Releases – July 21, 2016
The marine fisheries division has certified a new state record for pigfish.
Jason Edwards, of Rocky Mount, caught the 2 lb., 12 oz. fish on May 23 while fishing on the “Capt. Stacy IV” about 30 miles southeast of Cape Lookout. The former state record for pigfish was 2 lbs., 4 oz., and was caught in the Atlantic Ocean in 1991.
Edwards hooked the fish using cut squid as bait on a Penn 66 rod and reel with 80-pound test line.
The pigfish measured 15.5” total length (tip of the nose to the tip of the tail) and had a 14” girth.
Two catches tie for the current world record for pigfish. Both fish weighed 3 lbs., 5 oz., and both were caught in 2011 in New Zealand.
CCA NC Scholarship Chairman Bill Mandulak presented the 2016 CCA NC Scholarship recipients last week on behalf of the CCA NC Scholarship Committee. NCSU Center for Marine Sciences and Technology Graduate School Student Brendan Runde was presented a scholarship in the amount of $1500 in support of his projects involving the reduction of discard mortality of gray triggerfish and the use of devices to reduce discard mortality in deep water fishes.
Commenting on why Runde was selected, Mandulak said, “The recreational angling community can certainly relate to the continuing pressure on our bottom fish and recognize the importance of exploring ways to reduce mortality from barotrauma.”
NCSU Graduate Student Steven Lombardo was also awarded a $500 scholarship to further his education at CMAST. Lombardo was chosen for his studies of the spawning habitat of river herring. “CCA NC has long been a champion of the restoration of river herring in North Carolina and have fought to protect the limited remaining stock for over a decade,” Mandulak said in making the selection. “We had a lot of outstanding applicants this year and certainly wish we could help them all. CCA NC is happy to be able to continue a long tradition of financial support for graduate studies that support our mission of coastal resource conservation in North Carolina.”
In addition, an anonymous donation from a member of the Onslow Bay CCA NC Chapter made possible the presentation of the first Onslow Bay CCA NC Scholarship to assist a student entering college from a military family. Each high school in Onslow County nominated one student for the scholarship.
Trenton James Lins was selected by the Chapter Scholarship Committee from the seven students nominated and was presented with a $5,000 scholarship to help him attend college this fall. Lins plans to study Marine Sciences at Coastal Carolina University. “Trenton has never let any obstacle stand in his way,” offered Onslow Bay Chapter President Hodge Jordan. “We learned that Trenton was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor when he was fifteen. He went through surgery and radiation, yet he maintained his school work with homebound teachers throughout, and a year and a half later he was back on the tennis courts!”
The committee also said that Trenton’s cheerful personality, perseverance, and lifting spirit set him aside from the other candidates. His selfless contribution to his school and his community was evident in his service for others.
“We at the Onslow Bay CCA NC Chapter are proud to have a young man like Trenton Lins represent us and receive our first chapter scholarship,” said Jordan.
The world’s largest sportfishing trade show, the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades, better known as ICAST, is the annual destination for the global recreational fishing industry. Nearly 15,000 industry representatives from the global sportfishing industry travel to Orlando to see the latest innovations in gear, accessories, and apparel.
The single most important feature for ICAST exhibitors and attendees alike is the New Product Showcase. The New Product Showcase, sponsored by Fishing Tackle Retailer, embodies the sportfishing industry’s innovative and entrepreneurial spirit and rewards that ingenuity through the “Best of Show” new product awards competition.
This year, more than 1,000 tackle products and accessories were entered by more than 240 companies into 24 “Best of Show” categories in the New Product Showcase, all vying for the overall ICAST 2016 “Best of Show” award.
Johnson Outdoors, Inc. and its MINN KOTA ULTREX were voted by buyers and media as the best product in both the Boat Accessories category and the overall “Best of Show.”
Other notable winners included (1) Saltwater Rod – Lew’s Fishing Tackle, Product: Lew’s Mach Speed Stick/Inshore Rod; (2) Fly Fishing Rod – St. Croix Rods, Product: SOLE; (3) Saltwater Reel – Pure Fishing, Inc., Product: PENN SLAMMER III; (4) Fly Reel – Pure Fishing, Inc., Product: Pflueger President Fly Reel; (5) Hard Lure – Savage Gear USA, Product: 3D Suicide Duck; (6) Soft Lure – Squidnation, Product: Longtail Flippy Floppy; (7) Lifestyle Apparel – Under Armour, Inc., Product: Men’s UA Fish Stalker SS; (8) Technical Apparel – Plano Synergy, Product: Frabill I-Float Suit; (9) Electronics – Johnson Outdoors – Humminbird, Product: HELIX 10 SI; (10) Eyewear – Costa, Product: Rafael; (11) Fishing Accessory – YETI Coolers, Product: Hopper Flip 12; (12) Footwear – Shimano American Corporation, Product: Flats Wading Boots; (13) Line – G. Pucci & Sons, Inc., Product: P-Line Tactical Fluorocarbon; (14) Tackle Management – Cobra Garage Door Storage, Product: Cobra Garage Door Storage Rack; and (15) Terminal Tackle – Trapper Tackle, Product: DropShot/Live Bait/Finesse Hook.
“I congratulate all of the winners and everyone who participated in the New Product Showcase. The creativity and ingenuity that exists within our member companies adds excitement and discovery to the adventure of fishing,” said ASA President and CEO Mike Nussman.
“This year we saw a ground swell of new products being entered into the New Product Showcase which bodes well for the 2016 and 2017 fishing seasons,” said Trade Show Director Kenneth Andres.
ICAST 2017 will be held at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL, on July 11-14, 2017.
For complete ICAST information, visit ICASTfishing.org.
In partnership with Beaufort County, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has completed construction and opened the Wrights Creek boating access area located at 1922 Wilkins Road in Belhaven.
Wrights Creek provides access to the Pungo River. The boating access area features two 15-foot-wide concrete boat ramps and a 48-foot floating dock. The paved parking lot includes 23 spaces for vehicles with trailers and 12 spaces for single cars, including three ADA-compliant spaces.
The Wildlife Commission funded construction of the project with motorboat registration receipts and through a Coastal Recreational Fishing License Grant. Beaufort County purchased the property using funds provided by a CAMA grant.
“Wrights Creek gives anglers some great fishing opportunities,” said Benjamin Ricks, the Commission’s district assistant fisheries biologist. “Boaters can expect to catch a wide variety of species such as striped bass, flounder, red drum, croaker, and spot.”
For more information on boating in North Carolina, including the locations of more than 200 free, publicly accessible boating access areas, visit the Commission’s online locater map at www.ncwildlife.org.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission approved a temporary rule that would clarify and correct the no-wake zone boundary for Taylor’s Creek in Beaufort at its recent business meeting in Raleigh.
The temporary rule, which goes into effect immediately, should clear confusion among boaters on where the eastern end of the no-wake zone is located, which is at the tip of Carrot Island. With the rule approved, legal enforcement of Taylor’s Creek during the busy summer boating season should mitigate hazards to boater safety in the area.
For more information about boating in North Carolina, visit the Commission’s boating page at www.ncwildlife.org/boating.
