Category Archives: Fishing News

By Ben Romans Here’s a bit of advice to any angler who catches a potential record-breaking fish and wants to keep it hush-hush: don’t leave the fish draped out in the back of a pickup truck while making a pit stop for gas in broad daylight. Florida anglers Earnie and Joey Polk learned that lessonContinueContinue reading “Potential World Record Mako Shark Caught on Gulf Coast Beach”

Bill in Congress would force NPS to roll The famous “Point” at Buxton on Hatteras island may see more anglers fishing if Congress passes legislation sponsored by Rep. Walter Jones Jr., Sen. Richard Burr and Sen. Kay Hagan. Outer Banks anglers and beach visitors could see a relaxation of the National Park Service’s beach-access rulesContinueContinue reading “Beach-driving may be easier at Cape Hatteras very soon”

fter the ASMFC (Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission) passed a historic vote in December, quantifying the first ever limits on the commercial harvest of Atlantic Menhaden, the battle to finally recognize the resounding importance of the tiny Menhaden may finally be coming to a positive end in Virginia, the epicenter of the debate. Virginia’s fisheryContinueContinue reading “Historic Menhaden Battle Nearing Conclusion in Virginia? | Hatch Magazine – Fly Fishing, etc.”

The pre-dawn January morning was chilled with a light breeze while wisps of fog clung to the distant skylines of Portsmouth and Norfolk.  Slowly, a golden-red sun climbed the horizon, painting the white hull of the 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Shearwater with a soft light as the crew pulled the ship away from the pier.ContinueContinue reading “Coast Guard Strives to Preserve Striped Bass”

December 20, 2012 MOREHEAD CITY – A two-month recreational black sea bass fishing season will open Jan. 1 in both federal and North Carolina waters north of Cape Hatteras. During this open season, the minimum size limit will remain at 12.5 inches, but the bag limit will decrease from 25 fish to 15 fish perContinueContinue reading “NC To Open Short Black Sea Bass Season”

  Enlarge Commission Votes to Reduce Menhaden Harvest by 20 Percent The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission on Friday approved an amendment that will reduce the total allowable catch of Atlantic menhaden by 20 percent beginning in 2013. The commission also adopted new biological reference points for biomass based on maximum spawning potential. According toContinueContinue reading “Commission Votes to Reduce Menhaden Harvest by 20 Percent”

Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) biologists found young zebra mussels attached to buoys off Havre de Grace on December 3. DNR is asking boaters and anglers to be on the lookout for this harmful, invasive mussel. The biologists collected 20 live zebra mussels attached to the concrete anchor blocks for three channel marker buoys.ContinueContinue reading “More Zebra Mussels Found in Upper Chesapeake Bay”

This is about the big one that got away. Not a fish, but fishing, a sport and an economic engine in decline. In recent years, the sport of saltwater fishing in New Jersey has lost more than one of every 10 jobs lost industry-wide, nearly $200 million in sales and $109 million in contributions toContinueContinue reading “Fishing industry suffers setbacks in New Jersey”

Those whose lives were touched by Capt. Jose Wejebe are invited to attend a Celebration of Life at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the International Game Fish Association Museum in Dania Beach, Fla. See Related Articles Mercury Marine mourns death of fishing show host Wejebe, 54, of Summerland Key, died April 6 after the single-engine planeContinueContinue reading “Memorial service set for famed fishing-show host”

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/env/2012/02/12-27/After-poaching-discovery-a-crackdown-on-rockfish.html

NOAA has begun to use an improved method to estimate the amount of fish caught by saltwater anglers, which will allow rules that fishermen follow to be based on more accurate information, the agency announced this week.   See Related Articles NOAA unveils saltwater fishing agenda NOAA details 2011 hurricane season NOAA seeks comments onContinueContinue reading “NOAA using new method to estimate saltwater recreational fishing”

The North Carolina Marine Fisheries and Wildlife Resources commissions have announced how they will hand out $1.99 million in grants this year. The money comes from the state’s Marine Resources Fund, which receives revenue from the sale of saltwater fishing licenses. The grants will be divided into three categories: – “People” will receive $857,369 -ContinueContinue reading “N.C. commissions to distribute $1.99 million”

A delegation of Eastern Shore lawmakers last llegal taking of tons of rockfish around the state. Last February, Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) confiscated 10 tons, or 26,000 pounds, of striped rockfish snagged in illegal gill nets in Maryland waters, prompting Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officials to reconsider its data collection and fisheries managementContinueContinue reading “Maryland Coast Dispatch – Legislators Blast DNR For Rockfish Decision”

http://www.wvec.com/news/local/Humpback-whales-spotted-off-Virginia-Beach-136776398.html

