Tuesday, August 29, 2006

2006 NC Governor's Cup Final Standings

The NC Governor's Cup, an annual series of seven major billfish tournaments held along the North Carolina coast, is now finished for 2006 and final standings have been compiled. The Frequent Flyer of Morehead City ended the series with a dominating win and tallied 3275 points for the year, 825 points ahead of the second place Desperado from Carolina Beach. While they only finished 6th overall, the Job Site of Morehead City did manage to win the circle hook division by a narrow margin. In all, 56 participants caught 227 billfish this year including 47 Blue Marlin, 103 White Marlin, and 77 Sailfish. As the primary purpose of the tournament series is to raise awareness for billfish conservation, 98% of all the billfish landed were released. Now in its 16th year, the Governor's Cup has had 735 participants which have released 1,818 billfish. Complete 2006 standings for the NC Governor's Cup have just been updated in our tournament section. Our congratulations go out to Frequent Flyer owner Gary Joyner and captain Glynn Loftin for their outstanding year.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Saturday, August 26, 2006

NC WRC Eyes Cedar Point for New Boat Ramp

As part of North Carolina's attempt to increase water access for its residents, the NC WRC is looking to build a new public boat ramp on the Cedar Point side of NC 58 at the B. Cameron Langston Bridge to Emerald Isle. Local fishermen have long complained about the limited parking at Cedar Point landings and the new boat ramp should help ease congestion. Officials anticipate a minimum of 50 parking spaces and they are hopeful that storm water requirements will allow more. The land at the foot of the bridge is owned by the NC DOT and was originally set aside for bridge expansion. As any possible expansion is decades away, the WRC convinced the DOT to allow for the new ramp. Initial impact studies have shown promising results and water depths in the area mean that little dredging would be required. The WRC is now putting the final touches on the plan and hopes to present the complete schematics at a public meeting in Swansboro in a few months. More on the new public ramp is available from the Tideland News; satellite imagery of the location is available from Google.

Archive Link 1 Comments Tell a Friend

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Petition to Save NC's Piers Gaining Momentum

It used to be the hurricanes, but these days North Carolina's piers face their toughest battles against pressure from real estate development. We've reported on Emerald Isle's fight to save Bogue Inlet Pier and it appears the petition's success has led to others hoping to build grassroots support for coastal causes. Earlier this month a new petition was started to persuade state legislators to take a more active role in the preservation of NC's pier fishing heritage. savencpierfishing.com has already gathered over 2,000 signatures but hopes to reach 10,000 soon. If each of our visitors cast a vote we could help them reach their goal in less than a week so please do your part. The complete list of NC piers is in our travel section.

Archive Link 1 Comments Tell a Friend

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Speckled Trout Love Nuclear Chicken

We've been out of the office this week for one very good reason, fishing. We spent a few days doing a little inshore fishing near Oriental and are excited to report that the redfish (a.k.a. puppy drum, red drum, etc.) and speckled trout are most certainly here. While we were only able to find the redfish intermittently, the specks seem to be everywhere. With several mild winters in a row, speckled trout populations have made some impressive gains.

We found huge schools of 2 to 4 pound speckled trout on the flats that were ready to bite the right colors. While we've preached the gospel of Berkley Gulp Baits before, the speckled trout devoured the "Nuclear Chicken" color of both Gulp jerk shads and shrimp. We fished a half-dozen other colors, several other lures, and even live baits, but found that the hard to find Nuclear Chicken color drew several times the number of strikes. In addition to giving the crew time to unwind and unplug, our trip also allowed us to test a bunch of new gear and inshore techniques. We'll have some new articles early next week with some great info for inshore fishermen.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Pirate's Cove Tournament Win for Pelican Nets $584,763

Pirate's Cove Winners; Link to final results

The 23rd Annual Pirate's Cove Billfish Tournament concluded yesterday with Captain Arch Bracher Jr. leading the Pelican to the most lucrative victory in Pirate's Cove history worth $584,763. The last two days of the tournament featured some dramatic competition. The 56 foot Pelican out of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center leapt into first place Thursday with seven white marlin and one sailfish, and reeled in an additional three whites on Friday for a total of 770 points. The second place prize of $234,185 was awarded to the Viking 74, with Captain Mike Brady who caught all 11 of their billfish on the last two days. The third place prize of $124,857.50 to the Bluewater of Hampton, VA. In all, 259 billfish were caught and released. These included 10 blue marlin, 57 sailfish, and 192 white marlin. Complete results of the Pirate's Cove Tournament are available on the Pirate's Cove website. The tournament was also the last leg of the NC Governor's Cup Billfish Conservation Series and we will provide the final standings as they become available.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Proposed Boating Speed Limit Comment Period Extended

