^^HjNC Sea Grant 



n •■ it/t 



February, 1985 



DOOa 



Photo by Joel Arrington 



Whirly birds took these largemouth bass from Currituck Sound 



Anglers — not an easy group to 

 characterize. They're the 

 fishermen who drop a Une from a 

 bridge for tonight's dinner. 

 They're the sportsmen who pay 

 hundreds of dollars for a chance to 

 fight a marlin. They're the anglers 

 who seek the competition and big 

 purse of tournaments. 



Although a varied lot, their goal 

 is always the fish at the end of the 

 line. And the lure of that fish 

 brings millions of dollars into the 

 state's economy. It also unites 

 fishermen to take a stand for 

 recreational interests — ample 

 stocks, habitat preservation and 

 saltwater access. 



This month Coastwatch will 

 examine the impact of sport fishing 

 on the state's economy and the 

 political pressure anglers are ex- 

 erting on management boards. 

 Next month, we will focus on how 

 recreational fishing can remain a 

 viable sport for the future. 



