Hurricane Sandy is sure to change the fishing landscape

Tight Lines

November 2, 2012

Hurricane Sandy is sure to change the fishing landscape

Tight Lines Rick Goines The Daily Southerner Fri Nov 02, 2012, 04:36 PM EDT

TARBORO — First and foremost let me say that our thoughts and prayers are with everyone impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Loss of life, personal injury, and property damage are far more important than the effect this storm will have on our local fishing scene. That being said, this is a fishing column, so let’s look at the relevance this storm will have on local anglers.

A storm of this magnitude is sort of like nature hitting a re-set button. Usually it forever changes the fishing landscape as we know it. It’s sort of ‘an out with the old, in with the new’ concept. Visualize that storm as a new broom sweeping clean. Old structure is gone, replaced by new. Channels, depths, and bottoms have new looks and dimensions.

Old favorite spots and productive areas might not be there anymore. It might be time to look for new and different “honey holes.” Accept it, and embrace it as a new, fresh, interesting challenge and opportunity. If we caught them everyday in the same place every time we went out, how much fun would that be?

Hotspot of the Week – Of course, all bets are off until these turbulent waters calm down. However, prior to the storm, it was Speckled Trout EVERYWHERE! Hopefully it will pick up where it left off, and it will be Speckled Trout City out there again soon. I have tentative plans to go myself when things calm down, and will have a current hands-on report for you. Wifey has demanded some fresh Speckled Trout to throw on the grill, and me being the accommodating hubby I am, want to adhere to her wishes. I don’t really WANT to go fishing, BUT if she insists…

Rick’s Soapbox – With Hurricane Sandy tracking up the coast, most intelligent, sane, people were involved in serious storm preparedness and battening down the hatches. Not moi and Wifey. We went bottom fishing at the Intracoastal Waterway at the Core Creek Bridge on Highway 101 between Havelock and Beaufort. Can you say pre-hurricane weather? At first, it was not yet cold, a bit wet, and becoming rather windy? Go figure!

The good news is I caught a few fish. Wifey was throwing colorful MirrOlures trying to fool a Spec, but got bumpkis! I had a little luck bottom fishing. I caught Puppy Drum, Flounder, and the usual bottom dwellers like Pinfish, Blowfish, and Toadfish. I hate to call them “trash-fish” because that sounds so demeaning. I admire and respect any fish that inhales my humble offering, and gives me a sporty tug on the line, however ugly and useless they may be.

A Berkley GULP! Pearl White 3” Mantis Shrimp was working best between the bands of pelting raindrops and near-hurricane force winds. At times, I was considering getting on US 70 and heading west to Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro to check myself in for a psych evaluation. It was without a doubt just pure-t crazy to be out there fishing in that wild, foul weather.

It reminded me of a few oddball, weird fishing excursions with my brother, Charles, when we were young and stupid. My big brother loves a challenge, and does not shy away from an uphill struggle. Unlike me, he ain’t “into” easy. That’s not a putdown, but a compliment. He’s a real go-getter.

Lunch at Sanitary Fish Market in Morehead City was its usual delicious treat, and made the trip worthwhile. I’ve been eating there 35 years and never had a bad meal. Those hushpuppies are second to none. I had Bluefish and Wifey, out-ordered me again, selecting broiled Speckled Trout. Good eats!

Care to share? Tight Lines welcomes your fishy snaps, tall tales, and outrageous lies at CarolinaAngler@Gmail.com.

See you on the water, my friend!

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Tight Lines

Banner Day at Battle Park
Sunday was Mother’s Day. I am not a mother, but I played one in a school play years ago, so I figured that entitled me to go fishing on Mother’s Day. Need an excuse or rationalization to go fishing? Check with me, I’ve got plenty!
After suffering through 2-3 days of a rain induced swollen, unfishable Tar River at Battle Park in Rocky Mount, it was jackpot time on Sunday. Without a doubt, I had my best white shad fishing day ever, fishing from sunrise to early evening. Action was good all day, with a little lull for about 2-hours in the heat of the afternoon.
I am proud to report to you that I enjoyed a 50-fish day. I caught a personal best 46 white shad, 3 hickory shad, and foul-hooked a very angry, upset 3-foot gar. I thought I had two large white shad, or maybe a big rockfish, so I was a little surprised to see Mr. Gar. It was like reeling in an uncooperative 2x4 piece of lumber.

