The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has established a new state record for Bulleye (Cookeolus japonicus). This follows the catch by Jody Hopkins of Grimesland, who landed a 5-pound, 10.88-ounce fish off Ocracoke on June 21, 2025. There were no previous records for this species in the state.
Hopkins was fishing about 30 miles off Ocracoke in waters 200 feet deep when he caught the fish using squid as bait. He managed to bring it to his boat within minutes using a Billfisher SS02040C rod and a Fin-Nor Marquesa MA30TP reel with a 40-pound line. Initially, Hopkins thought he had caught a Bigeye but later donated the fish to NCDMF for identification.
The NCDMF has since donated the specimen to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ collection. The fish measured 20.5 inches in fork length and had a girth of 16 inches. It was weighed at Neuse Sport Shop in Kinston.
For more details on state record fish, individuals can visit the division’s State Saltwater Records webpage or contact staff at saltwater.citations@deq.nc.gov. Additionally, information on identifying Bulleye is available on the NCDMF Facebook Page.
