The Marine Fisheries Commission is scheduled to meet November 20-22, 2024 at the Islander Hotel and Resort in Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The address for the hotel is:

102 Islander Dr
Emerald Isle, NC 28594

If you are a speckled trout fisherman in the state of North Carolina then this meeting is of utmost importance to participate in!

The Division of Marine Fisheries has proposed draft recommendations to curtail harvest in the speckled trout fishery. Please see the below recommendations from the NC DMF:

Preliminary Division management recommendation for both sectors:

• Statewide harvest closure Jan. through Feb.

Preliminary Division management recommendation for recreational fishery:

• 14”–20” slot limit with allowance for one fish >26”
• 3 fish bag limit

Preliminary Division management recommendation for commercial fishery:

• 11:59 p.m. Friday to 12:01 a.m. Tuesday closure from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31
• No changes to Bogue Banks stop net quota, but formalize management in Amendment 1

Preliminary Division supplemental and cold stun management recommendations:

• Eliminate spotted seatrout captain/crew limit on for-hire trips
• Extend harvest closure following a severe cold stun through Jun. 30

For questions, contact Lucas Pensinger, Lucas.Pensinger@deq.nc.gov or Melinda Lambert, Melinda.Lambert@deq.nc.gov.

Now is the time to speack up about the future of our Speckled Trout Fishery, you can submit public comment below:

NC Marine Fisheries Commission Comment Form | NC DEQ

In this episode of Fisheries Gone Wild, we bring on a special guest, Graham Taylor. Graham recently experienced a very nerve-racking situation offshore fishing out of Beaufort inlet, an experience that could happen to anyone while fishing offshore and one that many people haven’t made it back from. Graham's life jacket most certainly played a major role in saving his life, he wants to share his story to help his fellow anglers mitigate the risk of fishing offshore and to come home safe and sound to your loved ones at the end of the day.

We hope you enjoy this incredible story of Grahams survival!