Carteret Community College Spanish & King Mackerel Fishing Tournament

The 19th annual Carteret Community College Spanish & King Mackerel Fishing Tournament, presented by 21CS, brought another strong week of competition and community support to Morehead City. Held July 18-25, the event blended spirited fishing with a purpose, raising scholarship funds and supporting student programs through the Carteret Community College Foundation. 

The Captains’ Social opened the week on July 17 at the Hospitality & Culinary Arts Center, and lines hit the water at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 18. Anglers fished throughout the week across local waters, returning to Town Creek Marina for daily weigh-ins and a final push before the scales closed at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 25. 

With more than $15,000 in prizes across multiple divisions, the docks stayed busy with crews chasing leaderboard spots and juniors hoping to make their mark.

Team Chasen Kings, led by Greenville angler Brian Hudson, claimed the top Spanish Mackerel spot with a 5.2 lb. fish caught late in the week. Hudson fished nearly every day of the tournament, only skipping Tuesday when the conditions turned too rough. He ran solo for most of the week and brought along his buddy Danny Moore for two days. 

Thomas Segrave, of Morehead City, took top honors in the Junior Spanish Division of the CCC Spanish & King Fishing Tournament with a 4.45 lb spanish caught while fishing out of Beaufort Inlet.

The front half of the week was rough and slower, but Friday finally produced the break he needed. The winning spanish hit between 2:00-3:00 p.m., part of a short window where Hudson put three solid fish in the boat for the aggregate category, including the tournament’s overall biggest spanish. 

All of his spanish came on live pogies trolled on downriggers and planers. He launched out of Bogue Inlet and worked the east side.

Hudson’s week didn’t end with the spanish win. He also took third place in the King Mackerel division with a 19.9 lb. fish and won the Bluefish division. 

Team On The Edge, captained by Colby Bond, won the King Mackerel Division with a 42 lb. fish. They won last year’s king division, as well as last year’s Spanish division. 

Brian Hudson, of Team Chasen Kings, took first place overall in the Spanish Division of the CCC Spanish & King Fishing Tournament with a 5.2 lb. fish caught on a live pogie while trolling on the east side of the shoals.

The Junior Spanish title went to Morehead City angler Thomas Segrave, who topped the 10-17 age group with a 4.45 lb. spanish caught on the final day. Segrave fished the week with a rotating crew of family and friends, though weather limited their time on the water to about a day and a half total. 

The winning fish came on Saturday after a slow start to the morning. Segrave and his crew launched from Morehead City, ran out of Beaufort Inlet, and headed to a nearby spot they’ve relied on for years. The tide was slack early, and the bite didn’t materialize until the water finally started moving. Around 10:30, the rod loaded up and stayed tight, and Segrave put his winning spanish in the boat with a clean gaff shot. 

All of their tournament spanish, including the 4.45 lb. fish, were caught on live menhaden, with Segrave focusing on medium‑sized baits to draw strikes from larger fish. 

For more information on the Carteret Community College Spanish & King Mackerel Fishing Tournament, please visit www.carteret.edu/fishing-tournament-2.

by Fish Poster