Saturday, September 30, 2006

NC River Herring Moratorium Stalemate

The NC Marine Fisheries Commission met Thursday night in Pine Knoll Shores and had planned on a final vote for the proposed river herring moratorium. Unfortunately, one of the commission members was not present and two votes on the issue ended in stalemates. The River Herring Fishery Management Plan will now be put on hold until the Nov. 30-Dec. 1 MFC meeting. River herring have been under growing pressure and fished way to hard to maintain a healthy population. As one of the foundations to the coastal food chain, depleted stocks of river herring cause strain on just about every other game species. The MFC estimates that if the moratorium is enacted, river herring stocks should recover in 16 to 25 years. More on the MFC stalemate is available from the Jacksonville Daily News.

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006

12ft, 475lb Alligator Killed on NC Coastal Highway

Although you don't hear much about them, North Carolina does have its fair share of alligators. Most NC gators are found in southern waters around Wilmington, but some are found as far north as Virginia. An Onslow County motorist had to have had the shock of a lifetime Monday night when they struck and killed a 12-foot, 7-inch long, 475-pound American alligator sitting in the middle of US 17. Coastal highway encounters are not unheard of, but this gator's size is. NC Wildlife Resources Commission officials estimated the giant gator to be over 85 years old. The driver was unharmed and DOT crews removed the alligator from the highway with the assitance of a large excavator. More on the alligator is available from the Jacksonville Daily News.

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Sunday, September 24, 2006

Team Hooligan Wins FLW King Event in Dramatic Finale

Southport Winners; Photo by Brett Carlson

Team Hooligan of Sunset Beach, NC closed out Day 3 of the Southport FLW King Tournament event with a 32-pound, 6-ounce king mackerel, a $70,000 check, and a win so dramatic it could have been written for Hollywood. After nothing on Day 1, Team Hooligan fished without their captain on Day 2 and caught a 35-pound, 14-ounce king to leap into third place. On the final day of fishing Captain Joe Winslow rejoined his team and decided to make the 130 mile trip to the east side of Cape Lookout looking for one big king. Team Hooligan had fished all day with no luck and had all but given up hope when they hooked up with a 32-pound, 6-ounce king on a live menhaden. After boating the king, they headed south and battled 8 foot seas all the way back to Southport. With only 2 miles to the weigh station and a deadline that was quickly approaching, one of their engines ran out of gas. Team Hooligan end up being 11 minutes late to weigh in but their catch was heavy enough to withstand the 11 pound weight deduction penalty with just 3 pounds to spare. Team Nailhead ended up with $35,000 and second place and Team Kellogg's finished in 3rd with $20,500. More on Day 3 and Team Hooligan's dramatic win is available from FLW's website.

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Friday, September 22, 2006

FLW King Tournament Slow on Day 2

Day 2 of Southport's Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tournament Series event was slower than expected and only 35 of the 89 boats brought a king mackerel to the scales. The day's biggest king was caught by a North Carolina team, Team Fish Meister. Fish Meister was surprised by their king which weighed in at 41 pounds, 5 ounces, just 1 pound and 4 ounces under Day 1's leader. The team had originally thought the king mackerel was only about 30 pounds and had a nice surprise at the scale. Since the fishing was slow near Southport, Fish Meister made the 180 mile round trip to fish off Morehead City and landed their king using a mullet on the shotgun line approximately 100 feet back. The final 5 teams have been set for Saturday's final round and the possible $100,000 first prize: Team Nailhead hangs onto first; Team Fish Meister is in second; Team Hooligan of Sunset Beach, NC leapt into 3rd with a Day 2 35 pound king; Team Kellogg's is in 4th; and Team Lured Away hangs onto 5th. More on Day 2 in Southport is available from the FLW website.

