Salmon Fishing Opportunities Increase Along the Washington Coast Beginning Aug. 26
August 26, 2008
OLYMPIA – Anglers will be able to fish for salmon seven days a week along most of the Washington coast beginning Tuesday, Aug. 26, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.
The new rules will increase fishing opportunities at Westport (Marine Area 2), La Push (Marine Area 3) and the portion of Neah Bay (Marine Area 4) that lies east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line. Ocean waters west of that line in Marine Area 4 will be closed to all salmon fishing beginning Aug. 26, said Doug Milward, WDFW ocean salmon manager.
“Angler participation has been down along the coast likely due to higher gas prices,” Milward said. “For that reason, we can provide anglers who are fishing at these three ports with additional opportunities without exceeding recreational harvest quotas.”
Fishing had been restricted to five days a week since the season opened.
Anglers fishing at Westport and La Push may retain two chinook salmon as part of their daily limit, but those fishing in Neah Bay may retain only hatchery coho salmon, Milward said. All wild coho must be released in all three areas.
Salmon fishing is scheduled to continue through Sept. 13 if sufficient numbers remain in the quota, Milward said.
Although salmon fishing in Ilwaco (Marine Area 1) closed Aug. 17, fishing continues for hatchery coho at Buoy 10 just south of Ilwaco, Milward said.
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North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Report - 7/20/2008
July 20, 2008
Northern District Dare, Hyde, Currituck, & Beaufort Counties
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters. Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
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Ocean: Catches slowed this week, with offshore anglers catching small amounts of dolphin, wahoo and various tunas. Billfish catches have been the exception, with sailfish, blue and white marlin being caught most of the time by anglers targeting them. Midrange catches have been light, with only a few triggerfish, black seabass, and an occasional striped bass being caught  King mackerel and a few cobia continue to be caught about 8 to10-miles offshore. Inshore anglers had the best success rates in the ocean with some very nice flounder being caught in the 0 to 2-mile range. Most were legal keeping size and a few were in the 4 lb range. Bluefish and Spanish mackerel were also caught in this same range, but were tough to access in the near shore surf zone due to rough seas. Atlantic sharpnose sharks, assorted skates and rays, and kingfish were also caught. Â
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Flounder catch rates were the best news for anglers in these waters, with success rates similar to those fishing the inshore ocean range. Weakfish and spotted seatrout were caught by early morning anglers at Oregon Inlet’s Green Island Slough. Plenty of large croaker were caught throughout the area with kingfish and spot mixed in.Â
Piers/Shore: Flounder catches improved for these anglers also with results similar to those listed above. Spanish mackerel were caught in the very near-shore surf zone by anglers working the surface with assorted spoons and lures. Bluefish, kingfish, croaker, spot, weakfish, skates, sharks, and a host of others were also caught. Red drum catches from Avon southward have improved on a steady basis. Cobia catches from piers were moderate to good most of the time, especially at night.
General Overview: Tropical storm Cristobal will keep waters stirred up in the early part of the week but will depart quickly and should have a positive effect on fishing.Â
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Central District Pamlico, Craven, Carteret, & Onslow Counties
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters.
Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
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Ocean: King mackerel were caught around the 14 buoy, the sea buoys and Atlas tanker. Nice wahoo were caught at the Atlas tanker. Dolphin were the main catch on the charterboats. Anglers caught Spanish mackerel around both Beaufort and Bogue Inlets and down the beaches in 10 feet of water. They also caught them around the Cape.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Reports from New River showed very good catches of spotted seatrout. Sheepshead were around all the bridge pilings in the county, and anglers did great catching them. Several 6-pound flounder were hooked in the turning basin at the port. Anglers were using mullet minnows.
Piers/Shore:Â The pier beside the Morehead-Beaufort high-rise bridge surprised and pleased anglers who landed some very nice sea mullet. Fishermen were catching more than four per person and they were all 12 inches or longer. Those fishing from shore were also hooking kingfish.
