What We Catch

Mahi-Mahi (Dolphin Fish)

We spend most of our time fishing offshore.  Often we fish in the Gulf Stream current; this rich warm water flows from the south and brings hoards of bait fish as well as, pelagic predators to the waters’ of North Carolina.  While fishing, we encounter many Mahi-Mahi (dolphin), several different species of Tuna, Billfish, and Wahoo.  We also spend time fishing closer to shore and depending on the season, we may encounter other species of fish including King Mackerel, Cobia, Striped Bass and others.

Billfish

We typically encounter three types of billfish in our waters. The Blue Marlin, White Marlin and Atlantic Sailfish can all be successfully targeted in the warm waters that we fish in the summer. All of these fish are caught while trolling. We practice catch and release on 99% of the billfish we catch. These fish are typically exciting jumpers that fight close to the surface and provide a great sport with lighter tackle. We fish a few tournaments each year and are always eager to get the Billfish when the bite is on.  Double digit catches are not uncommon, especially in August and September.

Wahoo

Wahoo is one of those fish that you don't set out to catch but when you do it's such an added benefit. Often 10-50 lbs in size it is such a great treat to throw on the grill to enjoy its white flakey meat. Fishing season for this fish varies from April - October.

Tuna

Tuna The Outer Banks is a truly unique fishing opportunity, because we are also touched by a cold water current from the north, The Labrador Current.  The interaction of these waters often provides great habitat for Tuna.  We catch several different species of tuna here --- Yellow-fin, Big-eye, Black-fin and Blue-fin.

Yellow-fin tuna have been called the bread & butter of our fishing fleet.  We catch fish that typically range from 20-80 pounds, but fish exceeding 100 pounds are caught every year --- a rare and special trophy.  Most of our fishing for yellow-fin is trolling dead or artificial bait.  We also catch these fish chunking when the conditions warrant it.  These fish are notoriously hard fighters and nothing is more exiting than getting hit by a school of these blue-water bruisers.  Multiple hookups occur often and provide fish stories to remember as well as great fish for the grill, the freezer or fresh sushi.

Big-eye is not as numerous as Yellow-fin tuna, but they are typically bigger.  Big-eye tuna are a bit mysterious because they appear and disappear in our fishing grounds often.  They are highly prized for sushi and are also very comparable to Yellow-fin when cooked.  We catch these fish trolling dead bait.

Blue-fin Tuna are the giants of the tuna family. They are highly regulated and depending on the season, we are only allowed to keep one to three of these fish per day.  We sometimes encounter large schools of them and can catch and release more than our daily limit. They can range in size from 35-1000 pounds. Often, the schools we encounter are range in the 35-200 pound class. They are also prized for their meat.  

Black-fin Tuna is a smaller cousin of the Yellow-fin. They are typically up to about 30 pounds.  We find them mixed in with other tuna as well as in schools on their own.