March 30, 2017
Wildlife Commission Schedules Annual Free “Outdoors Day” at Outer Banks
COROLLA, N.C. (March 22, 2017) — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, along with the N.C. Coastal Federation, is hosting its sixth annual “Outdoors Day” on April 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education in Corolla in Currituck County.
During the free event, visitors can gain practical knowledge by participating in several hands-on outdoors activities and demonstrations, such as fishing, kayaking, archery and air rifle shooting. Activity stations, such as Game Species, Talking Turkey, Backyard Bass, Birding Basics and Sea Turtles, provide fun and educational entertainment for visitors of all ages. Staff from Alligator River and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuges will be on hand to describe their seasonal tours, canoe outings and ranger-led programs on local wildlife during the day.
For more information, call Sharon Meade at (252) 453-0221, ext. 1, email sharon.meade@ncwildlife.org; or Sara Hallas at 252-473-1607, email sarajh@nccoast.org.
The Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education features exhibits and programs that interpret coastal North Carolina’s wildlife and habitats, natural history and cultural heritage, with daily showings of an award-winning documentary, and a calendar of events and educational courses. Admission to the center is free, as are the educational programs offered.
Located in Currituck Heritage Park on Highway 12, the center is next to Currituck Beach Lighthouse and the Whalehead Club. For more information about the center, or to see a schedule of upcoming events, visit the education center’s website, ncwildlife.org/obx.
Pechmann Center Offers Kayak Fish and Float Workshop on April 8
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (March 15, 2017) — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is hosting the 6th Annual Kayak Fish and Float workshop on April 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center in Fayetteville.
The free informational program, which is open to the public, will include fishing how-to seminars and demonstrations of popular fishing kayaks. Hobie Kayak Pro Angler Capt. Jerry Dilsaver and Jonathan Grady of the Hobie Fishing Team will present workshops throughout the day on the following topics:
- Kayak Safety and Rigging
- Kayak Fishing for Mackerel
- Inshore Kayak Fishing
- Kayak Fishing for Bass and Panfish.
While participants will not kayak fish at the event, they will have an opportunity to test out kayaks from Jackson Kayak, Hobie and Wilderness Systems, at Lake Rim.
The Fayetteville chapter of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing will have available for purchase hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and drinks.
Space is limited and pre-registration online is strongly encouraged. Check-in for the workshop begins 30 minutes prior to the start of the program. For more information about the workshop, contact Pechmann Center Director Thomas Carpenter at 910-868-5003 or Thomas.carpenter@ncwildlife.org.
The John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center is located at 7489 Raeford Road, across from Lake Rim. Wildlife Commission staff at the Pechmann Center conducts fishing workshops, events and clinics throughout the year. Most programs are free and open to the public. For more information about the center, or to see a schedule of upcoming events, visit the Learning page. For more information on fishing in public, inland waters, visit the fishing page.
Wildlife Commission Deploys Fish Attractors in Sutton Lake
WILMINGTON, N.C. (March 3, 2017) – Fisheries staff with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission placed artificial fish attractors in Sutton Lake on Feb. 25 to help augment and replace existing fish attractor structures.
Commission biologists teamed with Bass Angling Southern Style Fishing Club, of Jacksonville, N.C., to deploy 12 Mossback™ Trophy Tree™ fish attractors in the 1,100-acre lake, which is located in New Hanover County. Club members serve as stewards of the Sutton Lake Access Area and assist with keeping the area clean through their participation in the North Carolina Angler Access Foundation's Adopt-a-Boat-Ramp program.
Sutton Lake, a power-cooling lake constructed by Duke Energy in 1972, has received habitat enhancements in the past, mostly in the form of sunken Christmas trees. Although Christmas trees make good fish habitat, they eventually degrade and need to be replaced every few years.
After a recent sonar survey of Sutton Lake’s fish attractor sites, Commission biologists determined the sites were degraded and in need of replacement. Because the Mossback™ Trophy Tree™ fish attractors provide durable, long-lasting fish habitat, biologists believe they will make better fish attractors than Christmas trees.
