and Cook It 



THE 



CATCH 



By Pam Smith * Photographs by Scott D. Taylor 



Y 



J_OU 1 



3U never know when the "fishing 

 bug" will bite. 



Jim Bahen, North Carolina Sea Grant's 

 recreational fishing specialist, recalls a phone 

 call he received from a new oceanfront 

 homeowner. 



"For several days he had watched gulls 

 'working in the breakers,' apparently 

 following schools of fish running up and 

 down the coast," Bahen says. "The man 

 decided it was time to learn what was needed 

 to get his share of the catch." 



The questions were typical of most 

 prospective anglers, Bahen notes: What's 

 running? Do I need a license? What kind of 

 gear do I need? What kind of bait should I 

 use? Where is the best fishing? 



Bahen usually manages to slow down 

 such over-anxious callers with a "first- 

 things-first" approach to what may become a 

 lifelong hobby — or outright obsession. 



Importantly, he always warns, "Al- 

 though no saltwater recreational fishing 

 license is required, you are required to know 

 the rules. Ignorance is no excuse." 



Be prepared by going to the N.C. 

 Division of Marine Fisheries' Web site at 

 www.ncfisheries.net to check out current 

 recreational fishing regulations. "If you don't," 

 Bahen says, "you may catch a pretty expensive 

 fish, considering fines and court fees." 



Bait and tackle stores and fishing piers 

 are also good reference points. 



With more than 300 miles of oceanfront 

 beaches, well-appointed piers and endless 

 estuarine shoreline, the recreational angler 

 has countless possibilities for catching the 

 limit without ever leaving solid ground. 

 Access to a small boat and in-shore charter 

 services add to the choices. 



'The Intracoastal Waterway is a virtual 

 highway for fish to move along," Bahen says. 



To know what's running and when, Sea 

 Grant's popular Seafood Availability Chart 

 (UNC-SG-97-03) is a quick reference for 

 seasonal information on saltwater fish. 



Don't be discouraged by what seems to 

 be a "short list" of target species for late 

 spring and early summer. "The waters are just 

 beginning to warm up," Bahen says, "But 

 there are enough fish moving out of creeks 

 and estuaries to make fishing worthwhile. 

 And some anadromous fish, such as striped 

 bass, are moving from open ocean into creeks 

 and rivers to spawn." 



Flounder, snapper, bonita and sand perch 

 are among the early season's choices. 

 Flounder, a year-round possibility, don't 

 move in big schools. Flounder tend to stay on 

 the bottom and wait for the food to come to 

 them. Bahen points out that "drifting for 

 flounder" plays right into their waiting game. 



"If you have a boat, put two or three rods 

 out. Let the current move — or drift — the 

 boat, to allow your bait to bounce on the 

 bottom," he says. 



Again comes a warning: know the line 

 that divides the ocean from the sound. Check 

 current DMF rules for ocean-caught flounder. 



Ethical Angling 



Responsible and ethical angling is 

 always "in season," Bahen asserts. "The idea 

 of ethical fishing practices developed in 

 recent years in response to stricter fishing 

 regulations and concern over depressed fish 

 stocks. Following some practices, recreational 

 anglers can make a difference in the conserva- 

 tion and management of fish populations." 



The cardinal rule: Take only what you 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 27 



