RALEIGH, N.C. (May 12, 2005) — Spring is finally here and with it are longer, warmer days and more opportunities to get outdoors and do some serious — or leisurely — fishing. Fortunately for North Carolina anglers, the state is blessed with a wealth of fishing opportunities and a variety of popular game fishes, from trout and smallmouth bass in cool mountain waters to bluegill and largemouth bass in — well — just about anywhere!

Fisheries Biologist Chad Thomas hefts one of the many trophy-sized striped bass that can be caught in the Roanoke River in late spring every year. Media: A hi-res version of this image may be downloaded here. Please credit the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

With all of the fishing hot spots to choose from, anglers may be wondering, “Where are the best places to go fishing in North Carolina?”

How about right in your own neighborhood? Around the corner? Down the block? That’s right! More people reeled in more bragging-sized fish from their local ponds than any other body of water in North Carolina, according to the number of N.C. Angler Recognition Program (NCARP) certificates issued since 2001.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission issues NCARP certificates to anglers who catch trophy-sized fish that are not large enough to qualify as a state record but are large enough to earn bragging rights.

From a 1-pound bluegill in Dare County to a 7-pound rainbow trout in Swain County, ponds yielded the most catches — 197 certificates issued since 2001— as well as the greatest diversity of fishes caught, including seldom-seen species such as warmouth and chain pickerel.

A well-managed farm pond can be a honey hole for several reasons: the fishing pressure is relatively light; bank-bound anglers enjoy easy access from the shoreline where lunker fish like to lurk among the aquatic vegetation; and of course, innumerable pond locations across the state make it easier for anglers to go fishing more frequently and therefore, enjoy more opportunities to reel in a trophy-sized fish.

As popular as ponds are, they’re certainly not the only places to land big fish. Below is a list of North Carolina’s best places to reel in trophy freshwater fish, along with the species of lunkers lurking in those waters, based on NCARP certificates issued since 2001.

• Roanoke River – 77 certificates issued – hickory shad, American shad, striped bass
• Neuse River – 58 certificates issued – hickory shad, blue catfish, American shad, flathead catfish
• Cape Fear – 33 certificates issued – American shad, flathead catfish
• Kerr Lake – 32 certificates issued – striped bass
• Tar River – 32 certificates issued – American shad, hickory shad
• Lake Gaston – 31 certificates issued – striped bass, walleye
• New River – 26 certificates issued – smallmouth bass
• Jordan Lake – 24 certificates issued – crappie
• Falls Lake – 22 certificates issued – largemouth bass, crappie

NCARP data underscore an old fishing axiom: Where you fish largely depends on what you want to catch and vice-versa. For example, shad-fishing enthusiasts know the Roanoke River in the spring is one of the best places to reel in hickory shad in North Carolina, if not the entire East Coast. Likewise, trout anglers have the most luck fishing cold mountain streams and rivers, such as the Ocanaluftee and Raven Fork rivers in Swain County, Nantahala River in Macon County and the Tuckaseegee River in Jackson County.

On the other hand, largemouth lovers needn’t travel far to find their favorite fish. Largemouth bass flourish in almost every body of water in North Carolina and earned the most NCARP certificates for anglers, 235. Trailing in second was rainbow trout with 119 issued certificates, followed closely by striped bass with 107 issued certificates. Rounding out NCARP’s five most frequently caught trophy freshwater fishes were: bluegill, 90, and hickory shad, 88.

The Wildlife Commission awards NCARP certificates for 33 species of freshwater game fish in North Carolina, ranging from bluegill to longnose gar. Anglers can report either weights or lengths of fish to qualify.

For anglers catching six trophy-sized fish of the same species or six different species of trophy-sized fish, the Wildlife Commission awards a “Master Angler” certificate accompanied by a complementary patch. NCARP application forms are available at bait and tackle shops, sporting goods stores and at more than 1,100 wildlife cooperator agents located across the state.

“The Wildlife Commission issues NCARP certificates to recognize anglers who catch trophy-sized freshwater fishes while the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries also has an angler recognition program for trophy saltwater fish,” said Kent Nelson, fisheries program manager of the Wildlife Commission’s Division of Inland Fisheries. “While fishing is rewarding in itself, the NCARP program provides a record to freshwater anglers to help them commemorate their catches of trophy-sized fish and helps them preserve the memory of the experience.”

NCARP application forms are available at most bait and tackle shops, sporting goods stores, wildlife cooperator agents and on the Wildlife Commission’s Web site. Anglers must pay a $5 fee with each application to cover costs associated with the program.

To find out more about freshwater fishing in North Carolina or NCARP, including minimum qualifying lengths and weights, visit the NCARP page.