Fisherman Breaks North Carolina Record With Rare Catch Off Ocracoke Coast
NORTH CAROLINA — A fisherman from Pitt County has officially broken a state fishing record after reeling in a rarely seen species off the coast of Ocracoke, according to state officials.
Jody Hopkins caught a 5-pound, 10.88-ounce long-finned bullseye (Cookeolus japonicus) nearly 30 miles offshore on June 21. The catch was confirmed this week by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF), which also noted that it was the first recorded catch of this species in North Carolina’s record books.
Uncommon Catch in Deep Waters
Hopkins made the impressive haul while drifting in 200 feet of water, using squid as bait. The fish took the bait quickly and was reeled in within minutes.
Initially believing it to be a bigeye, Hopkins donated the specimen to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences for proper identification. That’s when it was confirmed as a long-finned bullseye, a deep-sea species with no previous state record in North Carolina.
The fish measured 20.5 inches from nose to forked tail and had a girth of 16 inches.
International Significance
While this is North Carolina’s first official record for the species, the International Game Fish Association’s world record for the long-finned bullseye is currently held by a catch from Japan in 2023 — weighing 7 pounds and 14 ounces, according to CBS17.
What Happens to the Record Catch?
Hopkins didn’t keep the fish for himself. Instead, he worked with marine biologists and donated it for scientific study, allowing it to be cataloged and used for research. The NC Division of Marine Fisheries also featured his catch in a video post about how to identify the species — helping educate other anglers on this uncommon fish.
Have you ever caught an unusual species while fishing off the Carolina coast? Share your story in the comments or at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com — your voice helps us tell the real stories of local life on and off the water.
