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Quest for Citations
NC SALTWATER FISHING
CITATIONS WANTED
On June 24,1988 I caught my first Citation-sized fish. That day a 66 pound Amberjack ate a Spanish Mackerel that I was reeling in on a Clarkspoon! Amazingly, the small hook and the light line held up and I had my first really big fish. Over on the Morehead Waterfront somebody asked me if I wanted a "Citation". The only Citation I had ever recieved up to that time came from the NC Highway Patrol! After a quick explanation, I filled out the paperwork and that winter I recieved my certificate. Ever since that year I have been on a quest to collect every Citation that our State offers. Twenty years later, I am actually close to my goal. Some Citations were easy, some were very difficult. Some seem immpossible nowadays. I think I've got all the easy ones, most of them many times over. I often wonder if any one else is trying to catch them all. I wonder who will get there first?
NC Fishing Citations remain a benchmark measure of a great fish, a great day and a great year of fishing. In 2007, my clients and I landed 62 Citation sized fish. Lots of these were released. These fish included Flounder, Speckled Trout, Red Drum, Amberjack, Cobia, Shark and my first Citation for Sheepshead. My favorite Citation catches in 2007 were Marc Rouse's 92 lb. Cobia and my 12 lb. 8 oz. Sheepshead that culminated a 10 year battle to catch a 10 pounder!
Capt. Marty's Citation Counter
|
Species (# citations) |
Largest |
|
Spanish
Mackerel (15+) |
7 lb.s 7 oz., 7
lb. 4 oz. |
|
Cobia (15+) |
83 lb.s, 77
lb.s, 67 lb.s |
|
Pompano (5) |
2 lb.s 9 oz. |
|
Spot (1) |
1 lb. |
|
Wahoo (15+) |
96 lb.s, 85 lb.s, 83 lb.s |
|
King Mackerel (15+) |
53 lb.s, 46 lb.s 8 oz., 41 lb.s |
|
Bluefin Tuna (17) |
380 lb.s, 365 lb.s, many 300 lb.s+ |
|
Yellowfin Tuna (3) |
83 lb.s, 72 lb.s 6 oz., 70 lb.s |
|
Blue Marlin (1) |
350 lb.s (Release) |
|
Dolphin (1) |
40 lb.s |
|
White Marlin (1) |
60 lb.s (Release) |
|
Sailfish (3) |
50 lb.s (Release), 31 lb.s |
|
Striped Bass (4) |
35 lb.s 8 oz. |
|
Speckled Trout (45+) |
9 lb.s 6 oz., 8 lb.s 10 oz. |
|
Red Drum (100+) |
59 inches, many 50+ inches (Releases) |
|
Flounder (30+) |
10 lb.s 11 oz., 10 lb.s 6 oz. |
|
Triggerfish (1) |
7 lb.s 15 oz. |
|
Red Snapper (5) |
15 lb.s 6 oz., 15 lb.s |
|
Grouper (5) |
35 lb.s, 34 lb.s, 29 lb.s |
|
Porgy (1) |
6 lb.s 7 oz. |
|
Crevalle Jack (4) |
28 lb.s, 27 lb.s |
|
Barracuda (8) |
36 lb.s 8 oz., 34 lb.s 12 oz. |
|
Amberjack (25+) |
66 lb.s, 62 lb.s, 60 lb.s |
|
Shark (10) |
221 lb.s, 175 lb.s, 150 lb.s |
|
Black Sea Bass (1) |
4 lb.s |
|
Gray Trout (1) |
6 lb.s 2 oz. |
|
Sea Mullet (2) |
2 lb. 14 oz. |
|
Sheepshead (4) |
12 lb. 8 oz., 11 lb. 12 oz. |
* Some totals estimated because in
past years you could only get 1 Citation
per species and also because in recent years I have
quit weighing in some
species unless it is bigger than what I already have
on the wall.
NC Citations needed
|
Species (min. wt) |
My Largest in NC Waters |
|
Bluefish (15 lb.s) |
16 lb.s |
|
Bigeye Tuna (100 lb.s) |
none anywhere |
|
Tarpon (30 lb.s) |
none in NC |
|
Black Drum (40 lb.s) |
5 lb.s |
|
Croaker (3 lb.s) |
>>2 lb.s |
|
Blackfin Tuna* (20 lb.s) |
24 lb.s |
|
Atlantic Bonito* (8 lb.s) |
8 lb.s |
|
False Albacore* (34") |
19 lb.s 3oz. |
|
Tilefish* (10 lb.s) |
10 lb.s |
* New for 2008
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