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Thursday, September 21, 2006

Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour - Final Qualifying Event in Southport

FLW Day 1 Leaders; Photo by Brett Carlson

Over $1.82 million is on the line as anglers try to make the postseason of the Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour in this weekend's final qualifying event in Southport. The final regular-season tournament offers teams one last chance to earn points toward the no-entry-fee FLW Kingfish Tour Championship to be held in Mount Pleasant, SC on November 9-11. All teams will fish for two days, and each team is allowed to weigh one king mackerel per day. The minimum length limit is 30 inches. The top five teams that record the biggest catches over Thursday and Friday will advance to Saturday's final round. On Saturday, each team's biggest king will be added to their first two day's weight to determine the winner. 89 boats are fishing the tournament and the total prize pool is set at $300,000. At the end of Day 1, Team Nailhead from Gainesville, GA leads all teams with a 42-pound, 9-ounce king mackerel that bit a slow-trolled ribbonfish that was presented near the bottom of the water column in about 40 feet of water. More on the FLW tournament and Day 1 in Southport is available from the FLW website.

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Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Bodie Island Lighthouse Set for Repairs

Bodie Island Lighthouse; Link to NPS site

Constructed in 1872, the Bodie Island Lighthouse has been slowly decaying ever since. Two years ago four large chunks of metal, one weighing over 450 pounds, fell from the lighthouse gallery and the public has not been allowed in since. An emergency stabilization project is now expected to kick off in November and once it is complete, visitors will once again be welcome. The project will even allow visitors to climb the 205 stairs with their diamond shaped openings all the way to the top of the 156-foot tower that has been closed even longer. After the initial collapse of the gallery, steel cables were wrapped around the gallery and attached to the roof for support. The new stabilization project will add additional support and cover the lighthouse's rare first-order Fresnel lens with a foam cover. The Outer Banks Lighthouse Society and Outer Banks Tourism Bureau contributed large portions of the project's costs. The complete restoration of the Bodie lighthouse was originally budgeted for 2007 but has recently been pushed back to 2009. More on the lighthouse repairs is available from the The Virginian-Pilot; the history of the lighthouse is available from the National Parks Service.

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Saturday, September 16, 2006

Officials Rescue Artic Seal in Wrightsville Beach

Beach goers were surprised to find a four-foot long Artic ice seal playing in the waters near the Oceanic Pier Friday morning. The seal, most likely a young hooded seal, was obviously way off course to have ended more than a thousand miles south of its normal territory. State officials with the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher captured the seal and are transporting it to the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach. The seal will undergo testing before it is released into the wild farther north. Scientists have noticed a recent increase in the number of Artic seals found in warmer waters and they are hoping to learn what's causing the unusual behavior. Who knows, maybe seals enjoy a little fun in the sun off North Carolina's beaches as much as we do. More on the seal ia available from the Wilmington Star.

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Friday, September 15, 2006

Emerald Isle Reopens Point Vehicle Ramp

Photo courtesy of JDN; Link to their article

As the beach driving season opens today in Emerald Isle, surf fishermen are rejoicing to learn that the vehicle access ramp to the Point will also be open this year. For the first time in six years, access to one of Emerald Isle's most popular surf fishing locations is again open to four wheel drive vehicles. The Inlet Drive vehicle access ramp was closed over six years ago when the old Bogue Inlet channel encroached on the Point and erosion had become a serious threat. The channel was relocated farther out from the shore, and in the last year sand has built back up along the Point so that the beach is as wide as 500 to 700 feet in many places. Recent sand deposits from the dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway have also been beneficial. In addition to the reopened Inlet Drive ramp, vehicles can also access the beach at the end of Black Skimmer Drive and at the Ocean Drive turn near mile marker 15 on NC 58. More on the additional beach access is available from the Jacksonville Daily News. Information on permits and regulations is available from the Town of Emerald Isle's website.

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Thursday, September 14, 2006

US Federal Judge Declares Boating Illegal

In what has to be one of the strangest court rulings we have heard, Judge Robert James of the US District Court, Western Division of Louisiana, ruled that it is criminal trespass for the American public to boat, fish, or hunt on the Mississippi River and other navigable waters in the US. His ruling in the case of Normal Parm v. Sheriff Mark Shumate, Judge James ruled that federal law grants exclusive and private control over the waters of the river, outside the main shipping channel, to landowners. Based on his ruling, fishing and boating in most of the country's navigable waters are now illegal. While we are sure that this bizarre ruling will be quickly overturned, we thought everyone would appreciate a little humor. More on the ruling is available from the International Boat Industry News site.

