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FLW Fall Tournament On Lake Wylie

LAKE WYLIE, S.C. — Boater Eric Weir of Belmont, N.C., earned $4,966 Sunday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division Super Tournament event on Lake Wylie. The tournament earned Weir 300 points in the Boater Division.

Weir’s winning catch of 10 bass weighed 30 pounds, 12 ounces. Weir threw a tandem gold-blade chartreuse spinnerbait around mid-lake points to catch his bass. Weir earned an additional $1,000 as winner of the Ranger Cup award.

Rounding out the top-five pros are Tom Russell of Charlotte, N.C. (10 bass, 25 pounds, 2 ounces, $2,424); Todd Auten of Lake Wylie (nine bass, 23 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,182); Scott Hamrick of Denver, N.C. (10 bass, 23 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,064); and Cliff Kirby of Catawba, N.C. (10 bass, 23 pounds, 1 ounce, $946).

Jerry Lucas of Raleigh, N.C., earned $840 as the big-bass award winner in the Boater Division with a 4-pound, 11-ounce bass he caught on a Carolina-rigged worm.

John Strempke of Monroe, N.C., earned $2,476 as the co-angler winner, thanks to eight bass weighing 14 pounds that he caught on a Pop-R. Strempke earned an additional $410 as winner of the big-bass award in the Co-angler Division, thanks to a 4-pound, 7-ounce bass.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Gordon Smith of Lake Wylie (four bass, 10 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,209); Randy Weddington of China Grove, N.C. (five bass, 10 pounds, 5 ounces, $590); Bryan Moeller of Columbia, S.C. (four bass, 9 pounds, 15 ounces, $531); and Carl Williams Sr. of Gastonia, N.C. (four bass, 9 pounds, 12 ounces, $472).

Following the regular season, the North Carolina Division boater with the most points will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion. The co-angler amassing the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion in the Co-angler Division.

The top 40 North Carolina Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Clarks Hill Regional near Augusta, Ga., Oct. 11-15 where they will compete against Choo Choo, Dixie, and Shenandoah division anglers for one of six slots in the 2006 All-American. With a total purse of $1 million and a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing.

Read the full article at FLW Outdoors

Badin Lake - A Great Place To Fish In NC

The Badin Lake Reservoir area is a recreation hot spot for fishermen and women, boaters, swimmers, and hikers. Anglers enjoy the diversity of fish species in the Badin Reservoir. There are several boat ramps in the area that are free for launching.

Access: From Troy, NC take NC 109 North of Uwharrie for 10 miles. Turn left at the Badin Reservoir sign and go 0.25 mile. Take Forest Road 576 West (gravel) for 3 miles. Follow signs to Badin Reservoir and Cove Boat Ramp and Picnic Area.

Camping: There is a 37 site campground that borders Badin Reservoir. This campground is open all year and is offered at a fee per site/ per night. There is potable water for drinking and pit restrooms. The camp sites are suitable for tents or trailer camping.

Primitive camping is allowed on forest service lands throughout the Cliffside area except where ?no camping? signs are posted.

Comments: The Kings Mountain Point area is favored by anglers as a hot spot for fishing. This area is used not only by anglers but by hikers as well. There is a 5.6 mile trail that is considered as ?easy? in difficulty and gets medium to heavy use.

For more information: Contact the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission at http://www.ncwildlife.org/fs_index_03_fishing.htm for more information on local fishing regulations and license requirements. Trail and topographic maps are available from:

Uwharie Ranger District
789 Hwy 24/27 East
Troy, NC 27371-9332

Badin Reservoir

The Badin Reservoir is managed under the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for Warmwater Game Fish. The usual regulations apply (see ?for more information? section) except for black bass species and Crappie.

Species Present: Largemouth bass, striped bass, Sunfish, catfish and Crappie.

Seasons: The North Carolina Wildlife Resources commission regulates size and creel. The basic regulations apply to species in Badin Reservoir with the exception of Black bass and Crappie. The minimum size for Black bass species is 14 inches and the creel limit is 5 per day. The crappie creel limit is 20 fish per day with an 8-inch minimum size limit.

FLW Tour BASS Tournament On Lake Wylie

Lake Wylie

LAKE WYLIE, S.C. — Boater Eric Weir of Belmont, N.C., earned $4,966 Sunday as winner of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division Super Tournament event on Lake Wylie. The tournament earned Weir 300 points in the Boater Division.

