One of the great opportunities of being in the Sea Trail Fishing Club is being invited to fish with other members. Whether the invitation is to fish a pond, lake, pier or whatever, it is always more fun and satisfying to fish with a friend(s) than to fish alone. In addition, you get to share information about fishing gear, tackle, and angling techniques. And who knows, it is great to have a witness if you hook the ‘big one’ and to get to make or better know a friend!!

If the invitation comes from a member that happens to have a boat, that is a double benefit. You get to fish in places that you can’t normally access without a lot of expense and there is an added measure of safety for both. Fishing alone can be hazardous if the unexpected occurs.

Yesterday, Brian Brumbaugh put out an email invitation to our members to join him on his boat for a fishing trip. It seems that I was the only taker, even though I offered to step aside if there were others that were not anxious to take up Brian’s offer. Yes, it was a late notice and yes, it was a bit chilly. We did go and it was as much fun as expected! I caught and landed my personal best Black Drum and Sheepshead of the year.

So, get your fishing gear together and your hooks sharp. Be ready at all times for that unexpected call or email. Most of the time opportunities come around when you least expect them.

Third and final in a series investigating why, after years of consistent seasons for inland, joint and coastal waters, recreational anglers found themselves negotiating different flounder and mullet rules in 2023.

Agencies acknowledge confusion fisheries conflict creates

The Jan. 9 public hearing scheduled for 7 p.m. in Asheboro has been cancelled due to inclement weather. To make a comment or hear proposed rules, please attend the virtual public hearing, which will be held at 7 p.m. on Jan. 18. Pre-registration required.

RALEIGH, N.C. (Dec. 1, 2023) — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) has opened the public comment period for proposed rule changes to the 2024-2025 regulations related to wildlife management, inland fisheries and game lands. The comment period will be open through Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024.  

Comments may be submitted online, emailed to regulations@ncwildlife.org (must include name, county and state of residence in e-mail) or mailed to:  

Rulemaking Coordinator 
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission 
1701 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1700  

The public may also provide comments during any of NCWRC’s January public hearings. There will be three public hearings, each held at 7 p.m., and one held virtually. 

Jan. 9, 2024 – Asheboro CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER

Jan. 11, 2024 – Clyde 

Jan. 17, 2024 – New Bern 

Jan. 18, 2024 – Virtual (pre-registration required)   

To review the proposed regulation changes, submit a comment, or obtain information on the public hearings, please visit ncwildlife.org/proposed-regulations. 

Hey, if you haven’t yet voted for the Proposed Policy & Procedures rules click the link below:

Count My Vote

Speckled Trout, Red & Black Drum … week 48

Black Drum Week 51

More Week 52 from a Kayak

More Black Drum on January 03, 2023

Do you want to go out while the bite is on ? Reach out to your Club Members via the “OPT IN” tool and express your interest.

Mike says that fishing for Kings’ is not for the anxious, timid, or those without a great deal of patience but that the rewards are worth the wait! Like all of the ‘honest’ fisherfolk, you sometimes go home skunked. Mike confessed that on a bad run it might be an 8 to 10-day stretch without a sizable catch. But once you do get on a nice-sized King, you are in for a 15 to 30-minute battle. A hooked King, he says, will usually take go straight away from you. A big one can take out as much as 400 yards of line before turning and charging back – challenging you to take up slack and keep a tight line. The only thing to worry about after tiring the fish and bringing it to the net, is to hope that a hungry shark hasn’t followed it to the pier! So, King fishing requires both patience and luck. Mike’s largest King was a 38-pound brute that he landed off the Sunset Beach Fishing Pier in 2017!

When asked about his gear and terminal tackle, Mike said that he uses a 5’ 6”-ft Star rod with a Penn Fathom reel, spooled with about 450 yards of 50-lb braid. That’s a nice reel with a 4.3:1 gear ratio!  A 60-lb wire leader ends with double #4 treble hooks. Live bait is a must for Kings and he harvests his own array of small bluefish, spots or pin fish while he waits for the big one!

Mike has done well recently and has filets from three mackerel in his freezer. I asked him about his culinary preferences. He likes to filet the fish after cutting out the lateral line and removing the skin. Best cooked, he says, with a selection of marinades and grilled! Hmm, sounds delicious! Mike’s “Bucket List” includes catching a 30 to 40-lb cobia. Perhaps by sight casting with surface lures on a guided trip. Maybe a good goal for late April through June, or until the King Mackerel season heats up!

Mike fishes for Kings as many as 5 days a week June through October, with some time off in August when it is too hot and humid. But you might see him on the bridges at Vereen Park in Calabash or The River Walk in Shallotte. Wherever you find him, he is always most noticeable in his well-worn, floppy wide-brimmed hat. And he is always ready to take time out for a chat or to trade advice and fish stories.