Southern District Pender, New Hanover, & Brunswick Counties
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters.
Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
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Ocean: Typical summer time fishing. Bottom fishing in the 30 to 55-mile range has been producing lots of red groupers along with some gags, and scamps. King mackerel fishing has been a little slow over the last couple of weeks. The shark hole has been the most consistent place to fish of late. Sailfish have moved close to the beach and boats targeting king mackerel typically catch them this time of year. Flounder fishing on the near/shore reefs has been good. The reefs off Brunswick County are a good place to fish this time of year, with anglers often landing large red drum and spadefish.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Fishing has been good. The trout are biting well around the Southport/Oak Island area. There are also a decent numbers of flounder being landed, with some up to 8 pounds. Sheepshead and black drum are biting well. The rock jetties at Little River and Masonboro Inlet are good places to try as well as the ADM dock and Snow’s Cut. I haven’t heard anybody fishing for them, but tarpon fishing on the shoals is another option this time of year.
Piers/Shore: Fishing was a little slow. The tropical system that passed through the area slowed fishing. Area piers are seeing pompano, sea mullet, bluefish, and some flounder. Shore anglers using sand fleas are catching some nice pompano.
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NOAA Proposes Rule to Require Saltwater Angler Registration
June 16, 2008
NOAA’s Fisheries Service is seeking comment on a proposed rule that requires anglers and spearfishers who fish recreationally in federal ocean waters to be registered before fishing in 2009.
The rule would also require registration by those who may catch anadromous species anywhere, including striped bass, salmon and shad that spawn in rivers and streams and spend their adult lives in estuaries and the ocean.
The proposed rule satisfies the National Academy of Science National Research Council recommendations to establish a national database of saltwater anglers, and meets the requirements under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The proposed rule is part of a larger initiative of NOAA’s Fisheries Service to improve the quality and accuracy of data on marine recreational fishing and catches. The registry will also help measure the economic benefits of recreational fishing on the national and local economies.
“The national registry of saltwater anglers is the key to closing a major gap in information on recreational fishing,” said Jim Balsiger, NOAA acting assistant administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “It will help us conduct surveys to get a more complete picture of how recreational fishing by an estimated 14 million people is affecting fish stocks. This will lead to better stock assessments and more effective regulations to rebuild and manage these valuable fish.”
NOAA may exempt anglers from registration if they already have a state-issued saltwater fishing license or registration, and the state provides sufficiently complete information to place in the national registry. In certain instances, anglers in states participating in regional surveys of marine recreational fishing may also be exempted. The new rule allows states to apply for exemptions.
States on the West Coast (including Alaska), the Gulf Coast, and the South Atlantic offer saltwater fishing licenses. Hawaii and the states from New Jersey to Maine do not.
“States without saltwater licenses have a strong incentive to adopt licenses,” said Balsiger. “Any fee that a state collects through a license can be used for restoration and fishery management in the state. By law, the registry fee taken by NOAA will offset the cost of issuing the registration. It can not be specifically directed to fisheries management.”
Fishermen would be required to be registered annually and NOAA will not charge a registration fee in the first two years. Beginning in 2011, the annual fee will be an estimated $15 to $25 per angler. Anglers under the age of 16 would be exempt from registering and fees would be waived for indigenous people, such as members of federally recognized tribes. NOAA’s Fisheries Service recognizes that many indigenous people fish for food as part of ancient cultural traditions.
Anglers who fish only on licensed party, charter, or guide boats would also be exempt, since these vessels are surveyed separately from the angler surveys. Also, persons who hold commercial fishing licenses or permits, and are legally fishing under them, will be exempt from the registration requirement.
Registrations will include an angler’s name, address, telephone number, and the regions where fishing is conducted. This information will not be made public; it will be used only by NOAA to conduct surveys.
The National Academy of Science’s National Research Council advised NOAA’s Fisheries Service in 2006 to redesign its surveys of recreational fishermen for more accuracy, precision, and transparency. The NRC’s independent scientific review resulted in more than 200 recommendations for improving marine recreational surveys, including the recommendation to establish a national database of saltwater anglers. This recommendation became law in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the primary fisheries law for U.S. ocean waters, which was reauthorized in 2007. Please see http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/mrip
for additional information on this effort, the Marine Recreational Information Program.
For the last 28 years, NOAA’s Fisheries Service has conducted recreational fishing surveys through random telephone interviews with residents living in coastal counties. NOAA and its regional and state partners conduct an extensive program of dockside interviews of anglers to obtain data on their catch.
The national saltwater registry will enable surveyors to interview only those people who fish, and will reach all anglers, not only those who live near the coast. To read the proposed rule, go to http://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov.
Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted until Aug. 11. They can be mailed to:
John Boreman
Director, Office of Science and Technology
NMFS
1315 East-West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Attn.: Gordon Colvin
Comments can also be submitted electronically at http://www.regulations.gov.
NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 70 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts, and protects.
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NOAA Outlines Annual Catch Limits to End Overfishing
June 5, 2008
NOAA’s Fisheries Service today outlined a plan to establish annual catch limits designed to help restore federally managed marine fish stocks.
Annual catch limits are the amount of each type of fish allowed to be caught in a year and are required by the 2007 amendments to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Additionally, the act calls for measures to ensure these limits are followed and that the limits do not exceed the scientific recommendations made by the regional fishery management councils’ scientific committees.
“Annual catch limits for fish stocks will help the nation meet the call by the president and Congress to end overfishing,” said Jim Balsiger, acting assistant administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “They will help sustain and recover stocks that provide the nation with valuable seafood and recreational opportunities, as well as benefits to the ocean environment.”
NOAA’s Fisheries Service, the regional fishery management councils, and fishing communities have taken significant steps toward ending overfishing and rebuilding stocks in recent years. In 2007, seven fish stocks were removed from the overfishing list. However, 41 fish stocks in U.S. ocean waters continue to be fished at unsustainable levels.
The guidelines published in the Federal Register today propose to set up a system of catch limits and targets for each stock to prevent overfishing. The system would account for scientific uncertainty in estimating catch limits for a stock, and include accountability measures to prevent annual catch limits from being exceeded, and to address such a situation quickly if it does occur.
Annual catch limits will be required for all U.S. commercial and recreational fisheries subject to overfishing by 2010, and all other stocks by 2011. NOAA hopes to issue final guidelines on annual catch limits by the end of 2008.
“Ending overfishing on these stocks and preventing overfishing from occurring on others is critical to maintaining and rebuilding our valuable fisheries resources,” said Balsiger. “The economic, recreational and ecological stakes are high.”
U.S. fisheries contribute more than $35 billion annually to the economy and an estimated $20 billion is spent on recreational fishing activities each year.
The proposed guidelines may be viewed online at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/msa2007/ Public comments on the proposed revisions will be accepted through Sept. 8, 2008.
NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 70 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.
