For second time this summer, a record is broken for this tropical fish in NC waters

The turbulent waters off North Carolina are attracting a hefty type of grouper known as red hind.

A state record for the species was set by Christopher Rocci of Morehead City, just months after the prior record was set, state officials say.

In fact, at least four records for red hind have been set since December 2021, when the state started keeping records.

Rocci was baiting his Penn Ally II rod with squid and pinfish when he caught the 10-pound, 2.4-ounce red hind about 45 miles off Beaufort Inlet, N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries said in a Sept. 6 news release.

The flaming red fish with bulging eyes was just over 2 feet long and had a 20.25-inch girth, officials said.

Ten pounds is considered the upper end for red hind, which are “found in tropical and subtropical waters as deep as 400 feet, from North Carolina to Brazil,” according to the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council.

Rocci’s fish, caught July 27, counts as the second red hind record set this summer in North Carolina, officials said.

The prior record was 9 pounds, 12.1 ounces, for a fish caught June 30 off Wrightsville Beach, the state says.

North Carolina started keeping red hind records in December 2021 when Matthew Parr of Wilmington caught a 7-pound, 1.6-ounce fish off Cape Lookout on the Outer Banks.

“The Division of Marine Fisheries creates new state record categories for fish that are exceptionally large for North Carolina,” state officials said.

Red hind can live more than 17 years “and reach a length of 23 inches and a weight of 10 pounds,” the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council reports.

This story was originally published September 8, 2023 at 8:28 AM with the headline "For second time this summer, a record is broken for this tropical fish in NC waters."