Anglers can see the locations of these latest fish attractors, as well as others deployed on inland waters across the state on the Commission’s fish attractor webpage. This habitat enhancement project is funded through the Sport Fish Restoration Program, which utilizes state fishing license money as match for federal grant funds derived from federal excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat fuels.
For more information regarding fish populations in Sutton Lake, visit the Commission’s Monitoring and Surveys page. For more information on fishing in public, inland waters, including an interactive map of more than 500 public fishing access areas throughout the state, visit www.ncwildlife.org/fishing.
New Recreational Daily Limit on Flounder in Inland Waters
New Recreational Daily Limit on Flounder in Inland Waters
RALEIGH, N.C. (March 2, 2017) – A new recreational limit of four fish per person, per day is now in place for flounder in inland waters under jurisdiction of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
Recreational seasons, size limits and creel limits in inland waters for flounder, sea trout, red drum, and gray trout are the same as those established in the rules of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission or proclamations issued by the director of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries in adjacent joint or coastal fishing waters. The rule referencing Marine Fisheries’ rules for these four saltwater fish species was implemented in 2011 to standardize recreational seasons and size and creel limits for inland, joint and coastal waters.
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries issued a proclamation on Feb. 22 implementing the new recreational limit for flounder, effective March 1, in coastal and joint waters. The recreational minimum size limit will remain at 15 inches. For more information on the proclamation, including justification for the change, visit the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries website, or call 800-682-2632; 252-726-7021.
Family Fishing Fiesta
Saturday, April 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Fish! Play Games! Win Prizes!
Come join the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the N.C. State Parks on Saturday, April 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Jordan Lake State Park for a free Family Fishing Fiesta.
Gather at White Oak Recreation Area on White Oak Beach Rd., Apex, to enjoy bank fishing, plus over a dozen hands-on activities and demonstrations. You can:
- Learn how to cast and how to fillet a fish
- Watch a tackle demonstration
- Meet biologists, park rangers and law enforcement personnel, many of whom speak English and Spanish
- Check out an electrofishing boat
- And much more!
Loaner fishing rods and bait are free on a first-come, first-served basis. Everyone fishes for FREE — no license required for the Family Fishing Fiesta!
Young anglers will receive prizes for special catches, and participants 11 and younger who participate in a scavenger hunt will receive a free tackle box and a chance to enter the youth drawing to win prizes such as fishing poles and life jackets! Anglers 12 and older will be entered into a drawing to win a lifetime freshwater fishing license, courtesy of the American Fisheries Society, a composting bin, or a one-year subscription to the Wildlife Commission’s award-winning magazine, Wildlife in North Carolina.
For additional event information contact CC King, 919-830-0202; or cc.king@ncwildlife.org or
Derek Parsons, 919-326-0586, ext. 213; or derek.parsons@ncparks.org
Derek Parsons, 919-326-0586, ext. 213; or derek.parsons@ncparks.org
How to get there:
GPS coordinates: 35°44'24.0"N 79°00'45.7"W
Visit the Jordan Lake State Park website for park amenities and more.
March 28, 2017
March 25, 2017
Topsail Spring Surf & Pier Fishing Challenge
Surf City – Topsail Beach – North Topsail Beach
May 5 – 7, 2017
Topsail fishing report from Fisherman's Post
Topsail fishing report from Fisherman's Post
Read report on Fisherman's Post website. Click Here.
Topsail – March 23, 2017
A few skates and stingrays are biting shrimp, along with other cut bait. There have been some small black drum landed, with a few keepers mixed in. Towards the inlets, look for red drum to be biting cut bait, such as fresh shrimp .
Bluefish are beginning to show up, and once the water temperature begins to rise, there should be more caught. Cut mullet fished on the bottom is very effective for the blues.
Inshore anglers are reporting black drum and speckled trout. The drum are hanging around man-made structure and oyster beds in the creek areas. Fresh shrimp on simple bottom and Carolina rigs are getting the bites from the black drum.
