Black Sea Bass

Season in Outer Banks

Surf or Sound lists sea bass among Hatteras surf fish in spring and again in fall. Months otherwise follow the Myrtle Beach chart. Weak chart. (Our inference)

Season by region

Where to find them

Tight to pier pilings and jetty rocks; bigger fish on nearshore reefs and hard bottom by boat.

On the bottom right against structure: pier pilings, jetty rocks, reefs.

What to look for

Structure: pilings, rocks, live bottom. Many short fish mean you need to move to bigger structure.

What to throw

Bucktail or jighead with a 4 to 5 in paddle tail1/2 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in tail. Slow hops along the bottom: lift, drop, let it touch, repeat.

Bait

Squid strips (about 3 in by 1/2 in), Cut mullet or bluefish, Shrimp, Crab. Two-hook dropper rig with 1/0 to 3/0 circle hooks on short droppers, sinker just heavy enough to hold the bottom.

Leader

Short 2 to 3 in droppers with 1/0 to 3/0 circle hooks.

Common mistakes

• Fishing open sand away from structure
• Keeping fish under the 13 in limit (many pier fish are short)

Landing

Swing small fish up; use a pier net for big ones.

Handling

• Sharp dorsal spines
• Sharp gill cover spines

Smooth the dorsal fin down from front to back before you grip it.

Keep or release

Excellent eating. Check NC rules (federal rules also apply offshore).

Recipes for black sea bass

Typical: About 12 in, 1 lb. Large: 3 lb and up (big males with a blue hump). SC record 8 lb 3 oz (1995).

Limits

FishOS has not checked the NC limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the NC Division of Marine Fisheries before you keep a fish.

Sources

• Surf or Sound Realty: Hatteras Island surf fishing seasons (Angler knowledge)
• ASMFC: Black Sea Bass (Official source)
• NOAA NEFSC Essential Fish Habitat source document: black sea bass (2nd ed.) (Official source)
• SCDNR species profile: black sea bass (Official source)
• SCDNR saltwater game fish records (Official source)

All the fish of Outer Banks