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BASIC INFORMATION:
River sampled:
Cape Fear River
Fisheries Biologists conducting sampling:
Michael Fisk
Justin Dycus
Date of sample:
March 31, 2015
April 1, 2015
Area(s) of river sampled, and water temps:
Lock and Dam 1 (Rock Arch Ramp)
Lock and Dam 2
Lock and Dam 3
Buckhorn Dam
55-56 F
Boat ramp(s) used to access river:
Species (spp) information:
· Spp. captured:
American Shad
Hickory Shad
Striped Bass
· Numbers by spp:
American Shad = 71
Hickory Shad = 2
Striped Bass = 6
· Size range by spp:
Males 14-19 in
Females 18-21 in
Male 12-13 in
Indeterminate: 11-13 in
Male 15-16 in
Females 19
· Max size for spp:
American Shad 21 in, 4.2 lbs
Hickory Shad 13 in, 0.6 lbs
Striped Bass 19 in, 3.5 lbs
· Sex ratio by spp:
Females = 23
Males = 48
Males = 2
Indeterminate = 3
Females = 1
· Were the fish tagged?
Striped Bass were tagged with external anchor tags and internal PIT tags in cooperation with N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries tagging programs.
ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS:
River level and other water quality observations (turbity, etc.):
The river was around 6,000 cfs while sampling at the 3 lock and dams and around 2,200 cfs at Buckhorn. Water temperatures are still in the 50’s.
Weather conditions on sampling date?
Conditions were in the 60’s and 70’s while sampling.
Your observations of other people fishing on the river:
Anglers were catching a lot of American Shad at the Rock Arch Ramp and some success at Lock and Dams 2 and 3.
Comments to anglers about your sampling results, and fishing-related conclusions that can be drawn from your data:
Catch rates were highest at the Rock Arch Ramp again this week. No American Shad have been collected at Buckhorn Dam yet, although we did collect a Striped Bass at the site this week. American Shad fishing is picking up in the lower river. With the forecast of warm weather for the next week fishing should continue to get better.
Cape Fear River Creel Survey Update
Doug Mumford with N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries advised that creel clerks on the Cape Fear River observed anglers frequently catching limits of American shad near Lock and Dam 1 (Rock Arch Ramp). Creel clerks also observed a few American Shad were caught near Lock and Dams 2 and 3 over the last week.
NCWRC Fisheries biologist Justin Dycus holding two American Shad collected near the Rock Arch Ramp on the Cape Fear River on March 31, 2015.