Last minute Christmas gift suggestions for anglers

Tight Lines

December 21, 2012

Last minute Christmas gift suggestions for anglers

CORRESPONDENT Rick Goines The Daily Southerner Fri Dec 21, 2012, 01:18 PM EST

TARBORO — Anglers are not hard to buy for because gifts can range from an inexpensive pack of hooks to a new high-dollar bass boat, depending on your gift budget and bank account. If you are not an angler, but buying for one, seek help from the experts. That could be a fishing buddy, neighbor, or a trusted fishing retail store, where employees know and understand fishermen and their wants and needs.

Tackle Joe and his fishing experts at Greenville Marine & Sport Center Tackle Shop, 3600 Greenville Boulevard/264 Alternate, certainly fit that bill. They are always helpful and willing to share their knowledge and expertise. These guys know fishing, and that makes a big difference when it comes to advice, instruction, and pointing you in the right direction. Can’t decide? A gift certificate is always a good fall-back position.

I have an interesting and unique gift idea for you. Sign your angler up in a Fisherman’s Post Saltwater Fishing School. It’s a hands-on, all-day school designed to help your angler catch more fish, more often in 2013.

This is the eighth year Fisherman’s Post, Carolina’s Saltwater Newspaper, has brought their team of knowledgeable experts and consultants together to help make you a more efficient, effective, successful fisherman. This fishing school was ranked by Sport Fishing Magazine as one of the top 10 schools in the nation. Simply put, you can learn from the best.

Cost is $90 in advance, $100 at the door. Small price to pay for all that valuable fish finding and fish-catching intel.

Three schools are scheduled in Wilmington on Sunday, Feb. 10 at Coastline Convention Center; Morehead City on Saturday, Feb. 23 in the Crystal Coast Civic Center; and a new addition this year, in Greenville on Saturday, March 9 at Overton’s Sporting Goods.

More information is available by calling (910) 452-6378, or online at www.fishermanspost.com

Tight Lines will take a more in-depth look at these Fisherman’s Post Saltwater Fishing Schools after the holidays.

How about hiring a professional guide for the boat-less bait slinger on your holiday shopping list? I can highly recommend two friendly, knowledgeable, fun-to-fish with guys:

Captain George Beckwith of Down East Guide Service has been a Tight Lines favorite for almost 20 years. He can be reached at (252) 671-3474, or online at www.downeastguideservice.com.

Richard Andrews, of Tar-Pam Guide Service, is a newer fishing protégée, and books his trips at (252) 945-9715. His web site can be accessed at www.tarpamguide.com

Both these guys get the Tight Lines stamp of approval. I am reasonably sure these expert fishing guides will put you on the fish, and show you a good time on the water. It’s what they do, and in my opinion, do it better than most others.

Either can provide you a gift certificate that will allow your angler to make all the final decisions such as what fish to target, when, and where to go.

Need a good stocking stuffer idea? If your fisherpersons like to chase hickory shad or white shad on any of the coastal rivers, you need to gift them a card of Custom Jimmy D Shad Rigs. They are available in an array of colors, styles, and tandem combinations at Roberson & Dupree Shoe Store, 418 Main Street in downtown Tarboro.

Wifey and I have T-shirts with the printed message, “Shad fear me: I throw Custom Jimmy D’s.” I’ve tried all types of shad rigs, and Jimmy D’s work best for me by far. We refuse to toss anything else.

Rick’s Soapbox: Products, services and individuals recommended by Tight Lines are done so due to my tried and true satisfied, positive personal experiences. Tight Lines receives no compensation for this or any other endorsement.

Care to share? Tight Lines welcomes your fish 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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