The Monthly Members Meeting of the Sea Trail Fishing Club will be held at the Pink Palace in the Sea Trail Plantation at 6:30 PM next Thursday, June 19th.
Featured Speaker will be Stuart Creighton of the Coastal Conservation Association. The CCA of NC is a community of conservationists and recreational anglers working to promote sound management of public trust marine and estuarine resources to protect those resources for the enjoyment of current and future generations.
Stuart Creighton graduated from NCSU with a degree in meteorology before spending 25 years as a high school science teacher. Following that, he was the manager of River Neuse Suites in Oriental. As his advocacy for restoring NC’s endangered estuaries grew, he became a member of the Coastal Conservation Association in 2015, and a life member in 2022. He joined the CCA Board of Directors in 2021, serving as Fisheries Committee chairman and became the Vice President in 2024.
Currently Stuart serves on the Northern Advisory Committee, one of the permanent advisory committees for the Department of Marine Fisheries. He also has been a member of the most recent Speckled Trout and Striped Bass Advisory Committees and is a regular public commentator at the quarterly Marine Fisheries Committee meetings.
Stuart has been an avid angler all his life and has fished throughout the state. Chasing trout and redfish on top is his favorite way to catch them.
Also, Steve Heins will continue his discussion on “Local Fishing Spots”.
Hey Guys, Here is a tremendous outreach opportunity to help kids. If you signup, let John know you are from the Seatrail Fishing Club!
🎣 Looking for Help – Fishing Summer Camps (Myrtle Beach & North Myrtle Beach) ☀️
The Myrtle Beach Fishing Company is running land-based fishing summer camps in both Myrtle Beach (Thunderbolt Park) and North Myrtle Beach, Thunderbolt is in partnership with the City of Myrtle and North Myrtle is a privately stocked 2.5 acre pond — and due to the awesome demand from local families, we’re in urgent need of extra help!
If you or someone you know loves fishing, enjoys working with kids, and wants to spend the summer outdoors teaching the next generation of anglers, we’d love to connect.
🗓️ Camp Runs Weekly M-Th (June–August)
7:30am – Noon and some afternoons from 3:30 – 7:30pm.
👦👧 Ages 6–17 🎣 Onshore fishing only (no boats) 🛠️ We provide all gear and training 💰 Paid opportunity + great experience & fun!
If you know a local angler, college student, teacher, or anyone reliable who might be a good fit, please tag them or send them our way ASAP. We’re looking to add team members immediately to keep up with registrations.
At the Sea Trail Fishing Club’s May meeting Ami Staples of NC’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources presented an excellent program about fish tagging and the benefits that the program has for recreational fisherfolk.
Division researchers at the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries are studying the migration, growth, habitat use and population status of striped bass, red drum, spotted seatrout, southern flounder, and cobia in North Carolina.
Fish tagging programs are a vital part of a fishery manager’s tools for assessing fish populations. Conducted properly, tagging can yield a wealth of information about movement patterns, habitat utilization, population structure and mortality rates of fish.
Volunteers are needed in the Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle Beach area! If you are interested in becoming a part of this program or have questions about the North Carolina Tagging Program or volunteer tagging opportunities, please contact the Tagging Biologist, Ami Staples, at 252-948-3913 or Ami.Staples@ncdenr.gov.
All applicants must complete an in-person, hands-on training before becoming an eligible volunteer tagger and receiving your tagging kit. Training classes are offered twice a year during the spring and fall, and last about 3 hours. Division staff give a brief overview of the Tagging Program, discuss tagging procedures and how to record data, and demonstrate proper handling and tagging techniques with real fish specimens.
To submit an application, click on the link below:
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. 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.
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.
Sea Trail Fishing Club 
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