Archive for February, 2012
New Spotted Sea Trout Regs
More changes are coming to the Speckled (spotted) Sea Trout Fishery on the Outer Banks, effective Monday, February 27, 2012. As you recall we had a major kill off last year and the Division of Marine Fisheries has been working to help the stock recover. We are close but we still need to conserve.
According to the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, recreational fisherman may still harvest four (4) speckled (spotted) sea-trout per person per day by hook and line. There is no change from the limit in the previous proclamation.
The minimum length is still fourteen (14) inches total length. But the most significant change states that DMF have eliminated the limit of fish over Fourteen (14) inches. Previous rules state that only two (2) fish over twenty-four (24) inches could be harvested. Now there is no limit to size over fourteen (14) inch size.
As a community, we have all worked together to help this fishery recover. But the work is not over. When fishing for spotted trout, only take what you can use today and return the rest to be caught again.
Only with aggressive conservation can we save this fishery for future generations.
Until next time, Tightlines
Winter Fishing is Slow on Outer Banks
Fishing has been extremely slow on the Outer Banks over the past two months. The only news has been to discuss how beautiful and mild the weather has been. The big Rockfish have yet to make it south. They seem to have found a home off Virginia Beach. Want Stripers, head north just off the beach. Don’t want to travel, skates and Spiny Dogfish are plentiful on Jennette’s pier.
Water temps remain in the uppers 40’s so it anyone guess if we will get those monster stripers this year.
Spring is around the corner so it’s time to ready the gear. You need to go through you tackle box and throw away those old rusty hooks, lures and rigs. You should also change your line on each reel. The worst thing to happen is to hook up on that first fish of the year, only to lose it to defective gear.
I always clean and oil the reels and tighten any lose parts. Check the guides on your rods and if you are inexperienced, let your local tackle shop replace them.
This is a great time of year to step back and take a complete inventory of your gear and ready it for another fantastic fishing year. The spring season will be here before you know it.
I know the question you are asking, ‘Did you catch that monster tarpon in the picture?” And the answer is no it’s an artificial model hanging on the dock at a marina in the Florida Keys for pictures. But you can hook up with one of these beauties. Book a trip to Bud and Mary’s in Islamorda, Florida and you could be in a picture like this.
Until next time, Tightlines
Livin’ the Dream – A Florida Vacation
We returned to the Outer Banks to a cultural shock: weather was colder, the fishing was non-existent and I had to put my shoes back on!!
So I thought I would re-live some of the places we visited in pictures;
Believe me, the pictures can’t begin to tell the story.
Until next time, Tightlines
NCsaltaire 