Weir’s winning catch of 10 bass weighed 30 pounds, 12 ounces. Weir threw a tandem gold-blade chartreuse spinnerbait around mid-lake points to catch his bass. Weir earned an additional $1,000 as winner of the Ranger Cup award.

Rounding out the top-five pros are Tom Russell of Charlotte, N.C. (10 bass, 25 pounds, 2 ounces, $2,424); Todd Auten of Lake Wylie (nine bass, 23 pounds, 10 ounces, $1,182); Scott Hamrick of Denver, N.C. (10 bass, 23 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,064); and Cliff Kirby of Catawba, N.C. (10 bass, 23 pounds, 1 ounce, $946).

Jerry Lucas of Raleigh, N.C., earned $840 as the big-bass award winner in the Boater Division with a 4-pound, 11-ounce bass he caught on a Carolina-rigged worm.

John Strempke of Monroe, N.C., earned $2,476 as the co-angler winner, thanks to eight bass weighing 14 pounds that he caught on a Pop-R. Strempke earned an additional $410 as winner of the big-bass award in the Co-angler Division, thanks to a 4-pound, 7-ounce bass.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Gordon Smith of Lake Wylie (four bass, 10 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,209); Randy Weddington of China Grove, N.C. (five bass, 10 pounds, 5 ounces, $590); Bryan Moeller of Columbia, S.C. (four bass, 9 pounds, 15 ounces, $531); and Carl Williams Sr. of Gastonia, N.C. (four bass, 9 pounds, 12 ounces, $472).

Following the regular season, the North Carolina Division boater with the most points will earn $1,000 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion. The co-angler amassing the most points will earn $500 as the Yamaha “Be the Best” points champion in the Co-angler Division.

The top 40 North Carolina Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Clarks Hill Regional near Augusta, Ga., Oct. 11-15 where they will compete against Choo Choo, Dixie, and Shenandoah division anglers for one of six slots in the 2006 All-American. With a total purse of $1 million and a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing.

FLW Outdoors

Outer Banks fishing info

Check out this site for great information on fishing in the outer banks of North Carolina.

Looking For A Late Season BASS Tournament?

Check out the Elizabeth City Bassmasters 9th Annual Open Bass Tournament
When: Saturday November 5th, 2005
Where: Pembroke Fishing Center, Edenton, NC
Entry Fee: $80.00 per boat
1st Flight: 6:00 am - 3:00 pm
Check In begins at 4:30 am

Visit the Elizabeth City Bass Masters website for more information

**Starting position determined by date and time of received tournament application


Tournament information brought to you by: Carolina-Fishing.com

North Caroilna Fishing Report

You couldn’t ask for a more beautiful day Wednesday. The weather gurus however say this morning we could have a very cold rain or even an icy mess.

Fishing has been fair to good on most lakes.

Lake Norman:

Bass — jigs and jerkbaits are good, spinnerbaits, Carolina rigs and crankbaits are fair to good.

Crappie — minnows around brushy piers near hot holes as shallow as 12 feet, otherwise most are being caught in 20-30 feet.

Moss Lake:

Bass — jigs and Carolina rigs are fair. Crankbaits and spinnerbaits are also fair.

Crappie — minnows or jigs over deep brush should work fair.

Lake Wylie:

Bass — jigs are still best for the better bite. Crankbaits, jerkbaits and Carolina rigs are all fair to good.

Crappie — jigs fished over deep brush or trolled very slow over the deeper channels. On the warmer days you can find them around some of the metal boathouses, but still stay close to deep water.

Catfish — go with live bait or cut live bait. Try the points and drops leading to main lake coves.

Lake Wateree:

Bass — use jigs and crankbaits on the main lake points, deep brush and rocky areas are fair to good.

Crappie — minnows fished over deep brush are fair. Trolling or more or less drifting minnows or jigs on main lake channels and deep brush are also fair to good.

Lake Murray:

Bass — jigs in the grass are still very good. A huge five-bass limit caught this week weighed 34 pounds. Jigs, crankbaits and spinnerbaits are all fair to good on rocks or rocky banks and points.

Crappie — minnows or jigs fished around the many bridges or over deep brush is fair to good.

Rainbow Trout - Species Report

The rainbow trout's acrobatic displays and spectacular fighting abilities are legendary among fishermen. Once hooked, the Rainbow Trout may leap a half dozen times before succumbing to the fisherman's net. The challenge of capturing a wild or stocked Rainbow Trout in one of our mountain streams or lakes makes it an integral part of North Carolina's sport fishery.

