Daily Bible Verse

June 30, 2008

Very Important Message Concerning The ICW!

The powers that be are having trouble finding funding "AGAIN" for dredging the North Carolina inlets. Topsail Island has two shallow draft inlets, New Topsail and New River, and both are on the list that has no funding. Read the story on the Star News online at the link below.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20080630/ARTICLE/631912124/1004/stormpost

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

Due to some technical issues that we couldn't resolve, we have created a new message board to better serve our readers. Check out our new message board. CLICK HERE.


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June 28, 2008

Latest Fishing Report from Topsail Island

Hi Folks, fishing is pretty good for summer time. Summer flounder are showing up more and more, especially in the sounds, creeks, and the ICW. Live bait seems to produce best, with Berkley Gulp Saltwater running a close second. You can also expect to catch red drum and speckled trout inside. Some nice flounder, lady fish and black drum are at the turning bridge. The inlets continue to produce some good catches of red drum and speckled trout as well as some gray trout. Fish the inlets with a heavy carolina rig (3/4 to 1 ounce)for flounder, or float live shrimp under a cork for speckled trout. Gear up with a fish finder rig and a nice chunk of cut mullet for reds in the surf near the inlets. There have been some "over the slot" reds pulled in this week. Gray trout are hitting cut shrimp on bottom rigs near the inlets. The bite in the surf has improved a bit, with some big whiting, pompano, black drum, reds, gray trout and the occasional run of spots. There is an abundance of bait fish in the surf now. The piers are much the same. There are still a few spanish mackerel early morning and late evening. They seem to prefer Gotcha plugs and diamond jigs, colors don't seem to matter. The king bite has slowed a bit this week, but each pier is catching a few for the week. Sizes range from the middle twenties to fourteen pounds. Blue fish are still around, but they sizes are getting smaller. Haven't heard of any chopper hatteras blues for a couple of weeks. Short runs of summer spots are not unsual. Some sheepshead have been reported at the piers, but I haven't heard of any landings. There have been some good catches of gray trout at all three piers. Sea mullet bite continues to be better at night. Speaking of sea mullets, I have an observation to pass along. In the past, sand fleas have always produced better for me than cut shrimp for the bigger whiting. But I haven't caught a single mullet this summer on fleas. All my mullet have bitten cut shrimp. Our grandchildren are here for a visit, and they are catching enough to keep them interested. And as you know, that has to be pretty good to keep the attention of seven to ten year old kids. We have really enjoyed their visit, and we are grateful for the wonderful weather we have had during their visit. If you are thinking about coming to the coast for some fishing, I think now weould be a good time. The weather has been mild in the morning and evening, and nice and sunny mid day. The bait shops have had some beautiful shrimp. I am eating the shrimp that is left over from my fishing trips. Nothing is better eating than a plate full of whiting or flounder and fresh shrimp! I just wanted to let everyone know how much we appreciate our readers, and thanks to everyone for checking out our sponsor ads. There have been some good deals recently, and we are glad to pass them along to our readers. Keep checking our site, I will update as often as I can.
Oh, I almost forgot, spanish mackerel have been busting small silver sides or glass minows right in the surf! I haven been able to entice them to bite anything I have in my box, but I think I will get a few really small silver diamond jigs and give them a try. Don't forget to check out our new message board. Click Here.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

Due to some technical issues that we couldn't resolve, we have created a new message board to better serve our readers. Check out our new message board. CLICK HERE.


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June 23, 2008

Mahi, Sailfish, Redfish and more-Current Adventure Charters

June is traditionally the month for Mahi (Dolphinfish) in S.E. North Carolina and though this year's run started a little later than usual, the Mahi are here!!

Last week I had the pleasure of taking Ken, his son Paxton and friend Mathew on an offshore trip in search of Mahi. We left the docks a little after 0600 and ran offshore. We started fishing about 20nm from the beach and had our first Mahi strike within 5 minutes of putting the first line in the water. The fishing was steady all day and we never went more than 45-minutes without a strike. While fighting a Mahi in the 30nm area, we had a Sailfish take a bait, but we jumped him off before we could get a good hookset. I have raised more Sailfish out of my Seapro boat than any other boat I have ever owned.

The days catch included Mahi, Spanish Mackerel, and Barracuda.







Inshore, the Redfishing has continued to be good as well. Flounder are also being caught and I saw a few very nice Speckled Trout caught over the weekend as well.



Summer fishing is great so give me a call and let's go catch some fish!!

Tight lines!!!

