North Carolina

North Carolina anglers go swordfishing, instead catch rare species: ‘Prehistoric, almost’

Published

1 year ago

June 27, 2023

North Carolina anglers go swordfishing, instead catch rare species: ‘Prehistoric, almost’

A group of anglers in North Carolina spent an afternoon on the water hoping to catch a swordfish — but wound up reeling in something rare.

On April 21, Jeremiah Elliott, 31, owner of Geronimo Tackle, was joined by Zachary Elliott, his brother, and his fishing buddies, Chandler Butler and Trevor Burns, on his 30-foot regulator center console 60 miles out from the shores of Morehead, North Carolina, Jeremiah Elliott told Fox News Digital.

The Greenville resident took up fishing four years ago with the help of Butler, whom Elliot said has been an avid angler for nearly seven years.

Elliott and the rest of the group were hoping to catch a swordfish out on the water that day, he said.

They headed 60 miles out from the shore, which is quite far out for an average fishing trip, Elliott said.

“We were dropping squid about 2,000 feet down, and we didn’t realize we had a fish on [the line],” he recalled.

Jeremiah Elliott, 31, owner of Geronimo Tackle, was joined by Zachary Elliott, his brother, and his fishing buddies, Chandler Butler and Trevor Burns — Jeremiah Elliott, 31, was joined by Zachary Elliott, his brother, and his fishing buddies, Chandler Butler and Trevor Burns, on his 30-foot regulator center console 60 miles out from the shores of Morehead, North Carolina.

When fishing for swordfish, a fisherman will put a 12-pound weight on the line in order to keep the bait close to the bottom of the ocean floor, according to Elliot.

“When you bring a fish up from that depth, a lot of times their stomachs expand, and they float,” he said.

“We didn’t even know there was anything on [the line] until it came to the top,” he added.

Elliott said he and his fellow anglers were unable to identify the species of fish at first.

“We had never caught one before. [We had] only seen pictures of it,” Elliott said.

“It’s a weird looking fish,” he added. “It’s like prehistoric, almost.”

Elliot and his fellow fisherman caught a Bigscale Pomfret (Taractichthys Longipinnis) that weighed 26 pounds and 11.4 ounces.

They pulled in the deep-water catch and made the 2½-hour boat ride back to Morehead.

As the North Carolina anglers approached the shore, their cell service kicked in — and they immediately started looking into the unique looking fish they’d caught.

Elliott discovered he had caught a bigscale pomfret (Taractichthys longipinnis).

The bigscale pomfret can be found deep in the Atlantic Ocean and is the largest species in the pomfret family, according to the fact-checked online encyclopedia, Britannica.com.

The fish can reach a length of 35 inches, the site also states.

“It’s very rare to catch them in North Carolina. People catch them in Florida,” Elliot claimed.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries reported that Elliott set the official record in North Carolina for the bigscale pomfret, as no previous records for that species exist in the state, according to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality government website.

The current International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world record for the bigscale promfret is “listed at 20-pound 10-ounces caught in Florida in 2004,” the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries reported.

Elliot had a feeling that he “significantly” broke the current record, he noted.

Elliott and his fellow anglers took the bigscale pomfret to the nearest weigh station, where the fish measured 26 pounds and 11.4 ounces.

The weight is noted in the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ state record media release.

Elliott is currently working with the IGFA for the official world record title, he said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the IGFA and the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries for comments on the current status of the record and further information about the bigscale pomfret species.

After the fish had been in the cooler for a few days following the state’s approval, Elliott and his friends treated themselves to a victory meal, with the record-breaking bigscale pomfret as the main course, Elliott said.

Elliott said he and his friends enjoy fishing nearly every weekend and even do “commercial fishing in the fall for giant bluefin tuna.”

“Our lives are pretty much all for fishing here in North Carolina, outside of day-to-day work,” he added.

In comparison to only a few mahi-mahi that they caught earlier that day, the bigscale pomfret was the highlight of the fishing trip, Elliot noted.

Source link

Related Topics:Featured fish fishing lifestyle north carolina

Click to comment

North Carolina

USC Trojans Predicted to Flip Recruits from Utah, North Carolina Before Signing Day

Published

4 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

USC Trojans Predicted to Flip Recruits from Utah, North Carolina Before Signing Day

The USC Trojans are in pursuit of flipping two class of 2025 recruits, Nela Tupou and Alex Payne. Can the Trojans flip one or both of these players before national signing day?

Nela Tupou Player Profile

USC Trojans Projected to Flip, Nela Tupou / @lul_nelaa on Instagram

Nela Tupou is a 6-4, 220 pound tight end/defensive end out of Folsom, California. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the 43rd-best ATH in the class of 2025 per 247Sports.

