Those who have fished have memories of great experiences, but many of the most memorable may have been because of your company, even when you returned empty-handed.
fishing
Father-son fishing duo establish state records for two species
Jody Hopkins and his son Oden of Grimesland established state records for a channel scabbardfish and a spinycheek scorpion fish while fishing 33 miles off Ocracoke.
All Spanish, all season: Fun catch, good eats, April-October
These tasty, gold-spotted speedsters are the target of many an angler along the Carolina coast, and there’s a method suited to everyone’s fishing style.
Go for glamour, but also be prepared to catch those ‘other’ fish
Glory species such as speckled trout, red drum, flounder and king mackerel are what nearly every saltwater angler loves to target, but often you’ll have to deal with an unwanted, sometimes dangerous catch.
Overlooking tiny details a recipe for frequent fishing failure
The person you see who just seems to randomly toss a bait out but catches fish all the time is paying attention to nuances that others may miss.
Measure that would halt inshore shrimp trawling advances
A controversial bill in the North Carolina General Assembly that would ban shrimp trawling in inshore waters and offshore waters up to a half-mile gained momentum Tuesday.
Longtime Outer Banks fish house opens doors to new facility
Jeffrey’s Seafood has a new facility in Hatteras Village that houses equipment to process fresh seafood, a retail store and plans are underway for a small restaurant that will feature local catch.
Coastal Cohorts cast off for 40th season with Carson tribute
Don Dixon, Jim Wann and Bland Simpson, collectively known as the Coastal Cohorts, are bringing “King Mackerel and the Blues Are Running” back for its 40th year and debuting their musical homage to Rachel Carson.
When fishing, Justin Manners heeds Ben Franklin’s advice
“Failing to plan is planning to fail,” goes the old adage and it is angler, charter captain, HVAC tech and Richlands resident Justin Manners’ key to success on the water.
Wilmington fisher establishes state record for white trevally
Thomas Woo of Wilmington caught the 19-pound, 3.2-ounce striped jack May 8 about 55 miles off Wrightsville Beach, establishing the state record.
Trolling the best way to cover lots of water in search of a bite
Among all the saltwater fishing methods, one way is best when you know fish are out there and you want to keep bait in the water for as long as possible — and it has nothing to do with social media or Scandinavian folklore.
Fishing hooked newspaperman Rip Woodin far from coast
Rocky Mount Telegram Publisher Rip Woodin, who spends free time at his Atlantic Beach getaway, didn’t grow up fishing, but a gift of a fly rod from his boss in Wyoming decades ago lit the passion.
NCSU sportfishing school set for June on Hatteras Island
Organizers promise an immersive five-day program, blending classroom instruction with hands-on training.
Tie on the correct leader when targeting the toothiest species
If you want to get a Spanish or king mackerel, shark or bluefish on the end of a line and actually land it, you need to be prepared with the correct leader for each type of fish.
Boardwalk beneath the bridge
An angler recently tries his luck from beneath the Scuppernong River Bridge on the the Scuppernong River Boardwalk at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge visitor center in Columbia, in Tyrrell County. Money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was appropriated to replace the boardwalk, a project that was announced to take place in fiscal 2026. Congress directly appropriated $455 million to the refuge over five years for programs related to the previous administration’s America the Beautiful initiative announced in 2021. The nonprofit National Wildlife Refuge Association has said that continuing resolutions, such as the emergency funding bill signed into law last week, throw refuges into chaos and uncertainty and can prevent new project starts. Photo: Mark Hibbs
When fishermen harvested seaweed: Beaufort’s agar industry
The curiosity that sparked when historian David Cecelski came across photos taken in 1944 of fishermen harvesting seaweed near Beaufort inspired a “bit of a deep dive” into topics he never imagined studying: the history of agar, ecology of seaweed, the wartime crisis that led to seaweed harvesting and the construction of the Beaufort agar factory.