Capt. Brent

Capt. Brent Stanley
Current Adventure Charters
www.currentadventurecharters.com
910.200.9959



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Surf Fishing

Hello, Donna and I went surf fishing Thursday. When we arrived, the
spanish were busting bait in the surf, right in the breakers! I could
have reached them with a cane pole. Sadly, they wouldn't bite anything
in my box. From what I saw, they were eating bait fish that I call
silver sides. I don't know what the technical name is, but they are a
small clear looking fish with a silvery or whitish stripe down the
side. Anyway, I was trying to entice one to bite my gotcha plug. After
trying the conventional techniques such as casting and jerking quickly
to make the bait dart side to side. No luck, so I tried another
technique. I let the bait go to the bottom, then lifted the rod tip
slowly, then reeled in slack. This method didn't catch a spanish
mackerel, but did however catch a nice keeper flounder 15 1/2 inches.
The rest of the trip we filled the cooler with sea mullet, a mix of
whiting and virginia mullet. All are in the freezer, awaiting a family
feast.

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny


Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

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Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes

Our Troops




Nothing more to say.
God Bless them all!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

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Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes

June 18, 2008

Southport Charter Fishing


I fished Southport N.C. today it was just to rough to fish Carolina Beach,N.C. so I ran the river to Southport,N.C. Spanish Mackerel bite was slow this morning managed to catch a few,but then went to live baiting menhaden,thats when the action picked up ! A Hammer Head Shark hit one of my baits,fight lasted about 45 minutes with Darren Raffel fighting the shark, I have to say he did a great job catching the shark. We took a few pictures and released the shark.
Capt.Mike Dennis
Cape Fear Guide




Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

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Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes

June 17, 2008

Latest TI Fishing Report

Hello from Surf City! Got a few fishing reports to pass along. There are a few spanish being caught on all the islands piers. One fifteen lb king on Surf City Pier this past weekend. Still blues, lots of snappers and a few CHOPPERS, five to six lbs. Don't be suprised if you hook up with a cobia on your favorite pier. There have been some nice ones landed. Bottom fishing is relatively good from the piers, with sea mullets, pompano, black drum, spots, and the occasional flounder and sea trout. The bite is still good near the inlets, both inside and outside. Red drum are biting bait chunks on the falling tide. Also try the flats with live shrimp, live finger mullets, and Gulp Saltwater on carolina rigs or 1/8 to 1/4 ounce lead jigs. If the fish are spooky, try free lining a bait without any hardware or bait. Speckled trout are still around near the New River Inlet, and up the New River. Surf fishing is still slow for me, and I haven't heard of anything special except the occasional puppy drum. I have only seen one slot red from the surf. A few nice sea mullets on sand fleas, and smaller ones on cut shrimp. Most of the flounder caught in the surf are about an inch short. Near shore, the spanish mackerel bite is HOT! "Possibly the best spanish bite in many years."s as one near shore boat angler said. Kings are biting farther out, about 10 miles or so, and mahi and wahoo in the Gulf Stream. Gas prices are high, but most charter customers return to the dock happy. Check out my charter boat page on the Topsail Island Fishing Blog website for Topsail area charters. You will find it in the site map.


Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

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Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes

June 16, 2008

Hot Weather Reds

Hello from Surf City! I answered a post on the message board about hot water red fish, and decided to post it here also.

Justin wrote:
[quote]
I spent Saturday morning in a boat behind Topsail completely surrounded by Reds and couldn't talk a single drum into getting in the boat with me. I threw everything in the box at them,plastics, mirrolures, grubs, dynamite, even tried the fly rod. Everything that I swam past them scared them away. It's pretty frustrating to watch them feed on everything except your bait. Any thoughts? Justin
[end quote]

And my answer:
Hi Justin, I have had good luck with these spooky reds in hot weather like this using the following method.
Tie a 5 or six foot leader directly to your fishing line.(no swivel or snap) I use 8 lb test on my reel and a 15 lb leader. Flourocarbon is best, but I can't afford to buy it. Tie a 1/0 circle hook to your leader. Again, no hardware and no weight, just tie it to the leader line. Hook a bait 1) live finger mullet through the eyes 2)live shrimp through the exoskeleton avoiding the black spots , I think these are brains, but whatever they are, if you hit it with the hook, your shrimp will die quickly, 3)gulp saltwater swimming mullet or shrimp, 4 inch just through the head. The color of the Gulp will depend on water clarity and weather conditions. In sunny weather and relatively clear water, I use white. If a bit overcast, and in dingy water, I use new penny. Just throw out the bait, and free line your reel so no pressure is on line. Watch the line for movement. If you think you have a bite, you will probably know as these reds don't like to just lay around, DON'T SET THE HOOK! just close the bail, or lock your bait caster, and slowly tighten the line. The fish will hook itself if you are using circle hooks. When the line gets tight, HOLD ON!
Good Luck!


Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

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Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes
Huge Schools of Redfish around Topsail-Current Adventure Charters

I hit the water at 0530 Sunday morning to do a little pre-fishing for upcoming charters this week. The wind was calm, and the water was like a mirror. The first place I stopped, I had to search a little, but I was rewarded by finding a school of Redfish holding tight in a cove. These fish were schooled tight and willing to eat a top water plug. The first fish that I caught was a hefty 6.5lb upper slot fish. I felt like a kid in a candy store watching these fish wake around in the shallow water. I slipped my anchor into the water and proceeded to catch a couple more before easing out and leaving them alone.

Afterwards, I went searching for some more fish. I decided to check out a spot that I had looked at many times before, but had never found fish. Well today would be different. I spent quite a while in this location before I finally found the school, but when I did, it was on. There had to be at least 200 fish in this school, maybe more. Once again I caught a few fish, then slipped away quietly, leaving them in peace. Hopefully to will hold tight for this weeks upcoming charters.

There is a lot of great top water action to be had, so call and book your trip today!!!

Tight lines!!!

Capt. Brent


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Hello from Surf City! Here is a video about pin fish. Many anglers overlook this hardy and plentiful baitfish. Anglers have caught some really nice flounder using pin fish for bait.



Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

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Ready for a great day fishing on the water? Check out our Charter Boat page.
Topsail Area Charter Boats

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Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes

June 14, 2008

537 pound Marlin!

A Wrightsville Beach boat lands a 537-pound marlin to win the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, Fabulous Fisherman category at the 50th annual event in Morehead City. Brian "Squid" Smith was at the helm of Tuna Trappe III out of Wrightsville Beach to win a $386,750.00 prize.
Read full story at StarNewsOnline.com


Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

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Ready for a great day fishing on the water? Check out our Charter Boat page.
Topsail Area Charter Boats

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Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes

Yaupon Pier News

Oak Island commits to buying old Yaupon pier.
Source StarNewsOnline.com
Hello from Surf City!
The Oak Island town's council committed to buying the Yaupon Beach Fishing Pier on Tuesday night by accepting a $500,000 state grant. The town must at least match the grant dollar for dollar and likely will have to find an additional $834,100 to buy the threatened pier. The pier was closed after it went into foreclosure amid a legal battle between its previous owners. It now belongs to Cooperative Bank, which shut off all access to it in April because of liability concerns. The council voted 4-1 after going into closed session to talk about "land acquisition" to accept the grant and its terms with Councilwoman Dara Royal opposing.
Read complete story at StarNewsOnline.com


Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

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Ready for a great day fishing on the water? Check out our Charter Boat page.
Topsail Area Charter Boats

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Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes

Area Fishing Report

Hello from Surf City! Fishing in the Topsail Beach area has slowed a bit, but there are still fish around. There have been blues and Spanish from the piers and surf. Some sea mullet from the piers and surf at night. Short runs of summer spot from the piers and surf. There have been some red drum on the sound side and in the surf. A few Kings from the piers out to the Gulf Stream. Offshore, the past week has seen Spanish mackerel and cobia in the local waters. Many boats are reporting catching limits of Spanish, while cobia are being caught from the beaches out to 24 miles.



Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

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Ready for a great day fishing on the water? Check out our Charter Boat page.
Topsail Area Charter Boats

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Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes

Good News for Offshore Anglers

North Carolina plans to expand artificial reefs.
The Associated Press; Published: Saturday, June 14, 2008 at 4:00 a.m. Last Modified: Saturday, June 14, 2008 at 4:00 a.m.
Published by StarNewsOnline.com

Hello from Surf City!
The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries is seeking comments on plans to expand two artificial reefs. The Division of Marine Fisheries will hold two meetings to discuss the enlargement of the Bayview Reef in the Pamlico River and the Oriental Reef in the Neuse River. The reefs improve fishing in the area. Both reefs are made of tires, scrap metal and fossil rock. The first planing meeting is set for June 16 in Washington, N.C. The second meeting will be held June 17 in Oriental, N.C.


Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

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Ready for a great day fishing on the water? Check out our Charter Boat page.
Topsail Area Charter Boats

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Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes

June 13, 2008

Carolina Beach Charters




Spanish mackerel bite was exceptional this morning at Carolina Beach, I worked the area around the Carolina Beach Sea buoy with non stop action all morning. The charter stated they had never seen fish bite like that before.
Another great day of fishing at Carolina Beach,N.C.
Capt.Mike Dennis
Cape Fear Guide
Hello from Surf City!



Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

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Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes

June 11, 2008

Carolina Beach Fishing


I made a quick run out just to check the 34' Baha Catamaran out this past saturday,boat ran at 22 kts. without pushing it at all ! Fished in the 18 mile range,found some descent groupers.Just a nice day to be on the ocean,out fishing,and relaxing.
Capt.Mike Dennis
Cape Fear Guide
Lookout Charters

Hello from Surf City!





Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

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Ready for a great day fishing on the water? Check out our Charter Boat page.
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Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes

June 9, 2008

Fishing a Little Slow

Hello from Surf City! I am sorry for the slow reports recently. I have had a monster migraine, and haven't been out around the beach much lately. I am feeling a bit better, and should be getting back into the action soon. Thanks for your loyalty.

Fishing has slowed, probably due to the heat wave we are experiencing. All piers are reporting the bite is slower than in recent weeks, but there are still fish in the water. Small numbers of flounder, spot, sea mullet(mostly at night)black drum, puppy drum (a few in the slot) and a few speckled trout. It seems that the bait that is producing the flounder and speckled trout is live shrimp, fished under a cork just a few feet below the surface for speckled trout and a carolina rig for flounder. Some anglers are reporting that sand fleas are more plentiful and a bit easier to find.

The inside bite is a bit better. The falling tides are producing lots of reds, with some in the slot, and some nice keeper flounder. Speckled trout are eating live shrimp when fished under a cork. The New River Inlet area has given up some big speckled trout. The specks seem to be searching out deep holes to escape the heat.

The heatwave is expected to ease a bit with falling high temps predicted in the near future. The water temps are in the upper 70's and a dip in the surf is a great way to beat the heat.



Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

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Ready for a great day fishing on the water? Check out our Charter Boat page.
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Ready to enjoy eating your catch? Impress your family and friends with recipes from our seafood recipe page.
Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes

June 8, 2008

A Hot weekend of fishing - Current Adventure Charters

Hello from Surf City!

Spinnerbait Redfish

Even though temperatures were near 100 degrees this weekend, the fishing was pretty good. The mornings seemed to have the best action as the bite would slow down during the heat of the day.

A school of Ladyfish provided us some fun light tackle action on Friday morning as we found a school feeding on baitfish on the edge of a current rip. We spent the rest of the morning fishing for Redfish. Spinnerbaits seemed to be the bait of the day.

Saturday, we started out the day catching some Bluefish and Speckled Trout. Live bait seemed to be the bait of choice first thing in the morning. As the day heated up, we switched up to artificials and live bait and continued to catch fish. The redfish bite wasn't as good on Saturday, but the Speckled Trout and Bluefish kept us busy.

Offshore, the King Mackerel bite is really good and the Mahi are getting closer to the beach. I saw a nice 20lb Bull Mahi that was caught on Saturday as well as some nice King Mackerel. The Spanish Mackerel bite has been one of the best that we have had in years.

As always, Tight lines!!!!

Capt. Brent


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June 4, 2008

Tile Fish




Hello from Surf City! The picture is family after a tile fishing trip. I had not heard of this fish. My brother and nephew say they are excellent eating fish, with firm white flesh, and a delicious taste and flavor. The fish was caught in deep water, and were horsed up with regular bait casting and spinning reels, holding a bottom rig and up to a pound of weight. Brother says even with the heavy weight, the fish put up quite a fight, and after reeling in a couple of these giants, he was ready for a rest. Tile fishing? Sounds like a winner to me!


Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

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Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes

June 3, 2008

June 3 Fishing Report

Hello from Surf City! I have a couple of pier reports to post. Sea View Pier reports some nice Trout continue to be caught by fishermen using live shrimp. Flounder, some Spots and Croakers, Pinfish, some Mullets, Sharks, and White Perch are also being caught. Blues and Spanish Mackeral are being caught on a regular basis using Gotcha plugs in the morning and Diamond jigs in the evening. Surf City Pier reports The weather is nice ....the wind isn't bad.....and the fish really haven't been biting....starting to hear of some spanish being caught on diamond jigs this afternoon its about 6 pm now......tomorrow is just another day away.....

Surf fishing has been slow, but sea mullets, black drum, small flounder, a few pompano, and one speckled trout have been reported.


Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

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Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes

Scientists campaign to save reefs off Cape Fear Coast

Hello from Surf City! This is an article about our (North Carolina) offshore treasures. It probably won't affect us in the near future, but it WILL affect us in the long run. These areas need to be protected for all, including our grandchildren and great grandchildren. My 2 cents.

