Our Fish — The Carolina Catch Roster
Born in the Carolinas, bred for the fight. Here are the species we love to chase from the Outer Banks to the Lowcountry — and yes, the Yankees are welcome to come try. Tell 'em to bring a bigger rod.
Saltwater
Red Drum
Sciaenops ocellatus
How to ID: Copper-bronze body with a single black spot at the base of the squared tail.
The state saltwater fish of NC — we don't let just anybody catch these.
Black Drum
Pogonias cromis
How to ID: Stocky gray-black fish with chin barbels (whiskers); vertical bars on the young.
The drum's heavier, homelier cousin. Bigger the barbels, bigger the brag.
Southern Flounder
Paralichthys lethostigma
How to ID: Flat fish, both eyes on the left side, mottled brown camo on the sand.
Flat, sneaky, and worth the drive south — Yankees don't flounder like we do.
Oyster Toadfish
Opsanus tau
How to ID: Ugly broad head, warty skin, huge mouth; sits on rocks around oyster beds.
Homeliest fish in the creek — we keep it humble, the tourists keep guessing.
Key West Grunt (White Grunt)
Haemulon plumierii
How to ID: Silver-gray with faint yellow stripes; the inside of the mouth is bright red.
Reef staple. Grin and grunt — the bottom fishing Yankees only dream about.
Black Sea Bass
Centropristis striata
How to ID: Dark mottled gray-black, tall spiny dorsal fin, rounded tail trimmed in black and white.
Striper of the reefs — pull one up and watch the northerners take notes.
Dolphin (Mahi-Mahi)
Coryphaena hippurus
How to ID: Bright green-and-yellow with a blunt squared head and iridescent blue-green spots.
Acrobat of the blue water — the dolphin the Gulf Stream hands us all summer.
Wahoo
Acanthocybium solandri
How to ID: Long sleek silver body, steel-blue back, vertical tiger stripes, razor teeth.
Fastest fish in the stream — hits like a freight train and smokes the drag.
Gag Grouper
Mycteroperca microlepis
How to ID: Mottled gray-brown with a big mouth, rounded tail, wavy darker blotches on the side.
Reef bruiser that dives for the rocks — earn it, then brag about the dive.
Red Grouper
Epinephelus morio
How to ID: Brownish-red with a large mouth, rounded tail, darker spots and pale blotches.
Bottom-hugger that sulks in the ledges — pull him up and the reef comes alive.
Blacktip Shark
Carcharhinus limbatus
How to ID: Streamlined gray shark, white belly, black tips on the dorsal, pectoral, and tail fins.
The reel-screamer of the surf zone — sharks are for all fishermen, not just the brave.
Freshwater
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus salmoides
How to ID: Green with a dark horizontal side stripe; mouth opens past the back of the eye.
The bass the whole country chases — ours just hit harder in the shallows.
Bluegill
Lepomis macrochirus
How to ID: Round sunfish, blue-black gill flap, orange belly, dark vertical bars.
First fish for half the South — and more fun than a Yankee's bait-and-wait.
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
How to ID: Sleek gray, deeply forked tail, whiskers (barbels) around the mouth.
Bottom-dweller with a forked tail and no ego — pure Carolina comfort food.
Black Crappie
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
How to ID: Silvery panfish with random black speckles, tall compressed body.
Paper-mouthed slab. Catch a cooler and call it a Southern Sunday.
Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
How to ID: Pink side stripe, black spots over body and tail, silvery belly.
Mountain-stream jewel. We'll let the Yankees keep the stocked puddles.