There are over a hundred varieties of Rainbow Trout but only three recognized subspecies: the common rainbow, coastal rainbow, or steelhead, and Kamloops rainbow. Only the common rainbow is found in North Carolina.

History and Status
The native territories of the Rainbow Trout include the large, cold rivers of the Pacific Coast. Original stocks of Rainbow Trout were shipped east via railcar from the McCloud River of California, and they have since been propagated and widely distributed to streams containing suitable temperature and habitat. Rainbow trout were introduced into North Carolina as early as the 1880s. Currently, wild, naturally reproducing populations of Rainbow Trout from these original stockings occur in many of North Carolina's mountain streams above 1,500 feet in elevation.

Description
Rainbow trout are characterized by a dark olive-green back blending into bluish or silvery sides and a white belly. The term "rainbow" comes from a broad pink or bright red lateral band extending along the sides from the gill cover to the tail. Small black spots covering the back, sides and fins give the fish a peppered appearance. Rainbow trout, along with brook trout and Brown Trout, have a small adipose fin located between the dorsal fin and the tail.

Habitat and Habits
Rainbow trout prefer cool, clear streams and lakes with gravel and cobble bottoms that are relatively silt free. Occasionally, Rainbow Trout can survive in warm-water lakes containing cool, oxygenated water in the depths. Water temperatures approaching 75 F can be tolerated by Rainbow Trout, but they prefer water temperatures between 50 F and 60 F.

In contrast with brook and Brown Trout, which spawn in the fall, Rainbow Trout spawn in late winter. Spawning usually occurs between January and March in the coarse sand and gravel of small tributaries at water temperatures between 50 F and 60 F. The female Rainbow Trout selects a spawning site and digs a nest (referred to as a redd) by turning on her side and forcefully dislodging gravel with repeated movements of the tail. Redd size varies in depth from several inches to over a foot, depending primarily on the female's size. As the female prepares the redd, she is attended by one or more males. Usually a dominant male will be directly downstream of the nest, with smaller males farther behind or off to the sides. Once the nest is prepared, the male and female settle into the depression and deposit eggs and milt simultaneously.

Immediately after fertilization, the female covers the eggs with a protective barrier of gravel by moving upstream of the redd and manipulating additional material on the stream bottom with her tail. The female may dig several nests as she proceeds upstream, depositing eggs in each one until she is spent. Depending on the size of the female, Rainbow Trout can lay from 200 to over 9,000 eggs; a 1-pound Rainbow Trout usually contains fewer than 1,000 eggs.

Unlike more advanced fish species such as largemouth bass or bluegill, Rainbow Trout do not guard their nests. Because egg survival is dependent upon a steady flow of oxygenated water through the redd, this life history stage is particularly vulnerable to siltation. Anything that disturbs land near the stream, such as development projects, livestock watering and streambank erosion, can dramatically increase siltation. If the redd is covered with silt, the eggs will suffocate.

The eggs hatch in three to 10 weeks depending upon water temperature. After hatching, the young trout, or alevins, remain in the redd until their yolk sacs are absorbed. The alevins then work their way up through their gravel ceiling and school for a short time near the hatching site. Eventually, the young fry become solitary and gradually disperse throughout the stream, feeding principally on aquatic insects and other small aquatic animals.

Range and Distribution
Rainbow trout are native to the Pacific Coast drainages inland to the Rocky Mountains and north to the Kuskokwim River in southwestern Alaska. In North Carolina, Rainbow Trout are confined to the cool, clear waters of the mountain counties at elevations above 1,500 feet. Wild stocks of Rainbow Trout are usually found in waters too warm or too silt laden for native brook trout.

People Interactions
Rainbow trout are an important component of North Carolina's trout management program. Along with protecting and enhancing wild Rainbow Trout populations, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stocks many streams with Rainbow Trout (as well as brook trout and brown trout) to increase angling opportunities across the mountain region. The sensational fighting antics of this colorful species coupled with the aesthetically pleasing environment of a cool mountain stream make the Rainbow Trout one of our most soughtafter game fish.

Brown Trout - Species Report

One of the three species of trout in the mountains of North Carolina, the Brown Trout is considered the trophy trout species because it grows larger and is more difficult to catch than Rainbow Trout and brook trout. History and Status The Brown Trout is not native to North America or North Carolina. It was first brought to North America from Europe in 1883 but not stocked in North Carolina waters until 1887. The stocking of Brown Trout was so widespread in the United States that by 1900 it had been introduced into 38 states. After 1905, Brown Trout were introduced into many mountain streams by the federal government and by the agency that has now become the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Brown trout were originallystocked in North Carolina to replace the native brook trout that nearly had been eliminated because of massive clearcut logging in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The railroad cars used to remove the timber later transported Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout for stocking into the damaged streams.

