Featured Speaker on May 15th – Ami Staples

Don’t miss Thursday’s speaker at the Sea Trail Fishing Club’s May Meeting to be held at the Pink Palace in the Sea Trail Plantation at 6:30 to 8:30 PM. If you have not attended any of our previous meetings, the ‘Palace’ is located at 295 Rice Mill Circle, Sunset Beach NC.

Ami Staples is the Marine Fisheries Biologist II for the Multi-Species Tagging Program at the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF). Ami oversees daily operations of the Tagging Program from administration and research to public engagement and outreach.

Originally from Georgia, Ami received her B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Management and M.S. in Forest Resources from the University of Georgia. She is a published author and illustrator.

The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) is responsible for the stewardship of the state’s marine and estuarine resources. The DMF’s jurisdiction encompasses all coastal waters and extends to 3 miles offshore. Agency policies are established by the nine-member Marine Fisheries Commission and the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality. North Carolina is a member of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

When not at work, Ami spends most of her time outdoors and her favorite spot is fishing on the dock with her husband and two daughters.

Her favorite part of the job is tracking fish movements and working directly with the angling public. Ami is always eager to speak with an angler about their tagged fish recapture, train volunteers on how to tag fish and collect scientific data, lead science activities for local school groups, and present to fishing clubs about marine fisheries programs and resources.

North Carolina Marine Fisheries Regulations Threaten Financial Liveliehood of N. C. and S. C. Charter Captains and Fishing Guides.

coastalncApril 24, 2025, 5:27 PM

https://coastalanglermag.com/north-carolina-marine-fisheries-regulations-threaten-financial-liveliehood-of-n-c-and-s-c-charter-captains-and-fishing-guides/For Immediate Release

April 6, 2025

North Carolina Marine Fisheries Regulations Threaten Financial Liveliehood of N. C. and S. C. Charter Captains and Fishing Guides.
Contact Laurie Thomas Vass
ltvtoo@gmail.om
Sunset Beach, N. C.

Two charter fishing captains, one from Shallotte, North Carolina, and one from Little River,      S. C., expressed their disgust with the over-regulation of recreational fishing in North Carolina. “The over-regulation of fishing in North Carolina is damaging our fishing populations in South Carolina,” said Scotty Lambert, a charter captain and owner of Little River Fishing Fleet. Insert pic 1 Scotty Lambert, Little River Fishing Fleet.

“Anglers from all over North Carolina are overcrowding us in South Carolina because they are prohibited from catching trout, flounder, and have restrictive daily limits of 3 fish per day, on Blue Fish, in North Carolina” he added. Josh Reynolds, of Maverick Charters, in Shallotte, N. C., said he doubts the accuracy and legitimacy of the North Carolina data used to prohibit fishing in North Carolina.

“I fish just about 365 days a year,” he said. “I see an abundance of sea trout, flounder and Blue Fish every day. The over-regulation is killing me financially,” he added. “I have had to target Sheepshead in order to stay alive financially, and the over-regulation in the other species is causing a decline of the Sheepshead population because that is the only fish anglers can keep,” he added. Both charter captains were exhibiting their businesses at Daves Outpost, in Sunset Beach, N. C. , in the fifth annual South Brunswick celebration of recreational fishing.” Greg Bloom and Fletcher Frink, the executives of Daves Outpost, expressed their concern about the negative economic effects the over-regulation of fishing in North Carolina is having on the charter fishing business.

“We hold our event to promote the local recreational fishing industry in Southern Brunswick County,” said Frink. “We are trying to do whatever we can to help the charter captains survive, by hosting this event,” he added. Over 50 small businesses exhibited at the event, held on April 6, 2025. One of the small businesses at the event was Griffin Canady, the owner of Watermans Choice, an oyster farming operation, located AT Topsail Beach, N. C.“I worked for 6 years with state environmental agencies before I started my oyster farm,” Canady said. “I know first hand the beneficial effects our oyster farm has on the local marine environment, and can see the habitat improving to vibrant areas from the dead zones before we started farming area,” he said.

The event drew about 1000 visitors.

“I love North Carolina, and love the people who fish with me,” said Reynolds. “I cannot understand why the State Government is intent on harming my business with over-regulation” he added.

About Little River Fishing Fleet. We have 4 boats and full crews to do both inshore and offshore fishing. We accommodate whatever type of fishing our anglers desire. https://cptscottysfishingcharters.com

About Maverick Charters. We fish intercoastal creeks and target trophy Sheepshead. 910 477 3222.

About Daves Outpost. We are a full service one-stop shop for all your fishing needs. We have our own shrimp boat and feature live shrimp and minnows on a daily basis. https://davesoutpost.com/store-info. 910 579 2016.

STFC Bluefish Tournament – Day One

Everything that I didn’t know about fishing for bluefish from the pier.

