Amazing bird fishing with bread as bait.

This is one smart bird! Fast too!









Till next time....

Tight lines!

Johnny

US House of Representatives Releases Modern Fish Act

Let me start by saying I am kind of ashamed that I don't know what is included in this bill. Use your own judgment, and comment below if you feel inclined.

First-Ever Sportfishing-Focused Legislation to Pass Congress Heads to President's Desk

Washington, D.C. - December 19, 2018 - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed S.1520, the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2017 (Modern Fish Act). Today's vote was the final step toward sending the landmark legislation to the President's desk after it passed the Senate on December 17.

"The Modern Fish Act is the most significant update to America's saltwater fishing regulations in more than 40 years and the recreational fishing community couldn't be more excited," said Johnny Morris, noted conservationist and founder of Bass Pro Shops. "On behalf of America's 11 million saltwater anglers, we're grateful to Speaker Ryan, the 115th Congress and all the elected leaders who came together to support and enhance recreational fishing across America."

The priorities of the recreational fishing and boating community were identified and presented to federal policy makers in 2014 by the Commission on Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Management in a report "A Vision for Managing America's Saltwater Recreational Fisheries." The Commission was known as the Morris-Deal Commission, named for co-chairs Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, and Scott Deal, president of Maverick Boat Group. Four years later, many of the recommendations of the Morris-Deal Commission are found in the Modern Fish Act.

"America's anglers and members of the recreational fishing and boating industry are among the most responsible stewards of our marine resources because healthy fisheries and the future of recreational fishing go hand-in-hand," said Scott Deal, president of Maverick Boat Group. "A huge thank you to our congressional leaders who answered the call of the recreational fishing community to improve the way our fisheries are managed."

America's 11 million saltwater anglers have a $63 billion economic impact annually and generate 440,000 jobs, including thousands of manufacturing and supply jobs in non-coastal states. Furthermore, $1.3 billion is contributed annually by anglers and boaters through excise taxes and licensing fees, most of which goes toward conservation, boating safety and infrastructure, and habitat restoration.

"It is a historic day for America's 11 million saltwater anglers thanks Senator Roger Wicker, Congressman Garret Graves and our many champions in Congress who fought until the very end for recreational fishing to be properly recognized in federal law," said Jeff Angers, president of the Center for Sportfishing Policy. "For the first time ever, Congress is sending a sportfishing-focused bill to the President's desk."

The Modern Fish Act will provide more stability and better access for anglers by: Providing authority and direction to NOAA Fisheries to apply additional management tools more appropriate for recreational fishing, many of which are successfully implemented by state fisheries agencies (e.g., extraction rates, fishing mortality targets, harvest control rules, or traditional or cultural practices of native communities); Improving recreational harvest data collection by requiring federal managers to explore other data sources that have tremendous potential to improve the accuracy and timeliness of harvest estimates, such as state-driven programs and electronic reporting (e.g., through smartphone apps); Requiring the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on the process of mixed-use fishery allocation review by the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Regional Fishery Management Councils and report findings to Congress within one year of enactment of the Modern Fish Act, and Requiring the National Academies of Sciences to complete a study and provide recommendations within two years of the enactment of the Modern Fish Act on limited access privilege programs (catch shares) including an assessment of the social, economic, and ecological effects of the program, considering each sector of a mixed-use fishery and related businesses, coastal communities, and the environment and an assessment of any impacts to stakeholders in a mixed-use fishery caused by a limited access privilege program. This study excludes the Pacific and North Pacific Regional Fishery Management Councils. The coalition of groups supporting the Modern Fish Act includes American Sportfishing Association, Center for Sportfishing Policy, Coastal Conservation Association, Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, International Game Fish Association, National Marine Manufacturers Association,  Recreational Fishing Alliance, The Billfish Foundation and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. America's recreational fishing and boating community applauds Congress for this historic vote and looks forward to final enactment of the Modern Fish Act following the President's signature.   -end-

About Recreational Fishing Alliance The Recreational Fishing Alliance is a national, grassroots political action organization representing recreational fishermen and the recreational fishing industry on marine fisheries issues. The RFA Mission is to safeguard the rights of saltwater anglers, protect marine, boat and tackle industry jobs, and ensure the long-term sustainability of our Nation's saltwater fisheries. For more information, call 888-JOIN-RFA or visit www.joinrfa.org.

