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Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ Hybrid Striped Bass
August 22, 2010
What is next for Lake Norman’s depleted striper fishery?
This year’s striped bass kill is finally winding down, but not before 7,000 adult fish were scooped from the surface of Lake Norman. If that’s not enough, a small kill (300) in 2009 and another in 2004 that took the lives of 3,000 fish, has diminished the quality and quantity of the striper fishery. With summer kills coming all too frequently, one has to wonder if it is possible for the species to recover. Maybe not!
One group of Lake Norman anglers suggests that future striper stockings should be supplemented with “hybrid striped bass”. The hybrid, a cross between a white bass and a striped bass, is produced in a hatchery. The cross breeding produces a fish that can withstand much higher water temperatures and lower levels of dissolved oxygen than the striped bass currently being stocked. The hybrid striper, also known as a bodie bass, wiper, sunshine bass or Cherokee bass is hardy. They currently thrive in impoundments throughout the southeast and in mid-western sections of the United States.
The hybrid striped bass has a deep silver body that looks more like a white bass than a striper.
The stripes along the sides and back are usually broken, and a few extend to the tail. Hybrids grow quickly. They can reach a length of eighteen inches and weigh as much as two pounds within twenty-four months. The average hybrid striped bass ranges from a few pounds to five or more pounds. When conditions are favorable, many achieve weights of ten to fifteen pounds.
Like stripers and white bass, hybrids swim in large schools and spend much of their adult lives devouring shad and herring, both plentiful on Lake Norman. Besides being the perfect match for Lake Norman’s harsh summer water conditions, hybrids are excellent fighters. They put up such a fight that many anglers prefer catching them over stripers. In addition, their white meat makes tasty table fare when deep fried and served with hush puppies and fries!
Upcoming Events:
A FREE 90-minute seminar entitled “Learning to Use Your Depth Finder to Catch More Fish” is scheduled for Thursday, August 26, 2010 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Gander Mountain in Mooresville at Exit 36. Lake Norman fishing guide, Capt. Gus Gustafson, and Jake Bussollini, author of “Freshwater Fighters” will lead the discussion. Bring the instruction booklet for your depth finder and any questions you might have. For additional information, call 704 658 0822.
Thursday, September 9, 2010, Light House Marine Services is offering an instructional course on “How to Safely Navigate Lake Norman.” Topics to be discussed will include “Understanding Lake Norman’s Marker and Buoy System,” “Identifying and Learning How to avoid Dangerous Shoals” and “How to Use and Interpret Lake Maps.” Registration fee is $25.00 for the two hour course conducted by Capt. Gus. The class begins at 6:30 p.m. at Gander Mountain, Exit 36 Mooresville, NC. To register, or for more information, call Lt. Scott Spivey – 704 587 0325 or visit www.lmservice.org .
Tips from Capt. Gus:
When spotted bass stop surface feeding over humps and underwater islands, lower a four inch soft plastic worm to the bottom on a drop shot rig. The small worm to a spotted bass is like giving candy to a child. Best colors are pumpkin seed and watermelon.
Hot Spots of the Week:
Night fishing for catfish is good to very good. The area around the dam is also producing nice stringers of blue cats. Most are hitting cut baits suspended to depths of sixty feet. White perch are hitting over humps and along drop-offs in water from twenty-five to fifty feet deep. Spotted bass continue to surface feed at dawn in boat basins and around underwater islands.
The lake level is about 2.5’ below full pond and the water surface temperature is in the high eighties and low nineties.
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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