Red drum are being found in similar areas as the black drum. They will also take fresh shrimp and scented soft plastics this time of year.
Look for more red drum to arrive back in the marsh once the water temperatures being to rise.
Speckled trout fishing has remained good this winter, and the fishing should only improve as spring arrives. Scented soft plastics by Z-Man and Gulp fished on jigheads are great choices for trout right now. MirrOlure MR17’s and 18’s are also accounting for hookups on the trout.
The weather has kept offshore anglers at the dock recently, but once the weather settles, look for some action from the nearshore structure out to the Gulf Stream. Nearshore boaters should see good numbers of black sea bass on the bottom just outside the inlet out to 90’+ of water. The larger fish will likely be found in the deeper areas. In the same areas the bass are being found, anglers should also see some grunts, porgies, and tautogs.
Gulf Stream boaters will find decent wahoo fishing this time of year out towards the break. Blackfin tuna will be scattered in the same areas and out deeper. Skirted ballyhoo and lures will get most of the action form the wahoo and blackfins.
Chadwick, of South End Anglers, reports that speckled trout fishing has been good around some of the creeks west of the ICW. Deeper zones and areas with darker mud bottoms have been holding the majority of fish. Look for the trout to move from the deeper areas up on the flats during warm spells and during the middle portion of the day.
The trout have also been holding around some waterway docks and canals throughout the area. The best docks have been the ones that have deeper water and that are away from heavy current. Once the water warms, look for the fish to become more widespread.
The trout have been falling for a variety of Z-Man plastics, such as Swimming Trout Tricks, PaddlerZ, and MinnowZ. Pro-Cure bait scents and 1/8 oz. Fathom jigheads are working well with the soft plastics. Betts Halo Shad, 1/4 oz., retrieved slowly along the bottom are also accounting for hookups from the trout.
Red and black drum are feeding around oyster beds and waterways docks. The reds have mostly been undersized to lower-slot sized fish. Fresh cut shrimp on Carolina rigs and 3/0 circle hooks have been working best on the drum.
Bluefish are beginning to make their return to the marsh, and so far there has been a decent mix of 3+ lb. fish. They are taking the same offerings as the trout, and red drum are also falling for cut bluefish fished on the bottom.
Jim, of Plan 9 Charters, reports that bluefish have recently made a showing in the inlets, chasing baits intended for trout and red drum. Sea bass are on the reefs and ledges from just offshore on out.
Closer to shore, the sea bass have mostly been short. Larger fish are showing 15+ miles out, and grunts and porgies are being found in the same areas. Nearshore areas have been producing tautog and sheepshead.
False albacore are in the 20 mile range, and they should stay around until the bonito begin to arrive in April.
Mike, of Native Son Guide Service, reports that sight fishing for red drum has been good recently. There have been numbers of fish showing up on the lower end of the slot.
Trout fishing seems to be getting better by the day. The fish are still in their winter patterns, and the fishing should improve this month as we get closer to the full moon.
Atlantic bonito should make their appearance the first week of April, but don’t be surprised if it happens earlier this year. The baitfish migration will dictate their arrival.
Flounder are being found in the 90’ range, and once the water begins to rise, they will move closer to shore.
Robin, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that blow toads and sea mullet are being caught on two hook bottom rigs baited with shrimp. During the warmer weather there were a few bluefish showing up. There haven’t been any during this recent cold snap, but the fishing will improve once the water temperatures begin to rise.
Vinita, of Surf City Pier, reports that sea mullet, blow toads, small flounder, and a few black drum are being caught. A 2.47 lb. drum was caught over the weekend, and the black drum fishing will continue to improve over the next few weeks.
Fresh shrimp on bottom rigs is working best for the mixed bag of bottom fish.
Frank, of Seaview Fishing Pier, reports that anglers are having great success with sea mullet. Some folks are catching 40-50 fish during their outings. Blow toads are also being caught while targeting sea mullet. Fresh cut shrimp on two hook bottom rigs are fooling the fish.
There have also been skates and a few sting rays caught at night.
March 14, 2017
March 13, 2017
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