Fisherman's Post Fishing Reports Winter 2018-2019F

Topsail / Sneads Ferry – December 13, 2018

Chris, of Surf City Pier, reports that fishing has slowed due to a mixture of dirty water and rough wind, and nothing more than some small trout, mullet, and a few keeper drum have made up the majority of the pier’s catch over the last few weeks. Shrimp and grubs have been the best baits.
During these colder months, the trout, drum, and puffer bite should stay strong, and when the weather starts to warm, bluefish and spanish mackerel will be moving back in.

Elizabeth, of Jolly Roger Pier, reports that mullet, trout, keeper red drum, black drum, bluefish, puppy drum, and puffers are all biting on either live or cut shrimp. The fishing forecast for the winter months is more speckled trout and drum.

Mike, of Native Son, reports the trout bite is in early winter mode, and as the water continues to cool, remember to fish slow. When in doubt, drop your weight down to the bare minimum and slow down the retrieve even more. MR-17s moved slowly with a just a twitch every now and then should produce bites.

Kenan Brinson (age 6) showing off the speckled trout that was part of his inshore slam. Brinson also landed a redfish and a flounder while fishing with a Betts Halo Shad around Topsail Island with his dad, Dan.

Check out the fishing reports on the Fisherman's Post website HERE.

Till next time....

Tight lines!

Johnny

NC Wildlife Commission Finds Sportfish in Hurricane-Affected Rivers

After the devastation of Hurrcane Florence in eastern North Carolina, there is finally a break in the clouds. Some good news from the North Carolina Wildlife Commission. They are reporting that they are finding sportfish, such as largemouth bass, crappie, and sunfish, in the rivers in the eastern part of North Carolina. 

This is especially good news after reports of massive fish kills in all the rivers in eastern NC due to Hurricane Florence, and to a lesser extent Hurricane Michael. Find the full story below. Hope you enjoy the read.

After dissolved oxygen levels returned to normal, biologists began conducting electrofishing surveys to determine the extent and severity of the fish kills. Click the link above to watch the video.

Till next time....

Tight lines!

Johnny

From the NC wildlife commission.

"Nearly three months after Hurricane Florence caused substantial fish kills in many coastal rivers in North Carolina, fisheries biologists with the Wildlife Commission have found largemouth bass, sunfish and crappie in all rivers surveyed to date, albeit in reduced numbers." MORE

Barometric Pressure and Fishing - Learn with Landers

How does Barometric pressure affect fishing? Interesting video. Short and to the point.



Till next time....
Tight lines,
Johnny

MEDIA ADVISORY: Fisheries Commission’s Coastal Recreational Fishing License Advisory Committee to meet

Roy Cooper  Governor                Michael S. Regan   Secretary                 Steve Murphey  Director

Release: Immediate	Contact: Patricia Smith
Date: Dec. 12, 2018	Phone: 252-726-7021

MOREHEAD CITY – The Marine Fisheries Commission’s Coastal Recreational Fishing License Advisory Committee will meet Dec. 18 at 10 a.m. at the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Headquarters Office, 3441 Arendell St. Morehead City.

The committee, made up of four Marine Fisheries Commission members, is meeting to give input to the Division of Marine Fisheries on the 2018 Request for Proposal Application for funding from Coastal Recreational Fishing License proceeds.

An agenda can be found here.

For more information, contact William Brantley, the Division of Marine Fisheries’ Coastal Recreational Fishing License Project Coordinator, at 252-808-8004 or William.Brantley@ncdenr.gov.

Make your voice heard. Plan to attend.