Since then, many populations have become established in streams with good habitat, and they maintain themselves through natural reproduction. In other streams and rivers, where habitat is limited or water temperatures get too warm, the Wildlife Commission stocks fingerling or adult Brown Trout to provide angling opportunities.

Description
Brown trout are related to Atlantic salmon and are recognized by their brownish-yellow color and the scattered black, red and orange spots on their sides. The leading edges of the pelvic and anal fins are white. The adipose fin is usually fringed with red.

The typical Brown Trout taken from North Carolina waters is 12 inches or less in length, but fish over 20 inches are occasionally taken. The North Carolina record is 15 pounds, 13 ounces. The world record is a 40-pound, 4-ounce specimen caught in Arkansas. Occasionally, where Brown Trout and brook trout are found in the same stream, a hybrid offspring, called a tiger trout, occurs.

Habitat and Habits
The Brown Trout is primarily a stream fish, preferring water temperatures between 55 to 60 F, but tolerating temperatures up to 70 degrees. For this reason, Brown Trout are restricted to the mountain region of the state. The presence of Brown Trout in a stream is an indication that water quality is good. However, Brown Trout are more tolerant of high silt loads and warmer temperatures than brook trout or Rainbow Trout.

Brown trout range in a variety of cold-water habitats, from small steep streams to large rivers. The presence of in-stream cover, especially logs and undercut banks, is very important to maintaining a good population of Brown Trout. While they may be found in rather small streams, big fish prefer larger, slower-flowing streams containing an abundance of minnows. Brown trout feed primarily on a variety of aquatic and terrestrial insects, but they also eat salamanders and crayfish. After they reach 12 inches, they increasingly eat fish.

Brown trout spawn in the autumn, generally from October through November. The males gather in the tail of a pool and begin clearing silt from gravel substrate. The female excavates a nest, called a "redd," by digging in the gravel with her tail. The nest is normally about the size of a dinner plate. The pair releases eggs and milt over the nest, which is then covered with gravel and abandoned.

Range and Distribution
The native range of Brown Trout is northern and eastern Europe and western Asia. Today, Brown Trout are found in parts of every continent except Antarctica. In the United States, Brown Trout have become established (naturalized) in nearly every state. In North Carolina, hundreds of streams, totaling about 1,000 miles, support wild Brown Trout. Catchable-sized Brown Trout are stocked into another 150 North Carolina streams on a regular basis to provide a put-and-take fishery.

As Brown Trout expand their range in North Carolina, it is often at the expense of the brook trout, which is the only trout species native to the eastern United States. Although both brown and brook trout spawn in the fall, Brown Trout have an advantage because they live longer and produce more eggs.

People Interactions
Brown trout are extremely wary and are the most difficult trout species to catch. Once they become established in a stream, it is almost impossible to catch them out. Brown trout are stubborn fighters when hooked, but do not put on as spectacular an acrobatic show as the Rainbow Trout. Instead, they tend to go to the bottom and run underneath a log or into a rock crevice.

In North Carolina, Brown Trout are legally taken by hook-and-line fishing. Fly rods with artificial flies and spinning rods with minnow-like plugs or spinners are most effective.

Fishing regulations are important in trout management. These regulations include restrictions on the season, daily creel, fish size and type of lure or bait. Regulations are fairly liberal on stocked waters where harvest is emphasized. More restrictive regulations are used in order to maintain populations of wild trout.

Brook Trout - Species Report

The brook trout is regarded as one of North America's most beautiful native fish species. In the Southern Appalachians, local fishermen often call them "speckles," though technically these fish are actually char and belong to the family Salmonidae. Recent genetic studies suggest that the native brook trout found in the Southern Appalachians, including the mountains of western North Carolina, may be a separate subspecies of the brook trout found farther north.

History and Status
Brook trout, along with Atlantic salmon, lake trout, Arctic char and graylings, originated in far northern waters, but their ranges were expanded south by the advancing ice of the glacial period. When the ice receded, these species were left landlocked in waters far from their original home.