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Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Emerald Isle Seeks $3 Million to Save Pier

We've kept a close eye on Emerald Isle's fight to save Bogue Inlet Pier. The town's creative plan has drawn a lot of support over the last few months but unfortunately they were denied state funds in July. The town of Emerald Isle has now submitted a revised application to the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund that requests just $3 million instead of the original $8 million. The town's new strategy to save their last fishing pier centers around the donation of the pier structure and pier house to the town. The funds requested from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund would be used to purchase surrounding land for the elimination of 3 stormwater outfalls and the construction of a 2 story, 175 space parking deck. We should all commend the town for their persistence and the developer for agreeing to donate the pier. More on the revised application is available from the New Bern Sun Journal; be sure to sign the petition to save Bogue Inlet Pier if you haven't already.

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Sunday, September 10, 2006

PWCs Can Now Access Cape Lookout National Seashore

After several years of debate and strong public opinion on both sides, the National Park Service has decided to balance the concerns of both sides by allowing limited access to the Cape Lookout National Seashore for personal watercraft (PWC). As of Friday, PWCs are allowed to land at 10 locations on the sound-side beaches of North Core Banks, South Core Banks, and Shackleford Banks. Jet ski operators will also be required to directly approach the shore at idle speeds in order to minimize environmental impact. PWC operators will be responsible for reviewing the designated access areas and the Coast Guard will cite violators with a $150 fine. More information is available from the Cape Lookout National Seashore website, including detailed maps of the designated landing areas.

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Thursday, September 07, 2006

Proposed NC Inner Banks Scenic Parkway

Tuesday night plans for a new $185 million scenic parkway linking Havelock to the northeastern NC Inner Banks were presented to the Washington County commissioners. The proposed parkway will stretch from NC Highway 158 near Gatesville to NC Highway 70 near Havelock with a speed limit of 55 the entire way. Not only would this new parkway dramatically reduce travel times, it would also include a great deal of state owned park lands much like the Blue Ridge Parkway. Saltwater anglers should be especially excited about the scenic parkway as park lands purchased for the project would protect natural areas such along the rivers and sounds from development. The $185 million price tag is not nearly as high as it sounds since the parkway would replace the Bayview-Aurora and Minnesott Beach-Cherry Branch ferries with new bridges. More on the Inner Banks Scenic Parkway is available from the Washington Daily News.

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Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Gov. Easley Appoints New MFC Member

Governor Mike Easley appointed a new member to the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission last week after a review of the residency requirements determined that the state was not following its own guidelines. The NC MFC is required by statute to include at least one resident recreational fisherman from each of the three coastal regions - the northeast, the central, and the southeast. Marshall Williford, a recreational fisherman from Edenton, was appointed to the northeast coastal region to replace commissioner Charlie Adams who resigned last month after the discrepancy was discovered. Williford enjoys inshore fishing for speckled trout and flounder off the Outer Banks and will be an important advocate for recreational anglers. More on the appointment is available from the Outer Banks Sentinel; information on the NC MFC can be found on the Division of Marine Fisheries website.

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Friday, September 01, 2006

Transfer of Jennette's Pier to Kick Start Pier's Rebirth

The Outer Banks' oldest fishing pier is getting ready for an impressive comeback. We first reported on the state's ambitious plans in March but little has been heard on the topic since. Officials announced at a meeting in Nags Head this week that ownership of the pier and adjacent property is expected to be transferred next month to the North Carolina Aquariums and that the rebuilding project would begin immediately. The new pier will be based on the design of Johnnie Mercer's Pier in Wrightsville's Beach and is going to be a steel and concrete behemoth. The new Jennette's Pier will be 1,000 feet long, 25 feet wide, and include a 10,000 square foot pier house with exhibits and a tackle shop. Parking will also be improved as the adjacent cottages will be moved to make more room. The $9 million to $12 million project is expected to be completed by spring 2009. More on the Jennette's Pier reconstruction is available from The Virginian-Pilot.

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