Bringing up a fish too quickly is rough on the fish, and if not a keeper, releasing it improperly results in barotrauma, meaning the poor thing is shark bait — that’s where descenders come in.
Commentary
History’s not-so-humble hedgerow habitat was nearly lost
If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow, don’t be alarmed now, it’s just native habitat and an ancient permaculture ecosystem almost completely wiped from Europe after World War II that’s perfectly suitable here.
Best way to bid farewell 2024? Count birds on Outer Banks
Hardy birders, volunteers, aspiring community scientists, photographers and others will soon have their chance to count birds on Ocracoke and Portsmouth islands to improve understanding of bird life trends that have implications for all.
Gear up the night before or get left out, leftovers tomorrow
Don’t be that angler who waits until the last moment to rig up their equipment and then misses the action — procure and prepare in advance.
Witch hazel: Useful native species adds pop of winter color
If you’ve ever been in the woods this time of year and noticed a sweet fragrance but couldn’t pinpoint it, you’re not having olfactory hallucinations — this aromatic wonder grows right here in North Carolina.
Capturing moments: Make the most of memorable catches
A few simple tips can turn that image of your once-in-a-lifetime experience on the water from stinker to a potential treasured family heirloom.
Little tunny, fat albert — False albacore are 100% genuine
The awesome run of false albacore off Cape Lookout is unequaled anywhere in the country from the middle of October to the end of November.
The dirt on pH: No chemistry PhD required for gardening
Knowing your soil’s alkalinity and the conditions your desired plants need can help yield better results.
‘Rum Keg Girl’ in Beaufort’s Burying Ground: True story?
Stories persist that she comes out at night and runs around the cemetery, her own haunted playground, where gifts left at her grave sometimes mysteriously move around to different locations.
Fishing is for the birds, and they can show you how, where
It’s true that feathered creatures can be an indicator of what’s going on beneath the surface, it’s important to understand what each bird is, how it fishes, and what it means to us as anglers.
Autumn’s spectacular colors signal our natural connections
Our modern lives often make us feel disconnected from nature, but even if we don’t think we notice, evolution has ensured that our bodies remember the changing seasons.
‘Enjoying,’ not just ‘catching,’ can enhance coastal lure, life
“I think people get too wrapped up in the ‘catching’ aspect of fishing,” says Neill Pollock of Charlotte. “Sure, that’s what we are out there to do but enjoying the water and surroundings is what we should really strive for.”
Nuts about figs? These edible, inverted flowers thrive here
There’s something about figs, the fruit that’s actually not, and the easy-to-propagate tree that — like so many of us — simply loves life on the North Carolina coast.
Redfish through seasons: Target wisely, release carefully
Popular with anglers, to catch red drum, the state saltwater fish, takes experience and know-how, and preserving them for the future requires care and expediency in returning to the water those you boat.
Coastal fall gardening a challenge; can still yield rewards
Autumn is starting to signal its arrival, and while spring planting gets all the attention, this region offers two growing seasons with the promise of success, despite pests and problems unique to the coast.
Expectations: ‘Make the best of the way things turn out’
How and where you set your expectations ahead of a planned fishing trip determines how that adventure will turn out far more than the number of fish boated.
