From SamWalkerOBXNews.com The war of words, and differing strategies, over a 2024 recreational flounder season in North Carolina waters continued this week, as the head of the commission that oversees the state’s coastal waters said they will be sticking to their original plans of keeping the fishery closed. Rob Bizzell, chair of the N.C. Marine [...] Fishing |  Full Article

From SamWalkerOBXNews.com The battle over whether or not there will be a recreational flounder season in North Carolina waters this year intensified last week, as the state Wildlife Resources Commission voted to open a four-day season in waters under their jurisdiction in September. In a letter from Wildlife Resources Chairman Monty Crump to Marine Fisheries [...] Fishing |  Full Article

In a nationwide effort to remove abandoned and neglected boats to help clean our nation’s waterways and make them safer for years to come, the Boat Owners Association of the United States (BoatUS) Foundation is seeking qualified, diverse and experienced organizations to submit project proposals for funding through Aug. 12. BoatUS has secured a $10 [...] Fishing |  Full Article

New harvest reporting requirements for recreational and commercial fisheries have been delayed by one year and will now become effective on Dec. 1, 2025. The N.C. General Assembly recently passed Session Law 2024-45, which, in part, amends legislation from last fall that would have implemented the harvest reporting requirements on Dec. 1, 2024. This extension will allow the [...] Fishing |  Full Article

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries will collect Red Snapper carcasses from recreational fishermen during the July 12 Red Snapper mini-season. The division has set up three temporary freezer locations, in addition to the 12 carcass collection locations available throughout the year, where recreational fishermen can take their Red Snapper carcasses. [...] Fishing |  Full Article

The 15th annual North Carolina Beach Buggy Association (NCBBA) Red Drum Tournament is scheduled for October 23 to October 26, 2024, and tournament organizers state that the 500 available spots are already filling up fast for this popular annual event. “So far, we have more than doubled the number of anglers already signed up compared [...] Fishing |  Full Article

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management is accepting public comment on a request for review of a federal consistency submission from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Protected Resources proposing amendments to the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule, (also known as the“speed [...] Fishing |  Full Article

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are working cooperatively on an aggressive stocking plan to supplement recruitment of the Albemarle Sound/Roanoke River Striped Bass population that began in 2023. With financial support provided by the Marine Fisheries Commission Conservation Fund and the N.C. Marine & [...] Fishing |  Full Article

The North Carolina Department of Marine Fisheries released a proclamation reducing the amount of bluefish commercial fishermen can harvest to 50 pounds per trip or per day, “whichever is more restrictive.” The proclamation went into effect Friday at 12:01 a.m. The DMF will release another proclamation closing the fishery once the commercial quota is projected [...] Fishing |  Full Article