Angler Citizen Science: DMF wants your Flounder Carcusses

Posted on September 6, 2022

Citizen Science:

The Division of Marine Fisheries wants your Flounder Carcasses

The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries is asking for your help. They will be collecting legal sized flounder carcasses (15 inches or greater) from recreational fishermen during the upcoming recreational flounder season.

The division has set up 8 temporary freezer locations where recreational fishermen can take their flounder carcasses. In addition, there are an additional ten drop off locations accessible throughout the year. These locations are also below.

Tania Baldridge

PHOTO: B. BALDRIDGE 2022

The temporary locations are:

Oden’s Dock: 57878 North Carolina Hwy 12, Hatteras;

Bridge Tender Marina: 1418 Airlie Rd, Wilmington;

NC Division of Marine Fisheries: 943 Washington Square Mall Highway 17, Washington;

Sea Gate Marina: 729 Sea Gate Dr, Newport;

Chasin’ Tails Outdoors: 709 Atlantic Beach Causeway, Atlantic Beach;

Ocean Isle Marina: 2000 Sommersett Rd SW, Ocean Isle Beach;

Seapath Yacht Club: 330 Causeway Dr, Wrightsville Beach; and

Dudley’s Marina: 106 Cedar Point Blvd #8000, Cedar Point.

The year-round locations are (map available here):

Cape Pointe Marina, Harkers Island;

Frisco Rod & Gun, Frisco;

Jennette’s Pier, Nags Head;

Pogies Fishing & Kayaking Center, Swansboro;

Pelagic Hunter Fishing Center, Sneads Ferry;

Sea View Crab Company, Wilmington;

Tex’s Tackle, Wilmington;

NC Division of Marine Fisheries Headquarters, Morehead City;

NC Division of Marine Fisheries, Wilmington; and

Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point- Environmental Affairs Office (available only to those with military base access).

The notice from North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries states that fishermen who donate legal carcasses and provide a completed carcass collection catch card will be eligible for either an Angler Recognition Certificate (one per season for fish 15 inches to less than 24 inches total length) or a N.C. Saltwater Fishing Tournament Citation (one per fish for fish 24 inches or greater total length).

Instructions on how to deposit the carcasses are posted on each freezer. Anglers will be asked to give information related to how and when the fish was caught and must provide their names and addresses if they wish to receive a certificate or citation.

Division biologists will measure the fish, determine the sex, if possible, and remove the otoliths (ear bones) to determine the age of the fish. The information collected will be used in future flounder stock assessments.

The 2022 recreational flounder season opened at 12:01 a.m. Sept. 1 and close at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 30 for both the recreational hook-and-line and gig fisheries. There is a one flounder per person per day creel limit with a minimum size limit of 15-inch total length (from the tip of the snout to the tip of the compressed tail).

For specific recreational harvest regulations, go to Proclamation FF-44-2022

For more information visit the links below.

Website: http://www.ncmarinefisheries.net

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ncdeq

Click here to watch “Tidal Alert”, a new film about how Water Quality impacts Fisheries.