The brook trout is the only trout native to western North Carolina. Southern Appalachian mountain streams once teemed with speckled trout where abundant rainfall, cool climate, cold groundwater and dense forest cover provided optimum living cond itions. In the late 1800s, huge logging companies began to cut the vast stands of virgin timber in the South. Early loggers constructed poor roads and rail lines up river valleys and conducted massive clearcuts on steep slopes, using splash dams to transport the logs downstream. This caused irreparable damage to stream habitats through extensive erosion, siltation and scouring. Rainbow (from the Pacific Coast) and Brown Trout (from Europe) were stocked by railcar beginning in the late 1800s to replace the brook trout populations destroyed by logging operations.

In the Southeast, brook trout compete poorly with rainbow and Brown Trout for available habitat. As a result, brook trout have become isolated in highelevation headwater streams where food, space and spawning habitat are limited.

With continued development of the mountain region and further encroachment on habitat by man and non-native species, the future of the wild brook trout is of concern. State and federal agencies are developing strategies to identify, maintain and expand existing wild brook trout populations to ensure their survival in their native range.

Description
In North Carolina, brook trout are generally small, ranging in size up to about 8 inches, seldom more than 12 inches. They are handsomely colored with the back and upper sides of the body typically olive-green with mottled, dark green wavy markings that extend onto the dorsal and caudal fins. The lower sides are lighter with yellow spots interspersed with fewer spots of bright red surrounded by blue. The lower fins are orange with a narrow black band next to a white band that borders the forward edge. Spawning fish acquire a heightened brilliance when the belly and lower fins become a bright red-orange. The color of a fish can vary from one area to another, depending upon the surrounding habitat.

Habitat and Habits
Brook trout are most abundant in isolated, high-altitude headwater streams and brooks where the water is free of pollution and rich in oxygen, and where water temperatures seldom exceed 68 F and no competing species are found. They also occur in lakes and beaver ponds. Brook trout prefer streams with stable water flows, silt-free gravel for spawning and an abundance of deep pools and riffles with sufficient in-stream cover, such as logs, boulders and undercut banks.

In North Carolina, brook trout spawning begins in September and continues through November. The female selects a site at the tail of a pool, usually in sand or gravel, and constructs a nest, called a redd, by working the bottom sediments into a depression several inches deep. The male courts the female and chases away intruding males. The fish then settle into the redd and release eggs (100 to 5,000) and sperm (milt) simultaneously. The fertilized eggs are covered with gravel and remain in the redd until they hatch in the early spring (usually March).

Range and Distribution
The brook trout is native to eastern North America from Labrador and the Saskatchewan Valley southward along the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia. They have been widely introduced in the western United States and throughout the world where cold, clean waters are found.

In North Carolina they are found only in the mountains, with most wild populations existing in small, isolated, headwater streams at elevations above 3,000 feet. Habitat destruction, introduction of nonnative species, acid rain and overfishing have all contributed to the decline in the range and numbers of wild brook trout. Since 1900, the brook trout range is thought to have declined by about 75 percent.

People Interactions
In North Carolina, brook trout are legally taken by hook-and-line sport fishing, and management is directed toward enhancing and protecting wild populations. Anglers prize brook trout for their delicate flesh and superior flavor, and also because of their willingness to take artificial and natural baits. Fly rods with artificial flies and light spinning tackle with either small spinners or bait aremost often used. Brook trout remain a key to the past for many people, symbolizing the wild and pristine conditions that once existed throughout our ancient mountain forests.

Red Drum (redfish) - Species Report

Picture a surf fishing scene on North Carolina's Outer Banks and you will probably imagine a huge red drum being hoisted with some difficulty by a grinning, wader-clad angler. Most anyone who has spent much time fishing or visiting the Carolina coast will have at least heard of this species. Red drum photographs are commonly displayed on bulletin boards at coastal tackle shops, restaurants and fishing piers. In fact, the N.C. General Assembly in 1971 designated the red drum as the official State Saltwater Fish. In North Carolina, larger drum are frequently called "channel bass" while small drum are almost invariably referred to as "puppy drum." In the states of the Deep South along the Gulf of Mexico, this species is most commonly called the "redfish," and is well known to gourmet cooks for its table qualities.

History and Status
Red drum have been of moderate commercial importance in North Carolina since colonial times. In the early 1900s, Beaufort in Carteret County was the center of the state's red drum fishery. Dealers and fishermen at that time recognized four sizes or "grades" of fish: puppy drums, yearling drums, 2-foot drums and old drums. Yearling and 2-foot drums were the most valuable and were shipped to urban markets in the North. Puppy drums were also mixed with an assortment of fish and shipped. The old drums were usually not eaten fresh and had little market value, but fishermen found them rather tasty after they had been salted and dried on the roofs of their houses.

