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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ Annual Striper Stocking
June 14, 2009
Aren’t stripers saltwater fish?
This question is often posed by anglers new to the sport of fishing for landlocked striped bass. Stripers are, in fact, saltwater fish that thrive when confined or stocked in freshwater lakes. Since stripers can grow to mammoth proportions, they provide an exciting fishery throughout the southeast.
Lake Norman's striped bass come from brood fish taken from the Roanoke River during the spring spawning run. The adult fish swim upriver from the ocean to within sight of the I-95 Bridge that crosses the river above Weldon, NC. Each year, approximately thirty fish are taken to the Watha State Fish Hatchery in Pender County where they spawn under the watchful eye of NCWRC biologists. As the striper fry hatch, they are placed in holding ponds for a period of five to six weeks. When they attain a length of two inches or more, they are transported via tank trucks to eighteen reservoirs and two coastal rivers.
Lake Norman's annual allocation is approximately 162,500 stripers. This year’s stocking took place on June 2, 2009 at the Stumpy Creek Access Area and the boat ramp adjacent to the Lake Norman Motel at Mountain Creek. The striper fingerlings were healthy and appeared to become well acclimated to their new environment.
Stripers grow quickly. Many attain a length of sixteen inches and weigh a couple pounds by the time they are two years old. A two-pound striper can put up a memorable fight on light tackle, which makes it the “king of fish” in most southern impoundments. Twenty and thirty pound stripers have been taken from Lake Norman in years past, but most weigh four to six pounds. The average LKN striper measures twenty to twenty-five inches and is not only fun to catch, but provides excellent table fare.
It has been determined that most stripers become stressed and die if caught and released when water temperatures exceed seventy-five degrees. Therefore, there is no minimum size limit on striped bass from June 1st until September 30th. The creel limit of four per angler per day remains the same, year round. The current regulation allows fishermen to keep and eat smaller stripers that were previously fodder for catfish and ospreys. Summer striper anglers are urged to keep the first four stripers of any size, and then fish for another species.
Upcoming events:
Free Seminar - ”Bank and Dock Fishing for Sunfish, White Perch, Catfish and Bass” will be discussed at Gander Mountain, Exit 36 on Thursday, June 25, 2009 from 6:30 p.m.– 8:00 p.m. Bring the family (kids) to this free fishing event. I will discuss everything from fishing with a cane pole, hook and bobber, to using the best baits and finding places to fish. Contact 704-658-0822 for additional information.
Tips from Gus!
White perch, cousins to striped bass, are fun and easy to catch. They swim in large schools and are easy to locate with a fish finder, or simply by drifting until they begin to bite. During the day, they settle at depths to thirty-five feet over humps, points and brush piles. At night, they migrate to the shallows near lighted docks and piers, and can be caught on worms, threadfin shad and small minnows. Because of their aggressive nature, they will attack artificial lures. Small spoons, crappie jigs and spinners produce numerous strikes.
Hot Spots of the week are the deeper sections of major creeks where stripers are surface feeding in relatively large schools. Bass fishing has been good to excellent, and catches of white perch have been outstanding. The water temperature is in the low to mid eighties. Air temperature becomes very hot by ten o'clock in the morning, so fish early. The lake level is near full pond and the water temperature is in the eighties.
Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is licensed by the US Coast Guard, a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association, and is an outdoor columnist and a full time professional fishing guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his web site, Fishin' With Gus! at www.FishingWithGus.com or call 704.617.6812.
For additional information e-mail Gus at Gus@LakeNorman.com
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