WHO:	Marine Fisheries Commission Coastal Recreational Fishing License Advisory Committee
WHAT:	Meeting to Provide advice on the 2018 Request for Proposal Application
WHEN:	Dec. 18 at 10 a.m.
WHERE:	N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Headquarters Office 3441 Arendell St., Morehead City Patricia Smith Public Information Officer Division of Marine Fisheries North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality 252 808 8025    office 252 342 0642    mobile Till next time.... Tight lines, Johnny

DMF: Public hearing scheduled in Surf City on proposed shellfish leases in Pender County

Roy Cooper  Governor                Steve Murphey   Director               Michael S. Regan   Secretary

Release: Immediate	Contact: Patricia Smith
Date: Nov. 27, 2018	Phone: 252-726-7021

MEDIA ADVISORY: Public hearing scheduled on proposed shellfish leases in Pender County

WHO:		N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries
WHAT:		Public Hearing on Proposed Shellfish Leases in Pender County
WHEN:		Dec. 4 at 6 p.m.
WHERE:		Surf City Visitor’s Center 102 North Shore Drive Surf City

MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will hold a public hearing on proposed shellfish leases in Pender County at 6 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Surf City Visitor’s Center, 102 North Shore Drive, Surf City.

Thomas Cannon has applied for a 2.17-acre bottom and water column lease in Green Channel.

Salty Roots Oyster, LLC (William S. Burrell, agent) has applied for a 1.08-acre bottom and water column lease in Butler Creek.

Cape Fear Oyster Company, LLC (David Wortman, agent) has applied for a 0.84-acre bottom and water column lease in Butler Creek.

William Pridgen has applied for a 1.05-acre bottom lease in Long Point Channel.

A map of the proposed leases, with corresponding coordinates and lease numbers, can be found here.

The public may comment on the proposed leases at the hearing or in writing. Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. Dec. 3 and should be submitted to the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, Shellfish Leases, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, N.C. 28557.

The application file and biologist report for the proposed leases are available for inspection during office hours at the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Headquarters Office at 3441 Arendell St. in Morehead City. 

For more information, contact Michael Graven, with the division’s Habitat and Enhancement Section, at 252-808-8061 orMichael.Graven@ncdenr.gov.

WHO:		N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries
WHAT:		Public Hearing on Proposed Shellfish Leases in Pender County
WHEN:		Dec. 4 at 6 p.m.
WHERE:		Surf City Visitor’s Center 102 North Shore Drive Surf City Website: http://www.ncmarinefisheries.net Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ncdeq Twitter: http://www/twitter.com/NCDEQ RSS Feed: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/opa/news-releases-rss P.O. Box 769, 3441 Arendell St., Morehead City N.C. 28557 Patricia Smith Public Information Officer Division of Marine Fisheries North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality 252 808 8025    office 252 342 0642    mobile Till next time.... Tight lines! Johnny

Chris Williamson showing off the 28″ speckled trout

See this post online on Fishermanspost.com CLICK HERE

Southport/Oak Island – November 15, 2018

Annette, of Dutchman Creek Bait and Tackle, reports that black drum are making a strong showing in the backwaters, with shrimp serving as the best bait. There is also still a sporadic flounder bite inside.
Speckled trout are showing up everywhere from the backwater creeks and river to the waterfront, surf, and nearshore reefs. A lot of small fish are coming in, but keepers are becoming more common, with fish over 6 lbs. in the realm of possibility. Rapala XR8s in gold or silver, MirrOlure MR-17s, Gulp shrimp and swimming mullet, VuDu shrimp, and the new soft plastic Burle shrimp are all getting bites, as are traditional live shrimp. A few gray trout have been mixed in with the specks.
Offshore, king mackerel and wahoo are biting in the 40+ mile range.

Tim, of Wildlife Bait and Tackle, reports that the water is mostly cleared up and fish are readily biting both inshore and off the beach. Trout fishing has really picked up in the river and backwaters, with good numbers of fish coming in daily. A lot of the fish are within the 13-14” range, but 18-20” specks are becoming more plentiful.
There are still some big flounder around, with fish as big as 10 lbs. swimming around (more flatfish action lately in the shallower water).
Sheepshead, black drum, and whiting are all hot, and plenty of both slot and over-slot redfish have been around, too.
Outside, the Shark Hole is providing plenty of king action, with most of the fish in the 12-18 lb. range. The Tower area has been hosting a good gag grouper bite, and you can expect the gags to keep moving closer to shore as the water gets colder.