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced today that the comment period for the new proposed boating speed limits will be extend from August 25th to October 5th. We first reported on the proposal for federally mandated speed limits a few weeks ago and are hopeful that anglers will take advantage of the extended deadline and voice their opinions. More details are available in our first post on the boating speed limit, but essentially a 10 knot per hour speed limit would be enforced within a 30 mile radius of both the Wilmington and Morehead City ports for all vessels greater than 65 feet in order to help prevent whale and ship collisions. While the protection of coastal species is important to every fisherman, many doubt the effectiveness of the proposed 10 knot speed limits as whale and shop collisions are almost unheard of. The economic impact on larger charter boats would also be significant since the speed limits would add hours to offshore fishing trips. More on the speed limit and extension is available from the New Bern Sun Journal; comments may be emailed directly to shipstrike.comments@noaa.gov.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Monday, August 14, 2006

Sneads Ferry Fisherman Lands Albino Flounder

A Sneads Ferry fisherman may have caught the fish of a lifetime. Billy Ray Sanderford was fishing in the Neuse River near Gray's Point when he hauled in an extremely rare and completely albino flounder. Color variations and other genetic anomalies such as two dark sides or eyes on the right side instead of the left are unusual, but many fisherman have landed odd flounder. Sanderford's catch is unique because his 14 1/2 inch flounder was completely white on both sides. Flounder rely on their ability to camouflage themselves on the bottom for protection from predators therefore few truly albino flounder survive adolescence. Sanderford kept the fish alive for several hours trying to locate a marine researcher who was interested but the fish did not survive. He now plans to show the flounder to a group of marine biologists and may have the fish mounted when they are finished. More on the albino flounder is available from the New Bern Sun Journal.

Archive Link 1 Comments Tell a Friend

Thursday, August 10, 2006

New Member of the Crew for Fishing-NC.com

We are constantly looking for ways to provide more information and insight to our loyal visitors and are pleased to announce that some exciting new changes are in the works. We can't let the entire cat out of the bag just yet, but what we can tell you is that we have a new member of the crew, Taylor. Taylor is a veteran inshore fisherman, a master saltwater fly-fisherman and he is going to be taking charge of our new fly-fishing section. In addition to all the information you could ever want on fly-fishing on North Carolina's coast, the new section will also feature detailed how-to's and tips. Taylor's arrival is just the first of many great additions and changes for Fishing-NC.com. Over the next month we will be unveiling a few surprises we are sure you will appreciate. Taylor's complete bio is now available on our About Us page.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

NC Governor’s Cup Billfish Tournament Standings

The NC Governor's Cup, an annual series of seven major billfish tournaments held along the North Carolina coast, is approaching its finale as the 23rd Annual Pirate's Cove Billfish Tournament starts Monday in Manteo. The Frequent Flyer of Morehead City has pulled out to a strong lead through the first six tournaments but anything is possible off North Carolina's Outer Banks. Updated Series standings are now available from the NC DMF. We are planning some great coverage of next week's Pirate's Cove Tournament so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for updates. The Governor's Cup is managed by the NC DMF and promotes conservation, protection, and preservation of our state's coastal resources. Participating boats or teams are awarded Series points for billfish caught and released and for billfish taken which meet strict tournament minimum size requirements. So far in the 2006 Series 179 Billfish have been caught including 42 blue marlin, 69 white marlin, and 68 sailfish; 98% have been released. More on the tournament series is available from the NC DMF; information on other NC tournaments is available in our reference section.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Boaters Beware - Bombs in Bogue Sound

Even though they have been sitting on the bottom for 60 years, the US Coast Guard has begun publishing a notice to mariners at the request of the Marines that areas of Bogue Sound are littered with unexploded World War II bombs. The areas of Bogue Sound between Emerald Isle and the Intracoastal Waterway near Cat Island, Wood Island and Dog Island were used by Marine pilots for bombing target practice during and after World War II. Boaters and fishermen operating in the vicinity of these islands are urged to remain clear of them and in no case anchor or ground their boats there. Bombs up to 2,000 pounds may still be active and uncovered as tides shift area sands. Funding for cleanup is currently being pursued by the Environmental Affairs Department at Cherry Point. More on the threat to boaters is available from the New Bern Sun Journal.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Wilmington Fisherman Rescued at Sea by Good Samaritans

