# Where are the majority of the speckled trout you ask...



## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

They aren't where you think they may be. Many are *here*.


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## Bodie (Jan 4, 2014)

I've been seeing posts like this on TF... Sad to see for sure. When it says NC has changed to no commercial and recreational fishing, does this mean no c&r? What if you accidentally catch one?


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## Bryan_bro (Dec 5, 2012)

We saw a couple nice 20 inch range trout today at Rudee, dying just being spent by the tide. It's depressing that a fish that is such a fighter on a line can just be decimated by this winter. I have only been back in the HR area for two years, has there been a tough freeze like this recently that kill fish in numbers like this?


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## Tom Powers (Aug 2, 2001)

VMRC Finfish Advisory Committee (FMAC) meeting from 19 Feb. 2014

First off there were like 75 people in the room which is the most people that I have seen at a Finfish Management Advisory Committee (FMAC) meeting in years.

About 1/2 a dozen people spoke on the issue. I am pretty sure that lots were from the middle peninsula. Apparently they have been keeping a really good fishery secret for the past several years.

Much data was presented by VMRC regarding past cold water kills and the current state of the kills.

5 options were put on the table ranging from implement a 5 fish limit with one over 24 year round to closing the recreational fishery from March 1 to July 31 (or June 30) to closing the fishery and putting a 5 fish limit with one over 24 year round.

When asked to stand in support of the last measure (closed until Aug 1 and a 5 fish limit afterwards) 75% of the people in the room stood up.

The first motion was to close the fishery from March 1 to June 30 (this year only) and put a 5 fish limit in place year round. That failed due to a lack of a second. The second motion was to close the fishery from March 1 to July 31 (this year only) put a 5 fish limit with one over 24 year round starting on Aug 1 . . . that last "forever" (i.e. until the Commission decides to change the law again.)

There was much (or at least a moderate amount of) grumbling from the audience about shutting the commercial fishery down at the same time. Background. The fishery currently has a documented harvest of 43,000 pounds out of a 51,000 pound annual cap. There was a discussion while everyone was there regarding at least putting a 100 pound per vessel limit on them after the cap was above 80% (43,000 pounds is at 84.x%), I asked staff to present this to the Commission for consideration for the long term but no motion was made. The general concept behind no motion was that the quota would be caught up in the next week or two and the commercial fishery would be closed until Sept. 1st anyway. Also I was concerned that it would get no support from the commercial members present and fail.

After the crowd left and after huddling together for the 5 minute break while folks left, Staff approached the committee regarding the commercial cap after 80% of the quota was met, they wanted committee support to take it to the Commission with a 250 pound per vessel limit. The general concept is that incidental catch (in a gill net that is a dead trout) could be sold until the cap was met and it would force the fishery to slow down until it met the cap so that staff could better monitor and manage the cap. A motion was mad and passed on this request.

Next step is a request for an emergency closure of the recreational fishery at the Commission meeting on Feb. 25th. At the same time staff would be requesting a public hearing in March that would address:

1. The emergency closure (an emergency measure is only good for 30 days at which time there must be a public hearing or the measure reverts to the previous regulation)

2. Changing the limit from 10 fish at 14 inches to 5 fish 14 to 24 inches with one fish over 24 inches.

3. A commercial possession limit of (something like) 250 pounds after 80% of the cap has been caught.


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## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

Huh?


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## GotchaMack (Jun 16, 2004)

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the impact that this winter will have on the massive schools of rat reds that have been exploding the past couple years. I don't want to even think about how badly they will be wiped out. Mother Nature brought them to us, she will take them away, but it sure is a shame to think what Drum season could have been like 10 years down the road.


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## LEADDRAFT (Oct 9, 2001)

Well Folks, down SOUTH of ya'll I can tell you where PLENTY of Cold Stunned SPECKS ended up...
https://www.facebook.com/art.barlow.9?fref=ts



> It's everyone with a boat. I have talked with some folks that know people that live on the water and they have enough trout to last em a year. Some reports of comms getting several hundred pounds this morning. Some over a thousand. Guys spent the night out last night and filled up 55 gallon drums all night long. Rec fisherman are filling coolers and hitting the road. Folks just don't have any respect for the law and hopefully they'll catch some of these law breakers on both sides. All these fish will not die if left alone but they have no chance leaving in a cooler. These reports are second hand info so I have no way to prove these stories but I imagine that most are true from what I've seen in the past trout cold stun events. I understand not wanting to waist fish but damn.......have some respect for the law.
> 
> On a side note, how many of those fish will show up on trip tickets or the rec data?


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

GotchaMack said:


> I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the impact that this winter will have on the massive schools of rat reds that have been exploding the past couple years. I don't want to even think about how badly they will be wiped out. Mother Nature brought them to us, she will take them away, but it sure is a shame to think what Drum season could have been like 10 years down the road.


It really is a shame--these fish would have been great light tackle sport over the next few years and could have led to a spectacular big drum fishery in later years.


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