Volume 17 Number 3 - March 2010

FEATURES:

	2010 Saltwater Forecast Anglers should have concerns for many popular saltwater species in North Carolina waters. Although fisheries biologists reported that four saltwater fisheries improved their status in 2009, the overview for 2010 — particularly for popular species that anglers pursue — isn’t that bright. ... Craig Holt

	Catting Around the River Wilmington’s Cape Fear offers anglers a shot at trophy blues and flatheads. Apparent at a glance was the fact that few fishermen had taken off work at the last-minute notice of a fair-weather forecast. There were just two vehicles towing boat trailers parked at the Wilmington’s Dram Tree Park ramp. A classic 16-foot ... Mike Marsh

	Deer Dynamics: Casting and Hierarchy As bucks lose their antlers, both sexes reform the bonds that carry them through the spring and summer. The rut has come and gone. Bucks that survived hunting season are dropping their battered racks. Though the whitetails are no longer at war for dominance, the competitiveness still exists — even in the off season. ... Tommy Kirkland

	Mountain Island Blues The trophy catfishing on this sleepy Catawba River lake has been a well-kept secret — until now. Mountain Island Lake is nestled between Lake Norman to the north and Lake Wylie to the south on the Catawba River system. ... Phillip Gentry

	Slabs on Stage March on Tuckertown and Badin means top-drawer, prespawn crappie-fishing action. Crappie fishermen look to the time each spring when the dogwoods bloom as prime time to put spawning slabs in the cooler — and somewhere down the line, into the frying pan. ... Dan Kibler

	Southport’s Spring Slam Bluewater fishermen shout ‘wahoo!’ at prospects for early season action. If the howl of the clicker on a large Penn International reel doesn’t jack your adrenaline, accelerate your heart rate and cause the little hairs on the back of your neck to stand up, this story probably isn’t for you. ... Jerry Dilsaver

	Steam Machine Belews Lake is the Piedmont area’s top spot for cold-weather, ‘hot-water’ bass fishing. From mid-February through mid-March, bass fishing often grinds almost to a halt in North Carolina because of cold weather. ... Craig Holt