[quote]
By Gareth McGrath Staff Writer Wilmington Star News

They are some of the world’s oldest, richest and least understood underwater habitats, full of coral mounds sprouting hundreds of feet high and species scientists have never seen before.

And they happen to be in our backyard, a three-hour boat ride off the Cape Fear Coast.

Now environmentalists want to see these deepwater reefs protected, and they’re hoping a president possibly looking to spruce up his environmental legacy before he leaves office might help them do it. The reefs cover an area nearly the size of South Carolina.

“What we think exists now is the same opportunity in the deep sea that existed in the American West in the early 20th Century,” said Doug Rader, Environmental Defense Fund’s chief oceans scientist, referring to the establishment of many of the country’s most famous national parks.

That the waters off the Southeast have deepwater coral reefs has been known for decades.

But it’s only recently that the deep-sea reefs have attracted scientific attention, largely because researchers previously had no way of getting to them.

What they’re finding has left them amazed.

“We’re just scratching the surface down there,” said Steve Ross, a research professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington who has been exploring the reefs for nearly a decade. “Almost every dive, every expedition, we’re finding something new.”

That includes new species of coral-like hydroids, crabs and even fish.

Ross said scientists also are finding that the flora and fauna at each reef cluster could be genetically distinct, much like the uniqueness found among species in the Galapagos Islands.

“It’s almost the same type of thing on a scale that we didn’t expect,” he said, his eyes getting a bit bigger as he sat in his office at UNCW’s Center for Marine Science.

But the same technology aiding scientists in their research also could allow these largely untouched deep-sea areas to be explored and potentially mined for oil, gas or mineral deposits to feed the country’s seemingly insatiable appetite for energy. Increased fishing, especially for deep-sea species, is also a worry.

“They’re very fragile, slow-growing, and it wouldn’t take much to really damage them,” Rader said of the reefs and their animal inhabitants.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, which manages fishing in federal waters in the Southeast, is looking at declaring the coral reefs “Habitat Areas of Particular Concern.” But a presidential declaration, such as one declaring the reefs national monuments, would add even more layers of protection – although Rader stressed that no one was pushing to have fishing outlawed around the reefs.

Holding a small piece of Lo­phelia coral, the predominant deepwater coral, Ross said the reefs are found in water about 52 degrees and colder and at depths starting at about 1,000 feet and going much deeper.

Along with extensive coral formations, the reefs can include massive, million-year-old mounds formed by a mix of coral and trapped sediment. In the Cape Fear Lophelia Bank located about 60 miles off Bald Head Island, these natural columns extend nearly 250 feet up from the ocean bottom.

But exploring an underwater area well away from shore that’s only reachable with remote-operated vehicles is very expensive, with research expeditions costing as much as $30,000 a day.

A federal designation for the area could open up more funding sources for reef research, Ross said, along with raising public awareness about the rich but fragile habitats just off our shores.

President Bush hasn’t exactly been seen as a friend of the environmental movement during his nearly eight years in office. Presidents, however, have a history of wanting to leave a lasting legacy, and that’s what the environmental community is banking on.

There also is recent precedent for this. Two years ago, Bush created the 140,000-square-mile Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, which is the world’s largest protected marine area.

The White House has yet to take a position on the idea of designating the Southeast’s reefs a marine national monument. But last month South Carolina’s Republican Gov. Mark Sanford came out in favor of the proposal, calling the deepwater habitats a “national treasure on par with Yosemite Valley and the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.”

Rader said officials also have been in touch with Gov. Mike Easley here in North Carolina and his compatriots in Georgia and Florida to see about garnering their support.

“We think this is the perfect time to start shaping the thinking about these commonly held resources as exploration proceeds instead of trying to plug holes in the dyke as situations develop,” he said.

Ross agrees.

“Yes, it’s hard to get to. Yes, few people will ever get a chance to see it. And yes, we don’t know a lot about these reefs right now,” Ross said. “But I don’t think we’re going to find out we’ve made a mistake if we do this.”

Gareth McGrath: 343-2384

gareth.mcgrath@starnewsonline.com
[end quote]


Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny and Donna

Thank's for supporting our sponsors.


Shop the Clearance Department at Basspro.com


Ready for a great day fishing on the water? Check out our Charter Boat page.
Topsail Area Charter Boats

Ready to enjoy eating your catch? Impress your family and friends with recipes from our seafood recipe page.
Fishin Topsail's Seafood Recipes