North Carolina has some strange laws, such as not plowing a cotton field with an elephant. And did you know you can’t legally attach anything to a pool table in Mooresville?The enforcement of such laws isn’t a worry most of the time. The major amusement is in trying to figure out what incidents caused the creation of such odd legislation in the first place.
But today, some laws are enforced — and some unwritten laws aren’t followed — that have caused real trouble for real people.
Three king mackerel anglers from Florida must have thought they’d stumbled into the Twilight Zone in Wilmington during October 2007 when they were stopped by a Motor Carriers Enforcement Unit of the N.C. Highway Patrol, had to spend six hours on the side of the road and finally paid about $2,000 for not having proper boat-towing licenses and flags.
A month or so earlier, several red drum tournament anglers, competing at an Oh Boy! Oberto tournament at Morehead City, said they had boats approach and people set gill nets within 5 feet of where the anglers were fishing for a national title.
What do these two events have in common? Obviously, they’re upsetting and may discourage anglers and tournaments from visiting North Carolina. We’ve already heard the Oh Boy! Oberto organizers, who conduct red drum competitions from the Gulf Coast to North Carolina, won’t return to this state.
The king mackerel anglers drove from Jupiter, Fla., to Morehead City, hauling a big king mackerel boat, and weren’t stopped. Only after they were returning home were they pulled to the side of the road by the NCHP. The boat owner also said only after he told one of the officers they’d won money that trouble began because the officer allegedly said now they were towing a commercial vehicle and needed more tags and licenses. We have no way to confirm these statements, but the angler paid nearly $2,000.
It seems strange towing laws for big boats weren’t stringently enforced in the past. It also seems odd no one in authority has ordered netters to not encroach within 100 yards of recreational anglers, especially during tournaments. Moreover, in both instances, it appears common courtesy and foresight were lacking.
We’re talking about the potential loss of thousands of dollars for coastal businesses, not to mention state tax revenue. The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries has said anglers bought 460,000 coastal recreational fishing licenses in 2007 at a cost of $5.7 million. It’s interesting to note the most CRFLs (23,115) were bought by Wake County residents, which is not at the coast. That means most of those anglers must pay for gasoline, food, lodging and perhaps guide and charter fees when they drive east to fish in salt water. Many of them also own large boats that must be towed.
No one wants to be endangered on the road by large boats pulled by unqualified drivers, but we don’t recall a rash of accidents involving such boats. Most boat owners are extremely careful drivers because boats and equipment are expensive.
Maybe tournaments now will inform anglers, especially visitors, of towing laws, and netters perhaps will be more courteous.
A little common sense and courtesy would be good starts to a better 2008 for anglers and our economy — and not at all strange.
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