This was going to be a fun day! I was meeting Captain Bill Douglass and Bobby White for a day of shallow water fishing in the Wrightsville Beach backwaters. Bill was going to show me some red drum and Bobby was going to tell me all about his grass roots conservation organization, Go Fish NC. It promised to be a fun day of fishing. Captain Bill is always a blast to hang around with and Bobby sure seemed like a nice fellow. The weather was pleasant with a bit of a cooling trend on September second, after a brutally hot August. Bill was going to take me to some spots where he knew there would be a red drum or two in shallow water. My favorite kind of fishing. I knew Bobby from the internet. It’s funny how you can exchange emails and message board posts with someone and think that you know them. Just one of the ways the internet is making the world smaller. Bobby had started Go FishNC a couple of years ago. His is a small organization that is devoted to addressing conservation issues on our coastal fish populations. While Bill poled his skiff down a promising shoreline, Bobby and I had a chance to talk:

What prompted you to start GoFishNC?

o GoFishNC began as a simple idea for a web site that would serve as an outlet for some of my personal frustrations regarding the health, management, and use of our salt-water resource. However, I soon discovered that there were many others who shared my concerns, and what started as a gathering place in cyberspace for like minded anglers, soon began to blossom into a full-fledged conservation organization. We now have a growing and very active membership that is intimately involved in the decision making process of our group. In fact, all GoFishNC initiatives must be voted on and approved by our membership.

1. What are some of the things that you have accomplished in that time?

• In June of 2000 we organized a letter writing campaign to fight legislation introduced by Sen. Albertson that would have effectively doubled the amount of gill nets used by recreational fishermen. The measure later passed but not it its original form. Recreational netters are still limited to 100 yards unless two are fishing from the same boat. Not perfect, but far better than what was proposed by Sen. Albertson.
• GoFishNC was also heavily involved in the reduction of the commercial trip limit for Red Drum. Our membership wrote many letters and attended a lot of fisheries meetings during the formulation of the Red Drum FMP. The 100-pound limit was obviously not working to curtail the harvest and targeting was rampant. The trip limit was eventually reduced to 5 fish per trip and targeting was finally defined. GoFishNC can not take full credit for this action but we were diligent in our effort to help make it a reality.
• The concept of regional management has also been a constant theme of our organization. It is clear that the area south of Beaufort Inlet is far different than the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. Therefore it is reasonable and prudent to consider regional differences when adopting management plans for gear and finfish. The Marine Fisheries Commission has publicly stated that they agree with our assessment and will consider regional management of Red Drum during the next phase of the FMP. We hope that will spill over to gear issues as well.
• In the fall of 2000, GoFishNC presented a petition for rule making to the Marine Fisheries Commission asking that all recreational gill nets be required to be tended at all times. The MFC voted to accept our petition with a regional limitation of Beaufort Inlet south to the SC line. Public hearings are currently in progress with a final vote scheduled for early October.

  2. How many members do you have? How much is it to join?

  o GoFishNC currently has a little over 300 members. All of our members have joined through our web site. Next year we plan to organize a membership drive using more conventional methods with hopes of surpassing 1000 members. The membership fee is 10 dollars.

  3. Do you go to many fisheries meetings? What happens at those meetings?

  o The GoFishNC membership, our advisory board, and myself attend a lot of meetings. We generally have at least one representative at most meetings. Sometimes they are productive and sometimes they are not. However we do feel it is important for recreational anglers to have representation at these public meetings and we will continue with that effort.

  4. How does the fishing differ in the southern part of the state as compared to the northern coastline?

  o The difference is like night and day. The southern region is primarily made up of shallow and narrow creeks with strong tidal influence. This is in complete contrast to the wide-open water of the Pamlico with little tide change. 89 percent of the state’s inshore water is found north of Beaufort Inlet, yet most of the RCGL licenses are issued in the southern region. In fact there are 13.6 commercial gear licenses for every square mile of water in the southern region compared to less than 2 per mile in our northern waters. The two regions are in stark contrast to each other when you consider the available water, the amount of gear being used, and enforcement.

  5. Will a SW fishing license really help?

  o When you are trying to manage a resource as dynamic and diverse as our salt-water fishery, it is imperative to have the best data available. It is just as important to have sufficient funding to do the research and provide adequate enforcement. The DMF is severely under funded and the recent budget crunch has only made matters worse. A saltwater fishing license would help provide the much needed funding that our fisheries managers need to properly oversee our resource. Monies generated by a license could also be used to help educate the fishing public about proper catch and release techniques, resource friendly gear, and the current rules and regulations. This is an important and often overlooked part of the equation for a healthy fishery.

  6. What kind of job is the DMF doing? Do they need more help?

  o Overall I would give the DMF high marks. Again, they are severely limited by lack of funds and good data. I have had nothing but good experiences working with the scientists and biologists and they are always willing to answer questions or share the results of their research. I do think there are some shortcomings in enforcement, especially in the southern region, but again nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a proper revenue stream.

  Along with all the talk we actually got a chance to fish that day. Bobby caught a beautiful red drum on a 1/4 ounce jighead with a chartreuse twister tail. An old standby that is good for most any fish that swims. After a couple quick photos and a tag for good measure, the 27 incher was released none the worse for wear. GoFishNC wants that to be repeated for everybody who wants in the future.