[jmpurser]

I confess I'm more than a little dubious about stocking programs, especially when it's to support "put and take" fishing. My view is the risks outweigh the rewards and if you have to keep restocking then you're not managing the resource well.

So that's my bias.

I came across this article on facebook today. It is about the effects of stocking striped bass on the Tar River population.

http://www.reflector.com/News/2017/05/21/A-YEAR-ON-THE-TAR-Can-a-river-change-its-stripes.html

 

[basswrangler]

I was reading the same article today. Very thought provoking.


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[Mechanic Bob]

Makes some good sense. Feeding them pellets, in clean environment, and then expect them to thrive in the wild. HMMM, aren't we doing the same?
Very thought provoking indeed.

 

[jmpurser]

Actually the problem is they survive TOO well in the wild. Since they're released larger than the bass from natural spawning they crowd them out. Then people come in and catch them all before they get big enough to migrate or become really successful spawners. Which is, I admit, the opposite of what I thought it would be as well.

Or so I get from the article.

 

[Mack in N.C.]

Historically Stripers from the Cape Fear to the St. Johns NEVER entered full salt water. North of the Cape Fear they did. Just because they never venture into full salt water isnt really a problem. the problem probably has a lot to do with nets...

 

[Greenmonster]

Just a thought here - is it possible that these fish are "juveniles" in a relative sense that are too young to be ocean going? Is it possible that these stocked fish simply haven't hit the age where they will begin those journeys? I have no idea, but if that is a possibility, then you could argue that the stocking program is working, it's just not hit maturity.

Complain all you want, you guys are awash in striper, local, hatched, or native. The cape fear has some, but it's NOTHING like what you guys have. We hunt 'em and occassionally find them (and can't eat 'em!). You guys complain because they get in the way of your trout fishing!

And yes, I AM jealous! I miss those crazy fish!

 

[jmpurser]

Yes, that's what the article talked about. The stocked fish are larger than the young of the native fish so they out compete the natives. Then we catch all the fish before they get old enough to migrate. These juvenile fish do some spawning and we dump another load of stockers on top of their young. Cycle repeats.

 

[basswrangler]

If generational fish are surviving, they will go to the ocean if it is advantageous for their survival.

On another note I have an acquaintance who does phd work on native brook trout up in VA/PA and she has found a lot of evidence that brook trout pick up feeding habits very quickly (like minutes) from trout already subjected to a new environment. Does this mean much for stripers? Eh I don't know but it might only take a few generations of fish to learn the best means of using geography to their reproductive advantage.

Couldn't tell you if nets are the issue with the tar/neuse/cape fear fisheries we are discussing here, but that's data I don't see us getting anytime soon as it is.


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[todobien]

Love or hate the NCwaterman.com site but there has been a good bit of discussion on there about this and what seems to amount to using Recreational fishing license and other rec related money to produce fish of which many are being sold for pennies on the dollar by commercial fishermen and others die after being thrown back from spending hours in nets when out of season or too small. Here is a link to that thread - https://www.ncwaterman.com/forum/fo...a-striped-bass-a-put-and-too-manytake-fishery

 

[jmpurser]

Thanks Todobien. I hadn't even thought about that side of things.

 

[philjam]

Have many thoughts on this but not enough time to express them here ..... am very busy processing stripers for the smoker.