The week-long tournament started today and ends on the 13th. SInce I do not have a ‘real’ boat capable of trolling or chasing down those speedy bluefish, I was very happy that the rules allow a ten percent add-on to the length of fish caught from pier, surf or kayak. I deemed my kayak too slow for trolling or chasing so decided to try the pier. After a brief research of techniques, I started out with a 7-ft Pinnacle Power Pro rod and a 4000 Shimano reel spooled with 30-lb Berkeley Big Cat mono. To say that the rig was a bit of over-kill would be putting it kindly, but I chose the rod because it had a long butt which I thought would be good for jigging off the pier. For terminal tackle I chose a saltwater Sabiki rig and a multicolored tube and worm rig.

I visited three piers and saw, or heard, about very few bluefish being caught. The biggest that I saw was about 9-inches. My sympathies for all of my fellow landlubber anglers. My first day experience tells me that that the 10 percent added length will not be enough to make us competitive. The only one that I caught was under 6 inches!

So what did I learn?

I talked to many experieced anglers on the pier and those behind the counters in the pier shops. Some thought the best times to fish would be on a falling tide; others said early morning or late evening would be best. The consensus of all was that the water was too cloudy and fishing would be better only when the winds calmed. Also, it was agreed that the fish are migrating from South to North, so picking a location on a Southward facing side of the pier is best.

Pier fishing is probably not for everyone, but it is a relaxing way to fish and a good way to meet and chat with fellow anglers. If you already have the gear, it is also relatively economical. I visited Sunset Beach Pier, Ocean Isle Pier and Cherry Grove Pier.

The Sunset Beach Pier is open daily from 6 AM to midnight. There is a $10 fee for one rod, $15 for two and parking is refundable. Ocean Isle Pier is open 7 AM to 8 PM, fishing costs $10 per rod and parking is free. The Cherry Grove Pier also has free parking with a $10 per rod fee plus a $3 Pier Pass (veterans exempted). Hours are 7 AM to 11 PM. Another great advantage is that fishing licenses are not required – so don’t hesitate to bring a friend or a guest!

If you have further questions about fishing from our local piers, please don’t ask me! I’ve a;ready told you everything that I know.

Mike Shannon

Public comment opens for draft Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 4

Friday, March 28, 2025

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will accept public comment on draft Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 4 from April 1 to April 30. Draft Amendment 4 would expedite the sector allocation shift to 50/50 (commercial/recreational) by one year to 2025.

Morehead City

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will accept public comment on draft Southern Flounder Fishery Management Plan Amendment 4 from April 1 to April 30. Draft Amendment 4 would expedite the sector allocation shift to 50/50 (commercial/recreational) by one year to 2025.

In-person comments may be made at any of three advisory committee meetings scheduled in April: 

April 8, 2025 6 p.m. Southern Regional Advisory CommitteeCentral District Office 
5285 Highway 70 West 
Morehead City, NC 28557		April 10, 2025 6 p.m.Northern Regional Advisory CommitteeCollege of the Albemarle 
Dare Campus – Room 110 
205 US-64 
Manteo, NC 27954		April 16, 2025 6 p.m.Finfish Advisory CommitteeCentral District Office 
5285 Highway 70 West 
Morehead City, NC 28557 

Written comments may be submitted in any of the following ways:

The deadline to submit comments is April 30, 2025.  Amendment 3, adopted in 2022, prescribed a shift in quota allocation from 70/30 (commercial/recreational) to 60/40 in 2025 and 50/50 in 2026. However, following two years with short recreational flounder seasons and one year with no recreational flounder season, the Marine Fisheries Commission tasked the Division of Marine Fisheries with finding ways to allow more recreational access while maintaining the stock rebuilding requirements in Amendment 3. Amendment 4 addresses this task by expediting the 50/50 sector allocation shift to occur in 2025 instead of 2026.

More long-term, comprehensive options for recreational access will be considered in Amendment 5, which is currently under development. A scoping period for Amendment 5 is open until March 31. More information on Amendment 5 is available at https://www.deq.nc.gov/information-southern-flounder-amendment-5. 

Sea Trail Fishing Club Holds Extraordinary Fish Fry

Scenes from the happy, satiated crowd

April 7, 2025

Laurie Thomas Vass

The Sea Trail Fishing Club held its Spring Fish Fry on April 5, 2025, at the Pink Palace, in the Sea Trail development, in Sunset Beach, N. C.

The event was managed by Alan Trojan, the Club Events chairperson.

“We were pleased with our turnout and the amazing food that was brought by our members,” Trojan said.

“Our chefs extraodinaire, Mike Griffin and Gary Smith  cooked a massive amount of fish, French fries, hush puppies, and onions to feed the hungry masses,” Trojan commented.

Club Chefs Extraordinaire , Gary Smith, left, Mike Griffin, right.

Laurie Thomas Vass, the clubs Director of Public Relations noted that not one scrap of fish was left in the Pink Palace serving area when the event ended.

Shannon managed to hide a tray of fish from the starving masses to give to the local Sunset Beach Fire Department.

Vass estimated about 75 happy club members attended the free event.

“We hope to conduct our Fall Fish Fry in October or November, and will post the  date on our website, Trojan said.

Chomping down

Anxious members lining up

Beans, Beans, Good for your heart.

Happy club members at the Fish Fry