Pelagic species are often divided into two cate- 

 gories — coastal pelagics and oceanic pelagics — ac- 

 cording to their preference for habitat, says Charles 

 Manooch, a research biologist with the National 

 Marine Fisheries Service in Beaufort. 



Coastal pelagics, including such species as king and 

 Spanish mackerel, httle tunny or false albacore, blue- 

 fish, Atlantic bonito and cobia, generally inhabit 

 waters up to about 10 miles offshore. 



Their distribution off the North Carolina coast is 

 influenced by water temperature and the availability 

 of food, says Manooch, also author of Fisherman's 

 Guide: Fishes of the Southeastern United States. Dur- 

 ing the spring and fall when smaller food fish are most 

 plentiful, fishermen are more likely to net or hook a 

 coastal pelagic. The exception, bluefish, can be caught 

 year-round off the North Carolina coast, although fall 

 is the most likely time to hook the larger bluefish. 



Further offshore, the "blue water" of the Gulf 

 Stream is home to oceanic pelagics such as yellowfin 

 and blackfin tuna, skipjack, dolphin, wahoo, white 

 and blue marlin, and some bigeye and bluefin tuna. 

 "Most of these species are available when they move 

 up onto the continental shelf in the vicinity of the inner 

 edge of the Gulf Stream," says Manooch. 



Most pelagics, coastal and oceanic, travel in schools 

 and are a highly mobile set. Like geese, they move 

 south in fall and winter and north in spring and 

 summer. A king mackerel lucky enough to elude 

 North Carolina fishermen during the fall fishing sea- 

 son might spend his winter off of Florida. He prefers 

 to reside in waters that are 68 degrees or above. 



Generally, pelagics mature quickly and live short 

 lives. They produce many eggs, but experience high 

 annual mortality rates, says Manooch. Most of the 



species spawn offshore, and for the most part their 

 young mature there. 



At certain times of the year, in some locations. North 

 Carolina's coastal waters are pelagic paradise for 

 fishermen. The larger fish often gather around inlets 

 and capes, anxious to feast on the tremendous variety 

 of foods there. With the same idea in mind, the state's 

 fishermen flock to the coast, cast out a baited line, and 

 hope to fool a hungry fish into biting the hook. 



"Hatteras and Oregon Inlet in particular are ideal 

 for both coastal and oceanic pelagics," Manooch says. 

 And since the Gulf Stream is much closer to the coast- 

 line in the northern part of the state than in the central 

 and southern portions, more boats in the Oregon Inlet 

 and Hatteras area fish for pelagic species. 



Voracious eaters, pelagics are known to consume 

 "anything that is easy to get," says Manooch. Gener- 

 ally, they are piscivorous, or fish eaters, preferring 

 small anchovies, silversides, sardines and squid or 

 small shrimp and crabs. "The availability of pelagics 

 depends on the availability of forage fish," says 

 Manooch. 



And when such a meal is readily available, pelagic 

 species sometimes go into "feeding frenzies." As an 

 example, Manooch refers to a "blues blitz." 



"I've seen a school of bluefish follow a school of 

 menhaden, and move them into shoals between bars 

 and the beach. I've seen menhaden on the beach, cut 

 and scarred to pieces, and others just gasping on the 

 beach," says Manooch. 



With a reputation like that, bluefish and other pelag- 

 ics are popular targets for fishermen. It's that hope of 

 tossing a line into a school of those feeding fish that 

 keeps anglers flocking to the North Carolina coast. 



— Nancy Davis 



North Carolina's coast — a pelagic paradise for fishermen 