In modern times, red drum are still fished for commercially. Available data from commercial landings indicate that numbers of red drum present in North Carolina vary considerably from year to year. Since the 1960s, red drum have also become increasingly popular with recreational hook-and-line anglers and, today, a significant portion of the fish harvested is taken in this manner. In recent years, North Carolina red drum size distributions reveal fewer large fish and more small fish than previous records show. This indicates that drum are being harvested before they have a chance to grow to a large size and are, in essence, being overfished.

Description
In the drum family of fishes found in North Carolina, the red drum is second only to the black drum in size, reaching a maximum length of 5 feet and a weight of approximately 75 pounds. Red drum are rather robust in form and have a blunt snout with a mouth well adapted to feeding on the bottom. The tail has a squared-off rather than forked shape. The scales are large and on old specimens they are about the size of guitar picks. One or more black ocellated spots occur on the upper sides near the base of the tail. Red drum are a coppery color, darker along the back and upper sides, shading gradually to a grayish-white underside.

Habitat and Habits
Both estuaries and inshore oceanic waters are critical habitats for red drum. In North Carolina, the males reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age; females mature at 4 years of age. Spawning occurs near inlets and beach sloughs from August to September at water temperatures ranging from 64 to 82 degrees. A 35- inch long female may release 3.5 million eggs. The eggs hatch in approximately 20 hours, and larvae are transported by winds and currents into the less saline estuarine nursery areas. There, the young fish feed on copepods, amphipods and small shrimps for six to eight months. Juvenile fish gradually move oceanward into more saline waters as they grow larger. Adults off North Carolina and Virginia migrate seasonally, generally north and inshore in spring, and south and offshore in the fall.

Range and Distribution
On the Atlantic Coast, red drum occur from Massachusetts south to Key West but are most common from Virginia southward. Range along the Gulf of Mexico extends from southwest Florida to Tuxpan, Mexico. Red drum occur seasonally all along the North Carolina coast.

People Interactions
Red drum, like most creatures on this Earth, are affected by human activities. Activities that have altered water salinity in sounds, or dredged and impounded shallow nursery areas have degraded red drum habitat. Fortunately, laws such as those associated with the Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) of 1974 have slowed the rate of habitat degradation. However, overfishing now appears to be a greater threat to the state's red drum populations. More restrictive length limits have recently been put into effect in an effort to relieve fishing pressure on the species and to permit more small drum to live longer and thereby reach larger sizes.

Bluefish (blues) - Species Report

One of the first species of fish caught by a beginning saltwater angler, and famous for its "blitzes" during the fall, the bluefish reigns supreme in both popularity and abundance along the Atlantic coast. Good to eat when freshly caught, bluefish can be found relatively close to the coast, so they are within easy reach of many anglers.

History and Status
The bluefish is one of the most important recreational fish of the Atlantic coast and is an important commercial species as well. In recent years the bluefish harvest has declined, and although the species is still quite abundant, Atlantic coast bluefish stocks are considered stressed. Currently North Carolina has both a size limit and a creel limit to protect bluefish from overharvest. Description The bluefish is one of several members of the family Pomatomidae. It has a stout body that is greenish blue along the back and silver on the sides and belly. Bluefish have a slightly protruding lower jaw full of razor sharp teeth, which gives larger specimens the nickname "chopper."

Habitat and Habits
Bluefish are a migratory, pelagic species found offshore, in surf zones, inlets and sounds. They usually form large schools during the spring, summer and fall months. Bluefish spawn in two principal areas - offshore from southern Florida to North Carolina in the spring, and along the mid-Atlantic blight during the summer. Larvae tend to drift with ocean currents and enter the nearshore waters and estuaries all along the east coast. Juveniles are generally less than 6 inches long in July but may exceed 12 inches by fall. Adult bluefish in the Atlantic travel northward in the spring and summer, then move south in the fall and winter. Larger fish may also move inshore in the warmer months and overwinter farther offshore. Bluefish are sight feeders and will zero in on a single baitfish rather than slash through a school of prey. As a general rule, bluefish feed during the day, but they are still caught at night when anglers use chum or bait to appeal to their sense of smell.

