The NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries recently established a new state record for Cubera Snapper (Lutjanus cyanopterus).
David Ashman of Mohnton, Penn., caught the 85-pound fish on July 31 off of Hatteras. Ashman replaced the existing state record Cubera Snapper that weighed 58 pounds, 8 ounces, landed by Thomas Madsen in 2022.
Ashman was fishing out of the Hatteras area aboard the head boat Miss Hatteras when he landed the fish. He was using squid for bait on 40-pound braid with a 50-pound mono leader with an Avet MXL 5.8 reel and Shimano Trevala rod.
The fish measured just over 56 inches total length (from the tip of the nose to the stretched end of the tail) and had a girth of 40 inches. Ashman said it took about 15 minutes to bring the large fish up on the lighter tackle.
Ashman said he frequently visits North Carolina and enjoys offshore bottom fishing aboard the different head boats around the state.
Cubera Snapper are among the largest species in the snapper family, reaching up to 125 pounds. Their range extends from Nova Scotia through southern Brazil. Adult Cubera Snapper prefer wrecks and rocky ledges in 60-to-250 feet of water depth. They can be identified by the large canine teeth that can be seen even when their mouth is closed, counting the number of dorsal and anal fin spines and soft rays, and the triangular shape vomerine tooth patch at the top of the palate. For regulation information, including requirements for a descending device for Cubera Snapper and other snapper/grouper species, visit the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s regulations webpage.
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.