State certifies Mutton Snapper for new species state record

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries recently established a new state record for the Mutton Snapper (Lutjanus analis).

Mark Boles of Dublin, Georgia caught the 17-pound, 12.8-ounce fish offshore of Ocean Isle on June 3, 2025. Prior to this, there was no state saltwater record for this species. 

Boles was fishing approximately 60 miles offshore of Ocean Isle with Captain Austin’s Fishing Adventures using live menhaden for bait when he landed the fish on 60-pound test, with a Shimano Trevalla rod and Shimano Torium reel. The fish measured 33 inches total length (from the tip of the nose to the stretched end of the tail) and had a girth of 24.5 inches. The fish was weighed in at the Ocean Isle Fishing Center. 

For more information on state record fish, go to the division’s State Saltwater Records webpage or contact the North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Tournament staff at saltwater.citations@deq.nc.gov.