Range and Distribution
Bluefish occur in temperate and warm waters of the western Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Uruguay, off the West African shelf, in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, in the Indian Ocean, and off Tanzania and Australia. There are two major fishery areas for bluefish off the coast of the United States - Cape Cod Bay to Cape Lookout and Cape Canaveral to Pompano Beach.

People Interactions
Bluefish are popular for several reasons. They are abundant; they readily take baits and artificial lures; and they are excellent table fare when freshly caught. Small "tailor" bluefish can be caught in coastal areas of North Carolina year-round, but runs of big blues are common in the early spring and late fall. Bluefish over 15 pounds are commonly caught along the beaches, inlets, soundsand shoals of Cape Hatteras, Cape Lookout and Cape Fear. From 1987 to 1991 North Carolina recreational anglers harvested an estimated 1.3 to 4.2 million pounds of bluefish. North Carolina leads all other states in commercial bluefish harvest, with the state's commercial harvest averaging 31 percent of the total commercial bluefish harvest from 1978 to 1987.

Smallmouth Bass - Species Report

"Inch for inch and pound for pound the sportiest fish that swims." Anglers frequently offer this appraisal to describe the fighting stamina and leaping ability of the Smallmouth Bass. Smallmouth bass are an important component of western North Carolina's sport fishery. Small-mouth bass, along with large-mouth bass and spotted bass, are a species of sunfish often referred to as black bass. The term "black bass" was derived from the black coloration of Smallmouth Bass fry. There are two recognized subspecies of smallmouth bass: the northern Smallmouth Bass and the Neosho Smallmouth Bass. The northern subspecies is found in North Carolina.

History and Status
Smallmouth bass originally ranged from the Great Lakes area of Canada south to northern Georgia, west to Oklahoma and north into Minnesota. Small-mouth bass are native to North Carolina and have been widely stocked throughout the United States and southern Canada.

When introduced to waters containing favorable food and habitat, they generally reproduce successfully. Smallmouth bass are now found in every state except Florida, Louisiana and Alaska.

Description
Smallmouth bass have greenish to brownish sides with faint, dark mottlings and vertical bars. There are three distinct bars that radiate from the eye, and the underside is dusky white. Don't let the name fool you. Smallmouth bass have a mouth that is actually quite large, and only slightly smaller than that of the large-mouth bass. The major morphological difference between small-mouth bass and other black bass is that the upper jaw of the small-mouth never extends beyond the eye. Another difference is that young Smallmouth Bass have tricolored caudal fins, whereas largemouth bass have only two colors on the caudal fin.

Habitat and Habits
Smallmouth bass inhabit cool, clear mountain and foothill streams having moderate current and rocky bottoms. Adult small-mouth bass prefer streams with average widths of over 40 feet containing deep riffles, large boulders, submerged logs and pools over 3 feet deep. They are also found in large, clear mountain lakes. In a typical North Carolina stream, trout would inhabit the upper, cold-water section; Smallmouth Bass the cool middle section containing a rocky bottom and lots of pools and riffles; and largemouth bass, the lowland section with sluggish current, a silt or mud bottom and aquatic vegetation.

Smallmouth bass spawn in the spring, usually at water temperatures from 60 to 65 F. The male selects a nest site away from strong currents and digs a circular nest with vigorous sweeping motions of the tail. The female lays approximately 1,000 to 10,000 eggs in the nest that are fertilized immediately by the male. The eggs hatch in two to 10 days depending on the water temperature. As the fry hatch, they settle into crevices in the stream bottom for several days, living off the attached yolk sac and growing in length. After spawning, the male dutifully guards the eggs and fry. A guarding male is effective against a single intruder, but not against a school of determined predators. If a school of fish approaches the nest, the male Smallmouth Bass will leave the nest to chase one fish, providing an opportunity for the rest of the school to feed on the eggs and fry.

Although the male can defend the nest against predators, there are environmental influences that affect fry survival that the male cannot control. Changes in water levels due to floods and sudden water temperature changes can cause the males to abandon their nests. The rates of fry survival may be affected if humans destroy nests or catch too many of the guarding males.

Approximately one week after hatching, the free-swimming fry become entirely black and congregate over the nest, forming a dark cloud. Then they gradually begin to disperse throughout the stream. When the fry are approximately one-third of an inch long, their color changes from black to the greenish color of the adult. Young Smallmouth Bass feed on zooplankton and aquatic insect larvae until they are large enough to eat other fish. Adult small-mouth bass feed primarily on fish, crayfish and insects. In some instances, Smallmouth Bass have been observed following large turtles or suckers as they dig around roots or in the bottom. The opportunistic Smallmouth Bass will pounce on any insects or crayfish disturbed by this activity.

