net locations between Alantic Beach and Emerald isle

[ghost]

I am trying to find the net locations along this stretch of beach.

[beachtoad]

net???

[EricF]

He's talking about 'stop nets'.....set out from the beach, then pulled around and into the beach similar to a sein after a period of time. Don't know the exact locations, but there is normally one at the state park boundary line on Atlantic Beach. The speckled seatrout will bank up on the 'stop net' and hang out rather than go around...along with some other species, but the big trout seem to pile up. They tote em away by the pickup truck bed fulls. It's normally a "co-op" commercial fisherman type thing, not just one guy. They also are registered and permitted by the Division of Marine Fisheries...so just anyone can't run a 'stop net'. It's a favorite past time of many recreational fishermen to fish just on the north side of these nets....remember the banked up specks hanging out there....I've seen em up to 7-8 pounds come in and I'm sure they're bigger ones.

[beachtoad]

Got ya. Seen netting where they pull out the net and bring it right back around. Then pull it up on the beach with a truck. Didn't know they had stop nets they left out. How long do they leave them out?

[EricF]

Yes, growing up we used to launch a 'net boat' from the beach. Simply a flat bottom high gunnel boat with a motor well...we faked the gill net out behind the motor. We would launch the boat on the beach with a Landcruiser, spin it around, push it into the surf...then take off through the breakers letting the net run out the back of the boat, normally one hundred yard nets. They would be anchored to a steel stake driven in the sand and about fifty yards of polypro rope. The offshore end would have concrete blocks....NOT anchors, since we would also have a piece of poly rope attached to the offshore end and then staked on the beach...we used this rope to pull the net around and onto the beach, an anchor would not allow up to pull it around like this. Keep in mind these were gill nets....but larger fish that would not gill in the net would be seined to the beach when we pulled it around....always to the north or east. We would set four nets approximately four to five hundred yards apart. We let these set for whole tide cycle...put em out at low in the evening...sit with them all night w/campfire, etc. while the tide came up and fell..then pull em in the morning at first light.

For the stop nets...I think they're pulled every morning.

[kip]

Hey Lance,

Don;t know exactly when they will be putting the nets out. They are primarily used to net roe Mullet with the other species viewed as bycatch. Last year they had some big Reds in the net as well as some nice specks. As soon as I hear anything, I'll let you know. When are you and Pat planning to come down? Hopefully Leni will be in town then as well and we can get together. Look forward to your return to the area....

[ghost]

Trying for the first or second week in Nov. Last year we fished the nets at that time of the year, so I am assuming they will be there again. Still trying to get a place and would like to choose one near the nets so walking would be possible. Are they usually in the same area each year?

Hope you are available and we owe you two a dinner as our guest. How is the new pup?

Lance

[kip]

Great, look forward to the visit. Truck is getting an exam later this week to make sure that it is ready for fishing season. You are welcome to use it during your time here to drive on the beach in EI as I will be working and drive the commuter car back and forth. I'll have a beach permit by then, so no probs with getting to the nets, at least the ones in EI. The erosion is really bad at the inlet and they have closed the ramp there and have a barricade up where the beach narrows about 1/2 mile up form the ramp. The other ramp is a long drive to the inlet, but usually the stop nets are more in the middle of the island. As I said, as soon as I hear of where they are, I'll let you know. The guys who usually set them are from Indian Beach and go both up and down the beaches.

Pup is doing well, although typical pup, we leave nothing that we care about within jaw range. Trouble is that she is gettingtaller and has been able to reach the counter tops now which means that she never leaves our line of vision when she is out of the crate..........

[Tall Paul]

Was fishing the small rock jetty yesterday and saw a group of trucks and the tractor at the west boundry of the park ( Fort Macon) they may be getting ready to put one in there.

[kip]

Tall Paul,

Are you the same Tall Paul (from the RDT board) that was a Coasty stationed up at Hatteras years ago? If so, we fished together at the point a few times.............

[Tall Paul]

Kip, Yes I guess I would be one in the same. I retired about five years ago and now work at a tackle shop on this end of the island. I sure do miss hanging out at RDT and fishing "The Point" in the late fall.

[kip]

Tall Paul,

Nice to have you near and congrats on the retirement from the CG. Which tackle shop? Will try and stop by sometime and perhaps we can wet a hook again sometime.

[Tall Paul]

They had the stop net in the water this past week in front of Tar Landing (west end of the park) but have pulled it in because of the predicted wind and storm surge. Was told that the first time that they worked it that they pulled 70-80 big gator trout out with six truck loads of mullet. Also catching trout at little rock jetty along with the jetty at the inlet and over at CALO.

KIP, by the way "Freeman's"

On a side note, was fishing the mouth of one of the creeks the other morning and stumbled across a limit of nice hard clams, needless to say I was in hog heaven last night.

Sorry didn't mean to ramble.