May 17, 2013
NCWRC enforcement officers doing a great job
North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission has two enforcement officers assigned to each county. That’s 200 dedicated, educated, and highly trained individuals protecting our North Carolina environment and natural resources. To become an enforcement officer applicant, one must participate in a highly competitive selection process. A typical candidate is required to pass extensive background and psychological screening. Also included is a vigorous 19-week training academy that is patterned after a military boot camp, with an emphasis on physical fitness.

May 10, 2013
Tight Lines declares Ginger Perry of Nashville the shad queen
One of my favorite places to bank fish is the boat ramp at Battle Park in Rocky Mount. I have met a lot of interesting people there. Three or four times this season, I have watched this amazing lady, Ginger Perry, fishing with her friend, Big Kelly, for white shad. Simply put, she is one good angler! She casts and retrieves like a pro, and always catches her fair share of fish. Maybe a few more than her fair share! This lady can flat-out fish!

April 19, 2013
Time for the John Cherry Rockfish Rodeo on the Tar river
Tarboro Association of Saltwater Sportsman (TASS) presents the annual John Cherry Rockfish Rodeo on the Tar on Saturday, April 27th. Entry fee is $100 per boat.
Registration and information is available daily at Roberson & Dupree Shoe Store, Main Street, Tarboro. The absolute registration deadline is Friday, April 26, by 8 p.m., at the boat landing on River Road, or when the maximum limit 40 boats have been signed-up. Attendance at the Captain’s meeting Friday night, 7 p.m. at the boat landing on River Road, is highly recommended. Rules will be read, questions answered, and you will receive your Captain’s Bag, tournament t-shirt, and other goodies. Each boat is allowed to weigh-in 2 of their largest rockfish, as chosen by the Captain.

April 12, 2013
Sign-up this Saturday for John Cherry Rockfish Rodeo
One of the TASS premier events that local anglers always enjoy is the annual John Cherry Rockfish Rodeo. Registration is limited to the first 40 boats. Full grown men, me included, will be standing in line like giddy teeny-boppers looking concert tickets early Saturday morning waiting for Roberson & Dupree Shoe Store to open at 9 am to plunk down that registration fee.

April 5, 2013
Bottoms Up! Greg Bottoms Wins TASS Shad Tournament
To my knowledge, Greg Bottoms does not smoke or drink, but he does have another habit, and an enviable one at that. Greg wins fishing tournaments. He won the Fall Speckled Trout Tournament, and last week claimed top honors in the shad tournament. Obviously, the man knows his way around a rod & reel. Greg is a skilled angler, and a nice guy, deserving of that success.

March 29, 2013
Shad Tournament participants weighing-in some good fish
All indications are that this will be a banner year for the 12th Annual TASS Hickory
Shad Tournament. The timing is perfect because the shad “bite” has turned on
considerably everywhere. At the halfway point through the week-long tournament, the leader board is already showing some impressive fish weights. Charles Strickland leads the top tier adult category with a healthy 2.56 Hickory Shad. That will be a hard “Hick” to beat!

March 22, 2013
Time to sign-up for the 12th Annual Hickory Shad Tournament
The TASS Twelfth Annual Hickory Shad Tournament week is one of my favorite weeks of the year. This year’s tournament dates are Saturday, March 16th through Noon, Saturday, March 23.
Entry fee is only $10, but you must sign-up before 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 15, if you wish to be involved. You do not need to be a member of TASS to participate, but you must be a member of TASS to receive TASS bonus-money. Registration is at Roberson & Dupree Shoe Store, 418 Main Street, in downtown historic Tarboro.

March 8, 2013
Anglers kindness and generosity never fail to amaze me
The “Shad Hole” on River Road in Tarboro functions not only as a great place to fish, but also a good place to meet and greet like-minded fishing enthusiasts. An informal group usually congregates at the “Shad Hole” nightly during shad season to wet a hook, or simply to exchange pleasantries. These “Shad Hole” friends come in different ages, and walks of life. These are salt-of-the-earth type guys. If it ever comes down to “Us” versus ‘Them,’ I want these guys in my foxhole watching my back.

March 1, 2013
Martin Marietta Materials plans to dump into Blounts Creek
Martin Marietta Materials has applied for a discharge permit to dump groundwater and stormwater directly into Blounts Creek. One person close to the situation tells me we are talking about 12 million gallons of discharge a day. I don’t profess to be an expert on the matter, but that doesn’t sound really healthy, or harmless, for the environment, and specifically Blounts Creek. (Filed documents say the average discharge would be about 9 million gallons a day, but could increase to 11 million on some days.)

February 22, 2013
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