Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009

Outdoors notebook: Youngsters cast lines along Strand

The fifth annual Take A Kid Fishing Day, sponsored by the Myrtle Beach Area of Chamber of Commerce, was held last Saturday on Grand Strand piers from Cherry Grove to Garden City Beach.

A total of 154 youngsters from ages 1 to 18 - many of whom had never been fishing - participated in the event, with each young angler accompanied by an adult partner.

Eight-year-old Kayla Lindsey of Monroe, N.C., caught the largest fish in the entire event, a 1½-pound whiting landed off the Apache Pier.

A highlight of the event was a run of spots that occurred at The Pier at Garden City, which resulted in plenty of releases of the panfish by the youngsters.

Vermilion Snapper Closure

The recreational fishery for vermilion snapper in the South Atlantic (North Carolina to Florida Keys) federal waters will be closed beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 1 through March 31, 2010.

During the closure, all recreational harvest or possession of vermilion snapper in or from South Atlantic federal waters is prohibited.

This closure applies to private recreational fishermen, as well as any person on board a vessel that has been issued a South Atlantic Charter/Headboat Permit for Snapper-Grouper.

The closure also applies to vermilion snapper taken in South Atlantic state waters for any person on board a vessel possessing a South Atlantic Charter/Headboat Permit for Snapper-Grouper.