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Affect of Inland Speck Trout Population and Inland Net Restriction

2K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Mumbo_Pungo 
#1 ·
Just wondering if there is any fact based research on the CSMA striped bass closure that included inland netting restriction upstream of the ferry lines on the Neuse and Pamlico and the size of speckled trout caught in those areas. My experience is that I have caught fewer but larger fish inland, more fish but mostly spikes in the Bay River. Nets are prevalent in the Bay River and surrounding creeks.
 
#2 ·
No fact based research but I think common sense tells us all that when you don't kill thousands upon thousands of adult specks 2 lbs and up in gill nets that there will be a lot more of them in the water to catch. Down in my neck of the woods around Swansboro and Jacksonville, we got off to a tremendous trout season. By December, the netters had cleared them out pretty well although you could still find a pocket or two of decent fish when the weather warmed for a couple days. Anecdotal evidence, and it doesn't prove anything, but one of our best known guides down here who knows the New River area like the back of his hand was taking his clients north to fish the Neuse below New Bern where gill nets aren't allowed. We had a great year on specks in 2019 due to several mild winters in a row plus pressure was way down in 2018, both rec and commercial, due to Hurricane Florence. Let's hope that we have an equally good year in 2020 and that we didn't hammer that population too hard. But when I look at the fishing in the Neuse this year where there were no gill nets compared to other areas where netting was allowed, it's a no-brainer to me that we have to end that antiquated and destructive practice. North Carolina is about the only state that still allows it.
 
#3 ·
It's definitely doesn't hurt. The gill nets usually remove the bigger trout. I've heard lots of complaints of heavy netting pressure in areas where they are allowed this past fall/winter. People say they have wiped out whole creeks. With this warm winter we just had that makes 3 mild winters in a row with no big freezes. Trout fishing should be awesome inshore this coming up fall. I'm guessing a 20 inch fish will be normal in my area.
 
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