Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05

Fish for Free Statewide July 4

Along with watching fireworks and grilling out, celebrate Independence Day by indulging in another favorite pastime, fishing—no license needed!

From midnight until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, July 4, anyone—resident or nonresident—can fish in any public water, including mountain trout waters and coastal waters, in North Carolina without a fishing license.

So anglers of all ages and skill levels have an excellent chance of catching fish, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stocks a variety of fish in waters across the state, from trout in the mountains to striped bass and channel catfish in the Piedmont and coastal regions.

“The purpose of the free fishing day is to show people how much fun fishing can be,” said Kent Nelson, fisheries program manager for the commission’s Division of Inland Fisheries. “It’s a great way to spend quality time with your kids outdoors and help them develop an interest in nature and conservation.”

To make finding a spot to cast a line easier, the agency has listed nearly 500 areas that are accessible to the public for fishing on its website at www.ncwildlife.org.

While the fishing is free on July 4, fishing regulations, such as size and creel limits, bait and tackle restrictions, and park use fees apply.
North Carolina residents age 16 and older who are interested in fishing the remaining 364 days of the year can purchase a one-year comprehensive inland fishing license that includes fishing in public trout waters for $20. A one-year license to fish in inland and coastal waters, a unified license, is $35 and includes public trout waters.

New Mountain Trout Regulations Went into Effect July 1

A new regulation affecting trout anglers fishing in public mountain trout waters went into effect July 1.

The new regulation clearly defines what types of lures are allowable when trout fishing in waters that require anglers to use only artificial lures. As of July 1, natural bait is defined as any living or dead plant or animal organism or prepared substance designed to attract fish by taste or smell. Artificial lures are defined as bait that neither contains nor has been treated with any substance that attracts fish by the sense of taste or smell.

The regulation does not prohibit the use of unscented or untreated soft plastic baits, and it does not affect trout fishing in hatchery-supported or wild trout/natural bait trout waters.

Several factors led to the implementation of this new regulation: the 2006 repeal of the legislation that defined natural bait, angler confusion over the classification of flavored and scented baits and biologists’ concerns about the increased catch-and-release mortality attributed to attractant baits.

“With new attractant lures coming on the market every year and no definition of what comprised natural bait and artificial lures in the North Carolina statutes or regulation digest, anglers have had a lot of questions,” said Bob Curry, chief of the Wildlife Resources Commission’s Division of Inland Fisheries. “This rule change allows people to clearly distinguish between natural and artificial lures.”

Originally, artificial lure requirements were implemented on certain trout streams to minimize catch-and-release angling mortality, a requirement that is particularly important in delayed-harvest streams where each stocked trout is expected to be captured and released multiple times during the 8-month catch-and-release period.

The use of natural bait-mimicking substances has become increasingly popular on delayed-harvest streams and other artificial lures-only waters, and research suggests that these baits can lead to increased catch-and-release hooking mortality because of deep-hooking wounds. Deep-hooking wounds usually result when trout ingest bait deep into the esophagus or stomach.