# Stripers in the Cape Fear River.



## wilm.bob (May 5, 2010)

I have been trying to find information on the stripers that are in the Cape Fear River. What I would like to know is, are these resident fish that live there year around or are they migratory and if they are migratory what stock do they come from, i.e. Chesapeake Bay, or Virginia? Also if they are migratory why don't we hear of them being caught in the surf along Carolina Beach or Ft. Fisher. I understand there was work being done on Lock #1 so that the stripers can migrate further up the river, has anyone seen a report on the progress of that project?

Bob


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

Resident fish and a catch and release only fishery. Most current story from 6 days ago on Lock #1: http://beachcarolina.com/2012/12/05...ucted-draft-plan-released-for-public-comment/


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## Hop (Jun 29, 2009)

The last report I got was the rock arch dam portion of this project is done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=e92MOSi64OU


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

Speckhunter I do not know where you get your insight or direction from but it is wrong brother.Historic and recent recaptures of tagged striped bass suggest that migratory behavior in 
southeastern stocks is displayed by at least some small percentage of larger individuals. Hess et 
al. (1999) reported that movement between the adjacent Savannah and Ogeechee rivers in 
Georgia has occasionally occurred via coastal waters. For example, a striped bass tagged in 
Alligator Creek (a tributary to the Cape Fear River, North Carolina) on February 18, 2004, was 
captured by an angler on May 13, 2005, at the mouth of the Cape Cod Canal in Buzzard’s Bay, 
Massachusetts (Mark Westendorf, Coastal Zone Resources, Wilmington, North Carolina, 
personal communication).


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

They are CFR brood and there have been some caught over the years in the surf Mike the owner of KBP caught one 2 winters ago on a sand flea while mullet fishing in late Nov. That fish was in the neighborhood of 32 in. and released. Their migration would most likely occur at the same time the shad are running the shelf south to points offshore of there natal rivers. I've also heard of some being caught by the commercial guys king mackeral fishing off Frying Pan Shoals in the winter, this suggests we do have migratory fish. One way to find out would be to fish the point at BHI Jan-Feb. as they move into there spawning river.


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

Sorry didn't completely answer your question, yes most are residents. Some may disagree with my previous posts, so oh well.


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## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

Seems that there are several caught around the jetties at wrightsville every other year or so as well. Divers a few years ago reported a school off the north jetty at wrightsville beach....That being said. (And agree with Justin somewhat)...

Cape Fear Stripers could be kept up to a few years ago and we had the only three fish limit left in the state...Can't keep any now in the river. Biologists have told me that the real big ones are a true Cape Fear River strain of fish that migrate back to spawn however the lock and dams severly limited spawning. Efforts are in place now to repair the stock with stocking of fish and and most fish now caught are of the smaller variety. 

I think the fishery is slowly returning as more and more people can be found, typically trolling, for stripers.

I've been told by a few "old timers" that Snows Cut was once a good place to fish back in the day for them too. Every once in a while there is a nice one caught in there.

Here's an article I found.


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## KB Spot Chaser (Nov 19, 2009)

Spawning and hatching are two different parts of reproduction. I keep hearing everyone talk about spawning this spawning that, doesn't mean carp w/o the other.


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## wilm.bob (May 5, 2010)

Thanks for all the info. and articles. I did some checking on theNCDMF site and they had some ino. also. If I read the info correctly I shouldn't be sitting here on my computer, I should be at Snow's Cut fishing.

Thanks 
Bob


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## Carolina Rebel (Aug 25, 2005)

Slightly off topic, as such I apologize, but our local coastal striper populations have always interested me. A man I used to work for in Jacksonville, NC claimed he got into stripers in the New River inlet at Topsail a few years back, would have been late December/early January. Searching online, I've found next to nothing about New River stripers, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. Anyone else encountered stripers on either side of Topsail?


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

Yes, there are stripers around Topsail, New River and the White Oak. Small numbers but numbers. Allen Jernigan Breadman Ventures caught some a month or so ago.


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## speckhunter80 (Oct 3, 2011)

KB Spot Chaser said:


> Sorry didn't completely answer your question, yes most are residents. Some may disagree with my previous posts, so oh well.


So which is it a primarily resident population which is what I said or not. Now saying it is primarily resident does not eliminate the possibility of migratory fishes mingling with the resident population. BTW, if it wasn't primarily resident population then why is it managed as such with a catch and release fishery only.


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