Chris Williamson showing off the 28″ speckled trout he landed on a Rapala X-rap in the backwaters of Oak Island. The fish weighed in at 6 lb. 11 oz.

Mark, of Angry Pelican Charters, reports that inshore water clarity is much better than it was last month, and the bite has been solid on tide changes. Mullet and shrimp are plentiful, and they are definitely the go-to for red drum and speckled trout. MirrOlures and Gulp shrimp in green and electric chicken have also been a great option, with the Gulp shrimp working better under a popping cork. Hollow shrimp (4”) with very little lead are drawing strikes from some beautiful slot reds in very skinny water and around the mouths of feeder creeks in the marsh. The warmer, cleaner water is holding some big keeper flounder, which will happily fall for mullet or shrimp on a Carolina rig.
The king mackerel bite in the 65-80’ range has been great over the last couple of weeks, but with temperatures on the rise, the action along the beach is as good as it’s been since the last storm. There are still plenty of pogies around, and they’re really driving the nearshore bite, though dead cigar minnows are outperforming the live bait offshore.

Luke, of Spot On Charters, reports that the trout bite is on fire in the Cape Fear River all the way from the power lines on south, in the ICW, and around area inlets. There haven’t been a lot of mid-sized fish, with most of the catch consisting of either spikes or fish just under the 6 lb. mark. Most of the small fish have been hanging on the bottom, where Trout Tricks and paddletail grubs will attract attention when slowly bounced, and the bigger fish have been higher in the water column, where MR-17s are getting the nod.
The flounder bite has also been great. There haven’t been a lot of fish around, but almost all of them have been in the 3-5 lb. range. Carolina-rigged mullet have been doing the most damage. There are redfish around, too, and it’s easy to pick one up when targeting specks or flatties.

Robert, of Reelin’ Pelican Fishing Charters, reports that speckled trout are starting to show up, though sizes have been hit or miss, with some days being better than others. A variety of baits will fool the trout, but if you can find them, live mullet have actually been the best bait, especially for finding the bigger fish.
Redfish action is hot right now, with baby peanut pogies serving as the hot bait. Black drum are around as well, and bull reds continue to chew.
Kings have moved into the area, but the majority of the action has been between 20-30 miles off the beach. The fish are all fairly big, though, with the average bite coming from 20-30 lb. fish. Dead cigar minnows have undoubtedly been the best bait.

Dale Brooks with one of the over slot drum he landed in the ICW around Oak Island while fishing with Capt. Greer Hughes, of Cool Running Charters.

Ryan, of Fugitive Charters, reports that just off the beach, the water has cleaned up nicely, and pogies are finally moving back in for the first time since the storm passed. Big reds are around, as are spanish mackerel, and there are plenty of blues to catch, too. Kings are being caught off the pier and out to the 6 mile range. The kings aren’t very grouped up, but they haven’t fully pushed off yet either.

The Horseshoe and Shark Hole are holding higher quality kings (up to 40 lbs.). They still don’t seem to be around in big numbers, though, and the bite can be hit or miss depending on the day. Bonita and blackfin tuna have been mixed in with the kings. The tuna fishing has been the best between 15-17 miles.
Wahoo fishing has had mixed results out at the break, but you can expect big fish to be biting once the weather clears.

Steve, of Ocean Crest Pier, reports that poor weather has had an effect on the bite over the last few weeks, but there have been king mackerel ranging anywhere from 7-26 lbs. caught on king rigs. Bottom fishing has produced a few flounder on live shrimp.

Till next time....

Tight lines!

Johnny

Scott Horner Fishing - Bass

Our son Scott and his family love to fish. They fish Lake Hickory, near Hickory, NC.  The largemouth bass have been biting in Hickory. This is their latest catches. Great job Scott, Noah, Liam, and Anna!

Nice largemouth Liam!

Another Bigun'

Scott and Liam with a real bucketmouth!

Till next time....
Tight lines!
Johnny