A Wilmington fisherman beat almost impossible odds and was rescued Sunday after trading water for more than six hours offshore. Not one, but two good Samaritans were able to assist. Stephen Bright was fishing alone when he accidentally fell overboard. Two hours later the first good Samaritan found his 33 foot Contender at sea with no one aboard and reported the empty vessel to the Coast Guard. Although a rescue boat and helicopter were dispatched to search for the missing fisherman, a second good Samaritan stumbled across Bright treading water and brought him aboard. During the almost seven hour fight for his life, Bright says about 8 or 9 other boats passed right by him without even noticing. Offshore fishermen are all too familiar with the scary prospect and long odds against them if they end up in the water, surviving without even a lifevest or something to help stay afloat is nothing short of miraculous. More on the rescue including a video interview is available from WECT Wilmington.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Guide to NC Fishing Piers Complete

Here at Fishing-NC.com, when we are not out with our lines in the water, we are in the office trying to provide our visitors with more and more information on fishing North Carolina's coast. To that end we have spent several hours over the past few days putting the finishing touches on our new definitive guide to fishing piers in NC. The pier fishing guide lists every pier on the Carolina coast grouped by region and detailed information for each pier including website, maps, pictures, and overviews of the facility and amenities. We are very proud to be able to offer the first real guide to all of North Carolina's piers and need your input and local knowledge to ensure accuracy for other visitors. Please take a few minutes and let us know if you have any suggestions or corrections. While visiting every pier on the NC coast is still one of our goals over the next few years, we rely on our visitor input for the inside scoop.

Archive Link 2 Comments Tell a Friend

Friday, August 04, 2006

Dolphin Tagging Program Offers Anglers Rewards

In many ways dolphin, a.k.a. mahi mahi, are the perfect bluewater gamefish. On top of being one of the most beautiful and colorful fish in the sea, dolphin are incredible fighters and go airborne at a moment's notice. Best of all they are also one of the most delicious gamefish around. A lot of pressure has been put on dolphin populations and despite their prolific reproduction, marine scientists have been trying to keep a close eye on them to make sure they remain a viable food source for anglers and billfish alike. Don Hammond, who recently retired as a SC Division of Marine Fisheries biologist, has made it his personal mission to establish the finest dolphin tagging program anywhere. A previous study in Florida tagged 57 dolphin, Hammond's group has tagged over 6,100 dolphin off the North and South Carolina coasts to date. Dolphin are tagged with either a 6 inch yellow or orange "spaghetti tag"; yellow tags offer a tagging study t-shirt for the return of information and orange tags offer a t-shirt and a $20 reward. His group is also now using $1000 satellite tracking tags as well, the only catch is that they have to find large mature dolphin to make sure that the high-dollar tags don't end up in the belly of a marlin. More on the tagging program is available in a great article from the News & Observer and be sure to check out our mahi mahi recipes for some new ways to enjoy your catch.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Shallotte Inlet Will Get Navigational Buoys

Local fishermen have been struggling to find deep water in Shallotte Inlet for a long time. The inlet's channel is unmarked and only experienced captains have been able to navigate Shallotte Inlet without inadvertently finding a sandbar. After a fact finding trip that included Ocean Isle fishermen and the Coast Guard, The NC Wildlife Commission announced this week that they will place navigational buoys in the Shallotte Inlet to help guide boaters. The buoys have been ordered and will be installed as soon as they arrive from the manufacturer. More on the new buoys is available from the Brunswick Beacon; satellite imagery of the Shallotte Inlet is available from live.com; Shallotte Inlet tide charts can be found on freetidetables.com.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Oregon Inlet Carries Area Economy; 9,851 Jobs & $682.7M Annually

Oregon Inlet is one of the most dynamic inlets on the east coast and has been a challenge to navigate since a hurricane first opened it in 1846. The inlet is the only passage between sound and ocean from Virginia to Hatteras Inlet and shifting sands have moved it more than two miles in the last 160 years. As a result, Oregon Inlet requires a great deal of maintenance to remain navigable and local officials have fought for years to secure minimal funds. Although 8 studies have been done on the economic importance of the inlet to the state, a new $80k survey funded by the Oregon Inlet and Waterways Commission was the first to consider the entire value of the inlet beyond simply commercial fishing and charters. The new report reveals that inlet-related commercial fishing, seafood packing and processing, boat building and recreational fishing and tourism industries create more than 9,851 jobs and $682.7 million in annual revenues. These new figures should help area officials keep projects like inlet dredging off the back burner in the legislature and ensure that fishermen have access to a safe channel. More on the study is available from The Virginian-Pilot; an aerial photographic history of Oregon Inlet from 1932 is available from the Army.

Archive Link 0 Comments Tell a Friend