Fishing is the stuff dreams are made of for those of us that live the salt life. It encompasses everything we are - from supper table delicacies to childhood memories and political heat - fishing pumps the blood through our veins. With our homes amid some of the best fishing grounds, we sail to salt water destinations, embark on fresh water angling excursions and take pride in a commercial fishing commodity. The salt life is serious stuff.
I take an intense stance on fishing. I think it’s a God-given right and no matter how you use it, as long as you practice a little respect, you are golden. There is a “fisher of men” that would agree. From recreational angling, to commercial culling, to just talking about fishing - I hold the industry in the highest regard.
Commercial fishing
Most folks don’t know our country’s dependence on foreign seafood. More than 80 percent of seafood consumed in this country is imported from other countries. It’s more than 92 percent for shrimp consumption. What’s more, there is no method of ensuring this commodity is kept to the standards of American quality. Yuck! Eating seafood that is shipped in from foreign countries is very unpatriotic, especially considering all the folks that don’t have work right now. We need all the jobs we can get.
Big trawl boats have headed north for day scallop fishing, flounder fishing and sea bass trips. Too bad they can‘t take a chance on getting through Oregon Inlet to bring their catch home. Docks in Engelhard and Wanchese are nearly empty because big boats are staying docked in northern ports and selling their catch there. On a recent trip to Newport News to drop my fella off aboard a commercial trawler, I felt kind of at home because they were docked next to boats from Swan Quarter and Wanchese. I was proud. Locally, Ernie Stotesberry set a net and caught two speckled trout and one gray trout. There hasn’t been much going on in the Pamlico Sound.
Inland
Although there hasn’t been much going on in the Pamlico Sound, fishing has been off the hook in nearly every aspect of what y’all like to call the inner banks.
There have been a few reports of white perch in some tributaries of the Pamlico River and Pamlico Sound. Recently, I saw a crowd of fishermen along U.S. 264, west of Northside High School. Word has it they were catching white perch in good numbers. According to information from the Wildlife Resources Commission, white perch can overpopulate small reservoirs prevent other species from thriving. To me, that sounds like a good reason to get out there and fish. What’s better, there’s no size limit or bag limit.
Young fisherman Daniel Aldridge caught 35 stripers while fishing in the lower Roanoke River with Capt. Richard Andrews with Tar-Pam Guide services. All together, the party boated 50 fish during fishing trip. Sounds like a good day.
Capt. Andrews had another good day and got into some trout last weekend. He stayed close to home and fished on his day off with his buddy Matt. They were rewarded with some very pretty specks, catching their limit and releasing many more.
I got some tips on how to fish for gar from Corey Davis, a third-grader at Mattamuskeet Elementary. He said menhaden is his bait of choice and it‘s important to make sure the hook is set all the way through the fish’s mouth. Cast out and when you see the bobber get still, start reeling real slow. When you feel the hard tug at the end of the line, get ready for a fight. Gar isn’t something that you want to eat, but they put on a heck of a show. Some of my Hatteras buddies call them “sound marlin. “Corey’s sister Harlee didn’t much want to talk fishing. She likes hunting better. Still, their family spends considerable time on the Mattamuskeet Refuge enjoying the natural resources. Take a kid fishing. Not only will it put a smile on their face, they’ll have some of the best memories. That’s something no one can take away.
Salt water fishing
Some of the first dolphin (mahi) of the season have shown up around Ocracoke. I heard of a private boat that went out and landed some of these beautiful, tasty, fun-to-catch fish. Anglers aboard charter vessel Drumstick with Capt. Farris O’Neal caught wahoo and triggerfish during a trip earlier this month. In the Ocracoke surf, the folks at Tradewinds Tackle said things are pretty slow.
Heading north on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the folks at Frisco Rod and Gun reported some blow toads showing up in the surf at Cape Point in Buxton. Biter sharks and dogfish have definitely been a good bet for surf fishers. The Hatteras offshore fleet has been getting into some nice-sized blackfin tuna. Dolphin and wahoo have reportedly been scattered.
Fisheries issues
The reason I’m not lamenting on fisheries issues is because I am very disheartened. Things don’t look so good.
Over the past few years, I’ve made some great friends while staying active in the fight to preserve beach access to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. However, last week the unthinkable happened. Strict beach driving rules went into effect and folks in Hatteras and Ocracoke are facing their summer season with skeptisism. After a devastating hurricane, these rules only put another nail in the economic coffin of small busineeses in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. I am still pretty hurt that the past five years of efforts did little to help these folks. A lawsuit is in the works and I will explain more about that next week.
If that isn’t bad enough, there are folks that want to make speckled trout, rock fish and drum “game fish.” This would make it illegal to buy or sell these fish in North Carolina. Not only would it squash commercial fishermen, it would deny access to consumers who love fresh local seafood. Only about three percent of the state’s population would be able to eat rockfish stew, boiled drum or fried speckled trout. Please tell your legislative representatives that House Bill 353, “the game fish bill” is uncalled for.
Tell me a fishing story!
If you caught the big one - or missed it - I want to hear about it. Send an email to
*Published in the Feb. 22, 2012 issue of the Beaufort-Hyde News.megpieinthesky@gmail.com and I’ll be glad to talk fishing with you. Until next time, keep your line (or net) in the water and fish on and on!!
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