WOW! Anyway, I do love those Bass and Pumpkinseeds on the 3 wt fly rod. There was lots of surface activity this morning and I'd get 4-5 strikes on every cast. Needless to say, it was good day to be an amateur fly caster! Total Catch for the Day (so far): 28 Bluegill, 4 Pumpkinseed, and 3 Largemouth Bass

Friday, March 23, 2012

March 23 Sightcasting to Red Drum

Mission Accomplished. Chris, Joe, and I found Giant Red Drum by the hundreds. It wasn't always easy. They were shifty. Boat pressure had them on the run. But we cast enough swimbaits and Bucktails at them to score 6 NC Citation Releases. We also found a few thousand slot Red Drum but we didn't get to that party fast enough. I honestly could've thrown my cast net and caught 100, but we couldn't get a bite out a few thousand panicky Red Drum.. That's all we saw except for a few 100 lb Sharks. No Bluefish and no Albacore was disappointing.. Total Catch for the Day: 6 Red Drum up to 46"

March 17 Ferry Dock Fishing

Paul Terry and I stayed up and fished most of the night over on the north end of Ocracoke Island.. For the most part, the fish were small. The Black Sea Bass were expected, the Tautog and the Sheepshead were a suprize. Where the hell are the Pinfish and Bluefish? PT did take home a tasty little Tautog and enough Sea Bass fillets to make a meal. Total Catch for the Night: 35 Black Sea Bass, 1 Tautog, and 1 Sheepshead

Monday, March 19, 2012

More Good Pictures from Thursday

Damn if I aint a couple of relapses from the Bad Back and the Broken Heart.... I think if the back would slack off, the Fishing could push the Heart back into complience..... Also, yesterday and today, I had planned to go sightcasting for Red Drum, but unfortunately, the beautiful weather we've been experiencing has also brought thick fog to Hatteras Island. The TOP WATER BOAT is headed back to Beaufort Inlet this week and I expect to be ready to Rock-N-Roll by the first of April....

Thursday, March 15, 2012

March 15 Beautiful Weather & Slow Fishing

I fished off Hatteras today with the famous litigator Paul Terry of Va Beach and Stevie Bittman, who played monopoly in real life and won. He bought up the railroads and enough unfortunate people landed on them and Bittman collected his fee. Then he hit community chest and it said "Go fishing for Amberjack" and the Jacks won........ Here's my excuse, we went to an area where the current was blazing... The problem was, with a late start and an early finish (I worked until 6am and need to be home by 4pm) the Bluefin and Yellowfin Tuna were 20 miles NE and the Dolphin and Blackfin Tuna were 12-15 miles South. So we were hung out to dry.... But it was beautiful and we did find some Amberjacks to go with our one Dolphin bite. Where we were, the Dolphin were hard to find. The Amberjacks were in the heavy cover. In the end, we sucked. Total Catch for the Day: 1 Dolphin and 1 Amberjack

Sunday, March 11, 2012

March 11 Steady Hickory Shad

I woke up this morning to a new world. The back pain that ruled every second of my life for the past 26 days had let up and the gray dreary world that surrounded my heart since Dec 19th had brightened. I can't explain that one.... Those that know me best, know exactly what I'm talking about. Not sure WHY or HOW, but it is what it is.... The best part of my day was that Mr Merwin Jones and I were set to go to Pitch Kettle Creek this morning. It was NOT A MISTAKE... It was a cold morning, but it gave way to a bright sunny, warm day. The fishing was inconsistent, but at the end of the day, It was great! The best thing about today's catch, in addition to the numbers, was the size. Today's Hickory Shad were consistently large. The biggest Shad, lots of 14" to 18", that I've consistently caught in a few years. The largest Hickory Shad I weighed on my certified scales was 2lb 3oz, there might have been a couple that were a few ounces larger. There were 14 fish that were all bookends. We released several of the larger fish since they were males. By NCWRC standards we caught 14 Citation winning Hickory Shad. That's rocking! The Hickory Shad were equal opportunity slammers today. The smacked the spoon and the grub pretty equally. I also got my first doubleheader in probably 3 years. Lots of big Roe laden females today pushing and topping 2 lbs each. Great Day. Total Catch for the Day: 80 Hickory Shad up to 2 lb 3 oz

Friday, March 9, 2012

March 8 Hickory Shad on the Side

On a trip to Raleigh to visit relatives, I couldn't resist a little detour over to Cowpen Landing. In an hour of casting I caught 6 Hickory Shad, including 4 fat Red Roe Runners. They were slamming the grub today, Nice ones with big, mature roes. Good eating. Total Catch for the Day: 6 Hickory Shad up to 15"

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

March 7 Where Ive Been

Okay. No Fishing lately. I went to work last week at Hatteras and hurt my back. A trip to Hatteras Medical Center on Friday and I've been feeling like Charlie Sheen, but my back is still hurting! I also got involved in bringing a Ferry down to Southport from Mann's Harbor. That was a 2 day trip. On Monday we left Southport headed back to Morehead City with another Ferry. High winds got us stuck between the Figure 8 Island drawbridge and the Wrightsville Beach drawbridge. We finally got to Morehead City yesterday.... So, here I sit with a bad back. I'm dying to go Shad Fishing. My Boat sits at Hatteras and I've got night run next week. Hopefully the Bluefins will be chewing and the Yellowfins too!

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

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.***.