North Carolina Great White Shark. Speckled Trout Update. CCA Lawsuit. Bluefin Tuna Fishing Action

Описание: Wonderful bluefin tuna fishing action
Speckled trout closure inland waters update
Huge Great White shark right off NC
CCA Lawsuit update
Hatteras-More beach sand and jetty repair
Wind & sea, Sea surface temps and coastal weather forecast.
Join Bill Hitchcock with the Saltwater report for all of this and more!
Fishing Report
VIDEO: Speechless Sportfishing out of Pirates Cove Marina in Manteo was Live on the internet when this happened.
Big Fish hooked in the eye. Quickly released. Hose in mouth. Lady Angler apologizing to the fish.
BiopSea – Oregon Inlet: “Great bluefin action today for Chris, Steve and crew. Got our short “keeper” and released 6 more up to 450 pound range and a token blackfin.”
Dunn Deal Sportfishing: “What a difference 24hrs can make. Rough, cold and good fishing yesterday! Today was calm, warm and oh wait even good fishing again, we got the trifecta today! 10-12 on bluefin. We were pretty much hooked up all day with big fish!
NEWS
-The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is proposing a temporary rule change that would close Spotted Seatrout harvest through June 30, 2026 in Inland and Joint Fishing Waters under its jurisdiction. The move aligns with an existing closure from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, issued after a widespread cold-stun event, and is intended to reduce angler confusion. Public hearings include a virtual Zoom meeting February 25 at noon, and an in-person hearing March 10 at 6 p.m. in Kinston. The public comment period runs through March 13.
The Division of Marine Fisheries has proclamation authority, allowing immediate rule changes. The Wildlife Resources Commission does not. When WRC needs to respond—like now with speckled trout and cold-stun impacts—it must use temporary rulemaking. That requires public notice, a comment period, a hearing, a commission vote, and state approval before the rule becomes effective. So while the conservation concern is urgent, the legal process simply isn’t instantaneous. The fish respond instantly to cold water—bureaucracy does not.
-Contender—the largest male great white shark ever tagged by OCEARCH in the western North Atlantic—pinged again February 8, about 45 miles southeast of Cape Fear, near Wilmington. At nearly 1,700 pounds and 13.8 feet long, the mature male was tagged last year off the Florida–Georgia coast. His SPOT tag will keep delivering real-time data for years, supporting ongoing white shark research and conservation.
CCA TRIAL RECAP- Disclaimer-The information for the following announcement was supplied by the plaintiff, the Coastal Conservation Association.
The trial continued last week in CCA’s lawsuit against the State over coastal fisheries management. The CCA as the plaintiff presented testimony from five witnesses. Former Fisheries Director Dr. Louis Daniel testified that none of the fourteen fish stocks managed under North Carolina stand-alone plans meet the long-term viability standard required by law, and linked continued declines to shrimp trawling and gillnet use. Fisheries scientists Dr. Sean Powers and Dr. Gregory Stunz testified that multiple key stocks are declining, lack long-term viability, and that North Carolina’s management approach is inconsistent with modern fisheries science. Former NOAA economist Brad Gentner testified that the State’s management has been economically unsustainable, costing the public more than one billion dollars. The week concluded with testimony from a New Bern sustenance fisherman on the impacts of declining stocks. Plaintiffs rested Friday. The State begins presenting witnesses this week.
I contacted the defense, the North Carolina Department of Justice for their input, seeing as how we are just getting the CCA’s, the plaintiffs input on the hearing. I knew the answer in advance but I had to ask.
-The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Coastal Management has issued a permit to Dare County for a beach nourishment project planned this summer in the Village of Buxton. DCM also confirmed that rebuilding one of three groins near the former site of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse qualifies as a repair under Coastal Area Management Act rules and does not require a separate permit. State officials say beach nourishment remains a primary, allowed erosion-response tool, while hard structures like groins face strict, case-by-case review to limit environmental impacts and protect public access
-Friendly reminder, the Marine Fisheries Commission will meet Feb. 18-19 in Kitty Hawk at the Hilton Garden Inn. The meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed on YouTube.
Wind & Sea, Sea surface Temps & Coastal Weather
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