The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries has set a new state record for the Bulleye (Cookeolus japonicus). Jody Hopkins from Grimesland caught the 5-pound, 10.88-ounce fish off Ocracoke on June 21, 2025. This marks the first state record for this species.
The International Game Fish Association World Record for a Bulleye was established in Japan in 2023 with a fish weighing 7-pounds, 14-ounces. Hopkins was fishing approximately 30 miles off Ocracoke at a depth of 200 feet when he caught the fish using squid as bait. Initially believing it to be a Bigeye, Hopkins later donated the fish to NCDMF for identification.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences received the fish from NCDMF for its specimen collection. The Bulleye 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 reach out to the North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Tournament staff via email at saltwater.citations@deq.nc.gov.
Additionally, information on identifying a Bulleye is available on the NCDMF Facebook Page.
