Saltwater Sportsman series coming to N.C.

By Mike Marsh
Published in Sports on January 9, 2009 1:46 PM

• Print
• Email

George Poveromo will once again be bringing the Saltwater Sportsman Seminar Series to the southeastern North Carolina coast. The event is scheduled for Jan. 31 in Wilmington at the Hilton Riverside on North Water Street.

Poveromo serves as host for his own show -- World of Saltwater Fishing on ESPN2 and is Editor-at-Large for Saltwater Sportsman Magazine. He recently was invited to fish at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as a guest of the U.S. Navy, which should make quiet an icebreaker story for the seminar.

Poveromo caught snook and several other species including some Caribbean snapper species at Gitmo. I was born at the U.S. Navy Base and unfortunately will never be able to visit my birthplace. But thanks to him, I may be able to experience vicariously the fishing my father participated in the Navy way back then.

Several local captains will be joining Poveromo on stage:

* Capt. Jot Owens will be teaching his techniques for catching cobia, Spanish and king mackerel, grouper and snapper, tarpon and striped bass. Owens recently caught and released a 31.5-pound striper from the Cape Fear River.

* Capt. Kenneth Mullen will teach center console fishing tactics for offshore pelagic fish and bottomfish.

* Capt. Jimmy Price will regale those in attendance with his often comedic flounder fishing and speckled trout fishing exploits.

* Capt. Jeff Cronk of Swansboro will cover his tactics for specks, reds and flounder. He said the red drum fishing in his area is on fire at this moment due to the clear waters of winter.

* Capt. Chris Gill from North Myrtle Beach specializes in fishing for reds, specks and flounder in the creeks and inlets as well as the nearshore structure.

* Capt. Harry Vernon of Miami (Fla.) is a nationally recognized authority on offshore trolling, live bait fishing and bottomfishing; and will bring some new insights to this area.

The key to the Seminar Series' 22 years of success is its lively and entertaining style. Three professional anglers are on stage at the same time being grilled for their secrets by Poveromo or his co-host before an audience that always fills its venue to maximum capacity.

This year, I will be co-hosting and I have already fished with the local guides featured. I've seen their secrets work firsthand and that should help turn today's cutting edge tactics into tomorrow's successful fishing trip.

Topics will include tips and tactics for puppy and adult red drum, tackling bluefin tuna, chumming, live-bait, dead-bait and lure fishing for king mackerel; finding and catching trophy flounder from coastal rivers, sounds and the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), as well as inlets and nearshore hotspots, bridge fishing for sheepshead and catching monster specks that are biting right now. Other species covered will include Amberjack, grouper, shark, yellowfin tuna, dolphin, wahoo, tarpon and Spanish mackerel.

"We've probably got one of the strongest Seminar Series Faculty ever assembled for our North Carolina Seminar," said Poveromo. "We have a diversified lineup of talent to help us cover inshore, nearshore and offshore waters. The amount of cutting-edge information on rigs, tactics for catching more and bigger fish in the local waters near Wilmington will be astounding."

Tickets cost $55 and include many giveaways and fishing goodies. Ticket orders may be placed by calling 1-800-448-7360 or visiting www.nationalseminarseries.com.