Saltwater Angling a Sign of Coastal Vitality

Saltwater recreational fishing continued to provide important economic benefits to America’s coastal communities in 2008, bringing fishermen to the shore to reel in fish, book spots on charter and party boats, buy bait and tackle, stay in local inns and eat at local restaurants, according to a report issued this week by NOAA’s Fisheries Service.
Saltwater [...]

Federal Agencies Protect More Gulf of Maine Atlantic Salmon

NOAA’s Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today extended Endangered Species Act protection to more Atlantic salmon by adding fish in the Penobscot, Kennebec, and Androscoggin rivers and their tributaries to the endangered Gulf of Maine population first listed in 2000.
The decision is part of the ongoing effort to recover the imperiled [...]

Anglers’ Legacy! – Florida Leads the Way

“Give a Man a Fish and You Feed Him for a Day; Teach a Man to Fish and You Feed Him for a Lifetime”
We Floridians take our fishing seriously. The proof lies in the actions anglers take to ensure a bright fishing future. Between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009, 695 active Florida anglers took a [...]

NOAA Report Shows Rich Diversity Across U.S. Fishing Communities

A new report by NOAA’s Fisheries Service detailing the diverse demographics of 222 American saltwater fishing communities will help the agency design management strategies that will lead to more sustainable fisheries.
“Fisheries management depends on an understanding of how people in coastal communities interact with marine ecosystems and how their economies work,” said Jim Balsiger, NOAA [...]

Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative Creates Two New Reefs off Ocean City Coast with Retired New York City Subway Cars

Research Reef and the Isle of Wight Reef Created
OCEAN CITY, MD – Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative (MARI) partners including the Ocean City Reef Foundation, MTA New York City Transit, the Town of Ocean City, CCA MD and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), placed 44 retired New York City subway cars off Maryland’s Atlantic [...]

Michigan Inland Fisheries Grant Applications Due March 31

The Department of Natural Resources is now accepting applications for the 2010 Inland Fisheries Grant (IFG) program, which offer grants up to $200,000 for local projects that enhance Michigan’s aquatic resources.
The IFG program is intended to foster citizen and community understanding and appreciation of inland fisheries resources and to encourage participation and commitment to the [...]

NOAA Establishes Eight Marine Protected Areas to Provide Safe Havens for Deep-Water Fish

NOAA has established eight separate marine protected areas encompassing a total of 529 square nautical miles in south Atlantic federal waters to shield deep-water fish species and their habitats from fishing.
All fishing for snappers, groupers, tilefishes, grunts, porgies, and sea basses is prohibited throughout the protected areas, which are located off the coast from North [...]

Centennial Program on Roanoke River Fisheries Management

RALEIGH, N.C.  – The 2009 Fisheries and Wildlife Seminar series at the Centennial Campus Center for Wildlife Education begins Feb. 11 with a program on fisheries management on the Roanoke River.
Dr. Joe Hightower, of the North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at N.C. State University, will lead a program highlighting the latest fisheries [...]

Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico – Current Regulations Provide Protection for Striped Bass and Red Drum

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, to assist in ensuring faithful execution of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act, and the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act (chapters 38, 71, and 71A of title [...]

South Carolina Saltwater Fishing Trends – 9/29/2008

Little River – Grand Strand – Charleston – Hilton Head – Tides – S.C. marine recreational fishing regulations (PDF file). Saltwater Fishing License site.
Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.
Little River

Bluefish: Good to very good. Bluefish around the jetties. These fish are concentrating on schools of mullet; dead finger [...]