Tupou committed to the Utah Utes in February of 2024, but he just recently visited USC last weekend for the Trojans’ 28-20 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

On3 is now predicting that Tupou will likely flip this commitment from Utah to USC.

Alex Payne Player Profile

USC Trojans Projected to Flip, Alex Payne / @usc.today on Instagram

Alex Payne is a 6-5, 265 pound offensive tackle out of Gainesville, Florida. He is rated as four-star recruit and ranked as the 16th-best offensive tackle in the class of 2025.

Payne committed to the North Carolina Tar Heels in January of 2024, but he as well as Tupou, visited USC last weekend.

In 247Sports recruiting analyst Tom Loy’s updated crystal ball prediction, he had Payne flipping his commitment from North Carolina to USC. Loy has a good track record of predicting where recruits will end up as his all-time hit rate for predicting recruits’ final destinations is 81.64 percent.

USC Bolstering Up Offensive Line to Go Along With Weapons

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Quinten Joyner (0) runs the ball against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

One of the glaring holes for the USC Trojans this season has been the offensive line. For USC to bounce back next season, they will have to get much better in the trenches. This has been exposed in their first season in the Big Ten. Landing Tupou, who can both be a factor in the run blocking scheme as a blocker, and Payne, one of the top tackle prospects in the country, would go a long way for next season and the future of the program.

Barring a flurry of transfer portal decisions, the Trojans will have an abundance of skill position talent coming back next season.

Freshman running back Quinten Joyner has been the second best back this season behind senior running back Woody marks.

Four of the Trojans five leading receivers are sophomores. Makai Lemon, Zachariah Branch, Ja’Kobi Lane, and Duce Robinson all have shown flashes of potentially being a number one wide receiver next season.

Add in the Trojans starting sophomore quarterback Jayden Maiava and they have one of the youngest teams in the Big Ten. If USC continues to address the offensive line in the last days of the 2025 recruiting cycle and in the transfer portal this offseason, the Trojans could be a dangerous team next season.

MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Five-Star QB Husan Longstreet Talks Recruitment, Flip to USC Trojans

MORE: Minnesota Vikings’ Jordan Addison Injury Update After Increased Role Vs. Tennessee Titans

MORE: Did NIL Factor Into Julian Lewis Decommit From USC Trojans? Colorado Buffaloes Loom

MORE: USC Trojans Schedule Release: Notre Dame Kickoff Time, TV Broadcast

MORE: USC Trojans Quarterback Miller Moss’ Potential NIL Value as Transfer

MORE: USC Trojans’ Bear Alexander Visiting Georgia Bulldogs: Transfer Portal?

MORE: Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams Reveals Advice from USC Trojans Coach Lincoln Riley

MORE: USC Trojans’ Lincoln Riley on De-Commitments: ‘Great Ones Always See The Opportunity’

MORE: Why 4-Star Hayden Lowe Flipped From USC Trojans To Miami Hurricanes, Mario Cristobal

MORE: USC Trojans Women’s Basketball Star JuJu Watkins Makes Name, Image, Likeness History

Source link

North Carolina

School closings, delays in Western North Carolina, Friday, Nov. 22

Published

13 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

School closings, delays in Western North Carolina, Friday, Nov. 22

Some school systems in Western North Carolina are closed Friday, Nov. 21, due to winter weather.

Avery County Schools: Closed, remote learning day.
Graham County Schools: Closed, workday for staff.
Madison County Schools: Closed, optional teacher workday.
Mitchell County Schools: Closed, remote learning day.
Watauga County Schools: Two-hour delay.
Yancey County Schools: Closed, remote learning day.

This story will be updated

Source link

North Carolina

North Carolina has some of the highest STD rates nationwide, report says

Published

22 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

North Carolina has some of the highest STD rates nationwide, report says

NORTH CAROLINA (WBTV) – North Carolina has some of the highest STD rates nationwide, according to a new study by the U.S. News & World Report.

The report analyzed the highest combined rates of three major sexually transmitted infections: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis.

As far as the 10 states with the highest STD rates, N.C. ranked No. 7.

The data

According to the report, the state’s total STD rate is 911.5 per 100,000. That has actually decreased by -0.3% since 2022.

Rates for the three major STDs are:

Chlamydia: 607.9 per 100,000
Gonorrhea: 243.2 per 100,000
Syphilis (cumulative): 60.4 per 100,000

South Carolina

South Carolina also has some of the highest STD rates in America, according to the report.

Ranked at No. 8 for the 10 states with the highest STD rates, the state’s total STD rate is 882.8 per 100,000. That has decreased by 10.9% since 2022.

Rates for the three major STDs are: