For my Flounder Fishermen… Season Is In NOW!!!! Go Get’em!!

Pop N Shots

Pop N Shots

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FYI.. There is a flounder season happening in NC right now 9/1 - 9/14. Because of the late decision by the NC DMF (oversees coastal fishing), the NC WRC (oversees inland and joint water) didn’t have time to update their rules. Therefore, if you have spots for flounder that are within the inland/joint waters you are allowed to keep 4 flounder per person per day 9/1-9/15. Then the coastal flounder fishing starts on 9/15 with 1 flounder per person per day through 9/30. It’s nuts! I do suggest you find a launch / landing within the designated areas, as to not cross lines into the opposite sectors, to ensure you stay ticket free.

Links

Season Info:

North Carolina Regulations Digest

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
www.ncwildlife.org

Inland/Joint/Coastal Map:
 
Les White said:
The flounder regs have been STUPID for a few years now.
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It’s a mess. Current recreational/commercial split is 30/70. Next year is supposed to change to 40 rec/60 comm split, then 50/50 the year after. Heard grumblings of potentialiy closing the flounder fisher next year. I hope that’s just scuttlebutt. I was not planning to target them this year, as I cannot see myself planning 6hrs of driving to keep one fish or to go gigging with a buddy to bring home two fish, but will be happy to keep them if I catch one while fishing for reds / specs.
 
Not to be a buzz kill but it is only open in INLAND, INLAND, INLAND WATERS. make sure you know what those waters are. The 4 fish limit only applies to inland waters. NOT JOINT OR COASTAL. Inland waters are controlled by the NC Wildlife Resources Commision where as the Joint and Coastal are controlled by the NC Division of Marine Fisheries. Joint and Coastal open up later this week on the 15th for 1 fish per day. You cannot bring any fish caught in Inland waters through joint or coastal or you can get a ticket.

All that said. Free men are free. Do as you please.

Here is the map that shows the demarcations between Inland, Joint, and Coastal https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappv...131592.9022,-8493904.2009,4155422.1458,102100
 
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tod0987 said:
Not to be a buzz kill but it is only open in INLAND, INLAND, INLAND WATERS. make sure you know what those waters are. The 4 fish limit only applies to inland waters. NOT JOINT OR COASTAL. Inland waters are controlled by the NC Wildlife Resources Commision where as the Joint and Coastal are controlled by the NC Division of Marine Fisheries. Joint and Coastal open up later this week on the 15th for 1 fish per day. You cannot bring any fish caught in Inland waters through joint or coastal or you can get a ticket.

All that said. Free men are free. Do as you please.
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I’m reading the text from the nc wildlife link I provided above, the rules apply to inland and joint. Excerpt below:

“The NCWRC hook and line flounder season is applicable in both inland and joint waters. The NCWRC and North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission (NCMFC) have jointly adopted rules (15A NCAC 10C .0106 and 15A NCAC 03Q .0106) that state, “(b) The following inland fishing laws and regulations administered by the Wildlife Resources Commission apply to joint fishing waters and shall be enforced by wildlife officers: (3) all laws and regulations pertaining to hook and line fishing except as hereinafter provided.” This rule clearly gives the NCWRC the authority and responsibility to set hook and line seasons, sizes, and creel limits for fish in joint fishing waters, which it must do through the rulemaking process.
 
Yes I've read that and it states NCWRC based on previous regulations sets regulations for Joint, but it is a big azz pissing contest between the two and when I got checked in the turning basin by NCDMF (tied up to the train bridge) I was told by a NCDMF in uniform that they will write tickets for joint over 1 fish. I've never seen/encountered DMF up in New Bern but the time the Stripped Bass limits changed and they were harassing everyone right at the draw bridge in New Bern. Honestly, I've got most of my big founder in joint over coastal waters so I'd love 4 fish in joint. The New Bern Train Tressel has some slobs and I've caught them up to Kinston (friend's house is on the river in Sandhill).
 
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Keep an eye out for these signs… which may also pertain to the type of fishing license you have, as well

1694396728357.jpeg
 
Pop N Shots said:
Keep an eye out for these signs… which may also pertain to the type of fishing license you have, as well

View attachment 669251
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That is no joke. My favorite creek is Duck Creek which is just east of the US-17 bridge in New Bern it is listed as "inland" waters despite being loaded with puppy drum, doormats, and blue crabs (grabbed a popping cork gulp bait). I can't crab there as you cannot crab in inshore waters despite the creatures hoisted up on all the stumps there.
 
backwoodsshooter said:
one thing i have come to really enjoy about the waters (more so the saltwater) down here in Georgia is the fishing regs beats the Carolinas in just about every way.
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Can’t argue. Your state has done a lot more, to protect inshore / estuarine waters, so that fishing remains viable. Can’t say that NC has or is currently willing to do the same. There is at least one lawsuit in play (maybe more), that’s aiming to help. We’ll see.
 
Pop N Shots said:
FYI.. There is a flounder season happening in NC right now 9/1 - 9/14. Because of the late decision by the NC DMF (oversees coastal fishing), the NC WRC (oversees inland and joint water) didn’t have time to update their rules. Therefore, if you have spots for flounder that are within the inland/joint waters you are allowed to keep 4 flounder per person per day 9/1-9/15. Then the coastal flounder fishing starts on 9/15 with 1 flounder per person per day through 9/30. It’s nuts! I do suggest you find a launch / landing within the designated areas, as to not cross lines into the opposite sectors, to ensure you stay ticket free.

Links

Season Info:

North Carolina Regulations Digest

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
www.ncwildlife.org

Inland/Joint/Coastal Map:
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Thanks for posting this. My first time seeing these maps. However it looks I’m screwed in Carteret county.
 
Watched a PBS documentary about this issue a couple years ago.

One of the NC fishery members had ties to commercial market. He was saying that it wasn't commercial fishers doing the damage, but rec guys.

They are supposed to board boats and perform take studies of species that commercial outfits bring in. But in reality, the boats can have "mechanical failures" the morning of and then the study is canceled.

Remove the fishery management away from those goons and give it to NCWRC. Because the NCWRC has the recreational industry at a higher mindset than commercial.

I really hope the lawsuit gets steam and burns that group.
 
Chriselalto said:
Watched a PBS documentary about this issue a couple years ago.

One of the NC fishery members had ties to commercial market. He was saying that it wasn't commercial fishers doing the damage, but rec guys.

They are supposed to board boats and perform take studies of species that commercial outfits bring in. But in reality, the boats can have "mechanical failures" the morning of and then the study is canceled.

Remove the fishery management away from those goons and give it to NCWRC. Because the NCWRC has the recreational industry at a higher mindset than commercial.

I really hope the lawsuit gets steam and burns that group.
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Strange how inspite of rec guys being all but banned from fishing for them they still have not recovered.... It definitely has nothing to do with the commercial nets set up that you have to zig zag around and is %100 the recreational guys and their 1 fish per day for a super short season that are the problem...
 
Tug McClutchin said:
Strange how inspite of rec guys being all but banned from fishing for them they still have not recovered.... It definitely has nothing to do with the commercial nets set up that you have to zig zag around and is %100 the recreational guys and their 1 fish per day for a super short season that are the problem...
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This^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
It gets interesting for sure. Another issue is that they are trying to protect the Southern Flounder, but lump the Summer Flounder and Gulf Flounder in with them (even though they are not “endangered”), as they do not believe fishermen can tell the difference. As I have said before, I find that thought interesting, as they trust us to identify a duck moving 30-50mph, 40yrds away, in early morning light… but I can’t identify a flounder that’s in my hand??
 
Drag nets do not care what's in the way.

I imagine so much of the population decline is because of them and scraping the seafloor clean of any living thing.

14.75" Flounder swallowed your hook and is going to die when you get it out? Throw it back, you cannot keep it.

Catch a 27.25" red drum? Throw it back, you are going to destroy the population if you keep it.

And mullet is being limited this late fall/early winter. So goodbye live bait.
 
And this:

www.carolinajournal.com

Explaining NC’s floundering flounder season

Attention anglers: Today, Sept. 15, marks the official beginning of flounder fishing season. Unfortunately, the sport may not be as exciting this year as it has been in the past, because of an exceptionally restricted fishing season and strict quotas set by both the Marine Fisheries Commission...
www.carolinajournal.com www.carolinajournal.com
 
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