Common thresherin North Carolina
Alopias vulpinus
Also called Thresher, Whiptail.
The rule in North Carolina
Federal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species). North Carolina lists no rule of its own for common thresher, so the council's rule applies in state waters too.
HMS permit with shark endorsement plus circle hooks required; bigeye thresher is prohibited — common thresher only.
Gear: Non-offset, corrodible circle hooks required when fishing with bait; HMS Angling permit with shark endorsement required in federal waters.
Measured as fork length (FL): snout to the fork of the tail.
NOAA HMS 2025· checked Open
North Carolina state record
589 lb 1 oz, Off Oak Island, 2023. NCDMF State Saltwater Records · checked 2026-08-22
How to tell it
The tail's upper lobe is as long as the body — the whip is the whole ID. More on the common thresher page: every state’s rule, the records, and how anglers catch it.
Common thresher in other states
In the app
Point the camera at a common thresher in North Carolina and this rule is on the screen before you take the picture. No signal needed.
Get the appCommon thresher in North Carolina: the questions
What is the size limit for common thresher in North Carolina?
54 in fork length. Measured as fork length: snout to the fork of the tail.
How many common thresher can you keep in North Carolina?
1 shark per vessel per trip.
When is common thresher season in North Carolina?
Open year-round.
What is the North Carolina record common thresher?
589 lb 1 oz, Off Oak Island (2023).
How current is this North Carolina common thresher rule?
Source: NOAA HMS 2025, last checked Sep 20, 2026. A watchman re-reads the agency's pages nightly. Rules change mid-season by proclamation; the official rulebook is the final word.