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North Carolina Regional Saltwater Fishing Reports - 5/25/2008
May 25, 2008
Northern District Dare, Hyde, Currituck, & Beaufort Counties
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters. Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
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Ocean: Offshore anglers are pleased with much-improved catches of dolphin - specimens of 40lbs were not uncommon. A few wahoo, little tunny, Atlantic bonito, assorted sharks, and both yellow and blackfin tuna were also caught. Billfish catches increased slightly. Midrange anglers are still catching some very nice specimens of striped bass and red drum about 1.5-2 miles offshore in a very concentrated area from Duck southward to the Oregon Inlet area. Anglers that encountered these fish were almost guaranteed a good catch of both, regardless of bait or tackle. Inshore success rates remain constant with spotted seatrout and bluefish making up the bulk of the catches. Anglers that were able to access the near shore surf zone when seas were calm caught limits of both, along with moderate amounts of kingfish and spot mixed in. Â
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Spotted seatrout and red drum have been the primary target of most anglers in these waters, with the bulk of both species being caught off of the Melvin Daniels Bridge and underneath the Washington Baum Bridge opposite of Pirates Cove Marina. Catches of striped bass have made a modest improvement throughout the area with Manns Harbor yielding the bulk of them. Black drum, croaker, spot, and kingfish were caught everywhere. Sheepshead and triggerfish catches near the bridge pilings at Oregon Inlet have been very good, especially at night.Â
Piers/Shore: Anglers have been catching plenty of 2 to 3-lb. bluefish with very little effort most of the time. Limits were caught very quickly due to short term, high volume catches. Spotted seatrout took more patience and persistence to catch, but when they were biting all anglers with a line in the water caught at least a few, with most of them being of legal keeping size. Dawn & dusk yielded most of the catches but nice specimens were had throughout the day. A few others were caught, including silver perch, spot, kingfish, puffers, skates, cownose rays, burrfish, and assorted sharks. Cobia have been caught with increased regularity off of all the local piers.Â
General Overview: Water temps in the surf are finally on an upward trend with lower-mid 60s throughout the northern district area. Favorable weather conditions have allowed anglers to access most sites on a regular basis with moderate-good success rates in all modes of fishing.  Weather conditions are predicted favorable for the coming week.Â
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Central District Pamlico, Craven, Carteret, & Onslow Counties
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters.
Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
Â
Ocean: Fishing has finally taken off. Dolphin were found at the 90’ Drop which also happens to be the best place for king fishing. Blue marlin are thick. Big 10, Little 10 also has dolphin and kings as does Northwest places. Charter boats are bringing in nice catches of dolphin and wahoo - they range from peanuts to bulls. The smaller guide boats are catching cobia and Atlantic bonito. Spanish are in 30’ of water off the beach and anglers are catching them from the Cape Lookout area to Topsail Beach. Most are still pretty skinny. Bluefish can still be found around the Cape Lookout Shoals in early morning. Headboats are doing great with snapper and grouper. A 23-pound red grouper was boated Sunday and lots of vermillion snapper in the 2 to 2.5-pound range.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Fishing is slower. We are still seeing nice red drum coming from the creeks and marshes of Swansboro. There are a few weakfish and spotted seatrout caught at the mouths of creeks..
Piers/Shore: Nice sea mullet can still be found on piers and along beaches. We are also seeing fair-sized croaker, spot and pigfish. Spanish and bluefish can be hooked early morning from the ends of the piers. Black drum and sheepshead are small, but anglers are keeping just about everything they hook except skates and rays. Small shark are everywhere.
Southern District Pender, New Hanover, & Brunswick Counties
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters.
Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
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Ocean: Offshore, fishing has been world class of late, with lots of big dolphin and a very good number of wahoo. This fishing should last a couple more weeks or so. Boats fishing a little deeper report a good week for marlin. Closer to shore the red grouper are biting well in the 35 to 50-mile range along with some gags and scamps. King mackerel fishing remains good on most ledges in the 10 to 20-mile range that is holding bait. Most fish are on the small side with some bigger fish mixed in. Along the area beaches, Spanish mackerel have been biting well. Didn’t really hear of any cobias being reported last week, but there should be some around.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Fishing was fair last week. There are some nice flounder starting to show up. Lockwood Folly Inlet and the Cape Fear River have been producing some fish of late. The trout bite is good right now, with the Little River rock jetties producing the best right now. The bays and creeks around Bald Head are producing some nice fish as well. Drum are also being reported in good numbers at both locations
Piers/Shore: Fishing has been good. Brunswick County piers are starting to really get into the trout. Live shrimp in the early morning hours are pretty much a sure thing right now. Other area piers are reporting Spanish, blues of all sizes, sea mullets and some very nice pompanos. Surf fisherman are catching blues, sea mullets, pompano, and some black drum.
