The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has officially recognized a new state record for the Mutton Snapper (Lutjanus analis). The record was set by Mark Boles from Dublin, Georgia, who caught a 17-pound, 12.8-ounce fish offshore of Ocean Isle on June 3, 2025. Previously, there was no established state saltwater record for this species.
Boles achieved this feat while fishing approximately 60 miles offshore with Captain Austin’s Fishing Adventures. He used live menhaden as bait and employed a Shimano Trevalla rod paired with a Shimano Torium reel to land the fish on a 60-pound test line. The Mutton Snapper measured 33 inches in total length and had a girth of 24.5 inches. The fish was officially weighed at the Ocean Isle Fishing Center.
For further details about state record fish, individuals are encouraged to visit the division’s State Saltwater Records webpage or reach out to the North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Tournament staff via email at saltwater.citations@deq.nc.gov.