Virginia Business – News: Northern Neck fears effects of fishing limit http://www.virginiabusiness.com/index.php/news/article/northern-neck-fears-effects-of-fishing-limit/315893/

The plant will utilize a process known as anaerobic digestion for breaking down the biodegradable material. The plant will also capture odor emissions, Ferguson said, which had been a concern initially of prison officials at the Eastern Correction Institution and local residents. The state prison currently houses more than 3,000 inmates. The impetus for theContinueContinue reading “Chicken Poop Power for Chesapeake Bay”

Maryland environmental authorities said poachers laid out a mile-long net in the Chesapeake Bay that snagged 3.3 tons of striped bass, commonly known as rockfish. Officers from the Maryland Natural Resources Police took several hours to reel the illegal net out of the water off of Tilghman Island on Tuesday. The net had likely beenContinueContinue reading “Mile Long Illegal Net Filled With 3 Tons of Fish”

Anglers will lose about five weeks of black sea bass fishing this year under a plan approved Thursday by the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council. This year, they will run from May 28 to Sept. 11 and Nov. 1 to Dec.31. The cutback was not the council’s idea. A 40 percent reduction in landings wasContinueContinue reading “New Jersey anglers lose five weeks of fishing for black sea bass”

Recreational anglers, tournament participants and fishing guides are being warned to stay away from restricted areas on a Potomac River tributary near the Quantico Marine Base. The Virginia military facility recently closed a portion of Chopawamsic Creek, citing security and changes to airfield infrastructure. Maryland and Virginia fisheries managers met with base officers last WednesdayContinueContinue reading “Marines warn anglers to avoid waters off Quantico”

The 46-foot bay-built fishing boat had only just picked up speed on its way out of Annapolis harbor yesterday morning. But Sgt. James Nickelson had long shed his crutches and stood watching the buildings of the city shrink into the distance. Rachel Woolf — For The Capital Sgt. Jesse Bowser examines the 33-inch rockfish heContinueContinue reading “Wounded Warriors spend a day fishing on Chesapeake Bay”

A 28-year-old Richmond man is missing after a boat was hit by a swell in Oregon Inlet this morning, Coast Guard Cmdr. Billy Mitchell said. Rescue crews, including a helicopter, have been searching since about 8:30 a.m. for Christopher Panchyshyn. He and two other passengers were ejected from the 26-foot boat when it was struckContinueContinue reading “Richmond man missing after boat hit by swell in Oregon Inlet”

  In converting the New England groundfishery to a virtual commodities market for members of fishing cooperatives, the federal government denied participants their right to a referendum while dispossessing small players and destabilizing fishing ports from Maine to North Carolina, industry lawyers argued in federal court Tuesday. Further invalidating the rule-making process was the influenceContinueContinue reading “Fishing allies press case in federal court”

  A Florida charter boat out to watch dolphins got a little more than it asked for when a 600-pound dolphin leaped onto the deck of the 24-foot pontoon boat, news-press.com reports. “When we pulled up … the boat was three quarters full with water and had the biggest dolphin I had ever seen,” Lt.ContinueContinue reading “Startled tourists welcome 600-pound dolphin aboard –”

  Maryland’s two largest recreational fishing groups are calling on the Department of Natural Resources to reevaluate the use of commercial striped bass nets. Coastal Conservation Association Maryland Friday afternoon called on DNR to expand its study of gill nets, which were used last month by poachers to capture 12.6 tons of striped bass, toContinueContinue reading “Fishing groups aim fire at commercial nets – Maryland parks and outdoors”

  THE IGFA (International Game Fish Association) has caught up with the times and made over 120 salt and freshwater species eligible for record claims by being measured and released, rather than be killed and weighed. Species such as sailfish and tarpon, which are easily damaged if removed from the water, can now be safelyContinueContinue reading “IGFA looks to future with C&R record claims”

  Despite all the rockfish found in illegal nets in recent weeks, the February catch came in below the harvest quota. The preliminary total for the last two days of the reopened season, Friday and Monday, was 82,567 pounds. Combined with the legal harvest early in the month and the fish from the illegal nets,ContinueContinue reading “Rockfish catch under quota despite poaching”

  The striped bass has been named the official state fish, but it didn’t happen without a fight.   The biggest opponent to the title came from a much-debated fish that is a mainstay of the striper’s diet – menhaden. SB 940 passed easily in the Senate and was forwarded to the House. There, Del.ContinueContinue reading “Striper reels in enough votes to be state fish”

Natural Resources Police patrol boats found two more illegal fishing nets Monday in the waters south of Kent Island and seized another half-ton of striped bass.The first net was hauled out at 2 p.m. near Poplar Island. The 600-yard net, which officers estimated to be in the water since last year, contained “a couple ofContinueContinue reading “Natural Resources Police pulled up two nets containing striped bass Monday, days after the season was closed”