RWL I miss those days too. Problem is today once that happens it would be posted on here. If there is any surface activity there’s 20 boats on it throwing nets.Lord knows if schools showed up like they used too somebody would start a gun fight.
20 to 30 years ago there was a good population of jack’s in and around Charleston harbor and the Wando river. I don’t believe they were overfished. I think over building, golf courses, weed killer, pesticides, and run off has really taking a toll on all our fish?
It is all about bait I think. There is nowhere near the menhaden population now, or in the last 10-15 years, that there was back then and I am talking BIG menhaden. Probably has a lot to do with the trawlers off NC catching all of the menhaden for the industry. I am not really sure. I know they use or used to use menhaden in everything from fertilizer, live stock feed, FISH MEAL FOR SHRIMP BAITING, and of course we have to have that menhaden oil for king fishing. I wonder if it is a coincidence that shrimp baiting and king fishing started getting very popular in the 80’s and carried on into the 90’s which times up well for when the menhaden fishery off NC was at a peak? I don’t really know the answer and not really mad at anyone for it. It is just a cycle of human nature. We just have to learn from it.
Manchester United boss in US clash with Greenpeace
Paul Brown, environment correspondent
Sunday 24 July 2005 20.05 EDT
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Stocks of a small, herring-like fish that provide omega-3 essential fatty acids for supplements taken by millions of people could be endangered because of the western world’s obsession with health foods, conservationists warn.
At risk is the future of the menhaden fish, which breeds in Chesapeake Bay and lives along America’s eastern seaboard. Vast shoals are being vacuumed up at a time, threatening the ecosystem, it is claimed.
The issue has set Greenpeace against the American billionaire and new owner of Manchester United, Malcolm Glazer. His family owns and runs Omega Protein Corp, which fishes the bay. Mr Glazer’s son Avram is chairman of Omega and a director of Manchester United.
On Saturday, Greenpeace staged a protest outside one of Omega’s plants in Chesapeake Bay demanding a moratorium for the entire fishery, and an end to the company taking menhaden out of the bay - claiming its 66 vessels and 30 spotter planes are threatening the entire stock.
Greenpeace is not alone in its battle with the company. Sports fishermen along the coast claim that striped bass - their main target - are starving because its principal food, menhaden, is fast disappearing. The menhaden is valued for other reasons, primarily because it filters sea water for its food, cleaning up the pollution in the creeks and inshore bay areas.
The demonstration was the latest round in a struggle to convince US Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to control catches until the true stock position of this valuable fish can be properly assessed by scientists.
A series of 12 hearings is being held along the coast to gauge public opinion before August 1, after which a decision will be taken. The commission rejected a proposal by Omega, which takes 90% of the entire east coast catch,
Well there ya go!
I caught one three years ago in front of Folly just messing around trolling with a Z man minnow. Mine wasn’t but about 1 pound though but he put up a fight.
Carolina Skiff 218 DLV
140 Suzuki
WOW. I thought I was the only one that remembered those days. Had a 33 pounder hanging in Billy Brightwell’s (rip) walk-in cooler waiting on DNR to verify weight, another, bigger fish came in before DNR got there! Use to chase them all over the harbor, schools of 1000 20 - 30# Jacks, awesome sight. Congrats on finding one Capt., a rare sight these days. 
Salt Shaka’