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N.C. Regional Saltwater Fishing Reports
May 6, 2008
Northern District  Dare, Hyde, Currituck, & Beaufort Counties
Contact: Brian Melott April 27, 2008
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters. Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
Ocean: Offshore anglers continue to have moderate-good success rates. Most prevalent were yellow and blackfin tuna, wahoo, king mackerel, amberjack, Atlantic bonito, little tunny, and assorted sharks. Several bluefin tuna were caught out of the Hatteras marinas this week. There were very few billfish catches.Â
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Modest improvements gave anglers some hope as compared to the previous week’s poor fishing trends. Spotted seatrout in the 2.5-3 lb range were caught throughout the area with most of them being caught in Oregon Inlets “Green Island Slough.” Triggerfish and sheepshead were caught with increased regularity near the pilings of the bridge at this location as well. Striped bass were caught at Manns Harbor, but most were undersize.Â
Piers/Shore: Spotted seatrout and bluefish were the primary catch of these anglers. Spotted seatrout were caught from early to mid-morning, bluefish were caught throughout the day in short term but high volume blitzes. Dogfish sharks, skates, and stingrays remain plentiful. Red drum catches from the beaches between Rodanthe to Avon were somewhat improved.Â
General Overview: Success rates have improved in all modes of fishing this week. Water temps are on the rise with upper 50s in the surf throughout the Outer Banks. Weather conditions are predicted favorable for the coming week.Â
Central District  Pamlico, Craven, Carteret, & Onslow Counties
Contact: Suzanne Hill April 27, 2008
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters.
Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
Ocean:  Headboats are having good catches of vermillion snapper, grouper, ( red, gag and scamp ) black sea bass, grunts and banded rudderfish. They are also bringing in Hatteras blues and dolphin. A cobia was hooked on the Captain Stacy. Charter boats are having a great time catching large and small dolphin and nice sized wahoo. Flounder in the 4-pound range are being hooked on the wrecks. The Hatteras blues are from the shore to 10 miles out. Right whales were sighted about one mile off the beach. Anglers are looking hard for Atlantic bonito- they have been reported off Bogue Inlet.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Sheepshead are plentiful under the Atlantic Beach Bridge. Plenty of folks are out on a pretty day searching for sea mullet. There were a few lucky anglers catching them in the Beaufort Inlet. Fishing the inside waters has not yielded much - a few puffers, small croakers and bluefish. A cobia, approximately 25 pounds, was caught about 2.5 miles off Atlantic Beach but jumped off the hook. There are lots of small shark reported.
Piers/Shore: Â Fishing is slow. There are bluefish and shark reported.
Southern District  Pender, New Hanover, & Brunswick Counties
Contact: Dennis Trowell April 27, 2008
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters.
Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
Ocean: Offshore things are a little slow. The yellowfins have not made a showing but there still are some fish being caught - blackfin tuna, wahoo and dolphin. The dolphin fishing should really get good over the next couple of weeks. There were a good many blue marlin releases reported last week. Closer to shore, kings are being reported around the Wr4 and they showed up last Thursday on the beaches of Brunswick County. I’ve also heard of some Spanish mackerel being caught as well. The Atlantic bonito are being caught in good numbers around divers rock, but won’t be around too much longer with the warming water temperature. This is the time of the year when cobia start showing up along the beaches and inlets. One was lost off of an area pier last week. Offshore, the red, gag, and scamp groupers are biting well in the 40 to 50-mile range.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Â Not much change. There are some decent trout catches coming out of the river still. Live shrimp fished under a float has been the key. Along with the trout there are some drum. The sea mullet fishing slowed considerably last week.
Piers/Shore: The big news this week was the first kings of the year were caught on the Oak Island Pier. Ocean Crest Pier caught