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The increase in water temperature is generally what triggers the fish to begin spawning, or laying and fertilizing the eggs they have carried from the Atlantic Ocean up to Weldon and even as far as the Roanoke Rapids Dam said local Striper Guide Mike Shearin. One of Shearin’s customers caught one of the largest female stripers of the season just north of the Weldon boat landing.
Shearin, whose family owns one of the small fishing cabins on the river, just south of the Weldon River Falls Park, has seen and heard large groups of the fish spawning in the bend of the river the cabin overlooks.
“Concurrent with the initiating of spawning has been a marked increase in the number of female striped bass being harvested by anglers,” Nelson said. “Extending the season this year would not be consistent with our management approach of focusing harvest during the pre-spawn and not during spawning.”
Nelson said another factor in the commission’s decision not to extend the season is also temperature related. He said “handling stress” increases as the water temperature reaches 70 degrees and many more fish hooked and subsequently released would not survive. The surge of air temperatures during the final two weeks of the season has been dramatic with highs reaching well into the 90’s some days.
Water temperatures in Roanoke Rapids Lake and even Lake Gaston have already been reported in the mid 70’s, so river water temperatures in the low 70’s could be seen any day. “Ending the harvest season as scheduled will reduce the magnitude of release mortality as fishing activity declines on the river,” Nelson said.
While the official striped bass season ends at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, people can continue to catch fish on the river, but they cannot keep any of the fish they catch. All fish must be released and all rules that apply during the two-month long fishing season apply until June 30, according to the 2009 NCWRC hunting and fishing regulations.
Of course the limits on length no longer apply since no fish can be kept after April 30, all other river restrictions continue until June 30. Anglers are required to use a single barbless hook or a lure with a single barbless hook when fishing in the upper Roanoke River from April 1 through June 30. The upper Roanoke River is defined as the main river channel and all tributaries, upstream from the U.S. Highway 258 Bridge, near Scotland Neck, to Roanoke Rapids Lake Dam.
Anglers can make hooks barbless by crimping down the barb on normal fish hooks. Striped bass anglers are encouraged to use small, non-offset circle hooks, the NCWRC rules and regulations book said, preferably ones with the least amount of distance between the hook point and shank.
Studies have shown that striped bass caught on small, barbless circle hooks are usually hooked in the jaw, which means they have a much greater chance of survival after being released than fish hooked in the throat or gut and representatives from the NCWRC encourage anglers to reduce stress on fish that are caught, as much as possible.
Some of the NCWRC suggestions to help minimize stress on fish that are caught and released include minimizing handling and try to keep the fish in the water while removing the hook. Use de-hookers whenever possible to help remove hooks quickly and cut the line if the hook cannot be removed easily. If necessary, the guide suggests using a landing net made of rubber or knotless nylon and to use circle hooks when fishing with live or cut bait.
While no official numbers from the 2009 striped bass season have been announced by the NCWRC yet, most area guides say this season has been one of the best in the past few years.
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