Range and Distribution
Smallmouth bass are generally found in the mountains and foothills of North Carolina. Native populations of Smallmouth Bass are found in western North Caro-lina streams from the New River to the Hiwassee River. Successful stockings have extended their range to the upper reaches of the Yadkin River, Catawba River and Broad River drainages.

People Interactions
The Smallmouth Bass is considered by many anglers to be the premier game fish in North Amer-ica. Similar to the largemouth bass, smallmouth will strike almost any kind of lure or bait, but they generally prefer smaller sizes. Favorites include jigs, crankbaits, spinners, streamer flies, minnows, crayfish, hellgrammites, leeches and nightcrawlers. To ensure quality fishing in North Carolina, minimum-size limits and daily creel limits are placed on Smallmouth Bass populations. These regulations prevent overfishing of small-mouth bass, and enhance angling opportunities.

Striped Bass (striper) - Species Report

Since the days when the Atlantic Coast of the United States was a string of British colonies, the Striped Bass (or rockfish) has been a prized and plentiful food and game fish. In 1614, Captain John Smith of the Massachusetts Bay Colony wrote in his journal: "I myself at the turning of the [tide] have seen such multitudes pass out of a [pound net] that it seemed to me that one might go over their backs [without wetting one's shoes or feet]." Striped bass were one of the first animals to be protected by law in colonial America. In 1639, the Massachusetts Bay Colony passed a law to stop farmers from using Striped Bass as fertilizer, because of the fish's value.

History and Status
Striped bass are native to North Carolina and other states along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico. In North Carolina and in other states along the Atlantic coast, the Striped Bass is a species of special concern. Concern about North Carolina's Striped Bass population dates back to 1881. In that year, North Carolina's first fish commissioner, S. G. Worth, reported that a falling number of migratory fishes (like striped bass) was "an outgrowth of our civilization and results first from cutting them off from favorite spawning grounds with dams, and second by increased fishing to supply the wants of a growing population . . . ." Concern mounted again when, between 1968 and 1979, the commercial and recreational Striped Bass harvest in the Albemarle Sound and Roanoke River declined about 80 percent. As a result, many harvest controls were put in place during the 1980s.

Description
The Striped Bass is a silverwhite fish with seven to eight horizontal black stripes along its sides. Its back is often greenishblue and its stomach white. Its large silver scales shine when held in the sunlight. The Striped Bass has two separate fins along its back. The front fin has a series of nine long and short spines. Most adult Striped Bass are 1 to 3 feet long, weigh 2 to 20 pounds and are less than 10 years old. A 125-pounder, the heaviest Striped Bass on record, was caught in Albemarle Sound in 1891.

Habitat and Habits
Scientists call Striped Bass an anadromous fish. This name refers to the striped bass'habit of living in salt water and spawning in fresh water. The scientific species name for Striped Bass (saxatilus) provides a clue about its spawning habits. "Saxatilus" is a Latin name meaning "dwelling among rocks." The Striped Bass was given this name most likely because it spawns among the rocky rapids near the "fall line" where rivers descend to the sea. Striped bass adults from the Albemarle Sound return to the Roanoke River each spring to spawn. At one time, Striped Bass from the Albemarle Sound swam to Clarksville, Va., a distance of nearly 200 miles. Since 1950, when the Kerr Reservoir dam was constructed on the Roanoke River near the Virginia-North Carolina border, Striped Bass have been kept from some of their historical spawning grounds. Today, most Striped Bass from the Albemarle Sound spawn near Weldon, N.C., about 130 miles from the sound.

Most Striped Bass spawning begins when the water temperature reaches 62 F. As many as 20 male stripers surround a single female, releasing milt to fertilize the eggs released by the female. Spawning occurs near the surface, causing a lot of splashing, and it sometimes lasts several minutes. Many people refer to st riped bass spawning as rockfights, because it looks like a group of stripers fighting. After spawning, the semibuoyant fertilized eggs must float in the water for two to three days before they hatch. During this time, there must be enough flow in the river to keep the eggs afloat or they will not survive.

After hatching, young Striped Bass (called yolk-sac larvae) are carried by currents to nursery areas in the lower Roanoke River and western Albemarle Sound. For the first seven to 14 days, they live by getting energy from their yolk-sac (formerly the yolk portion of their egg). After their yolk-sac is used up, Striped Bass larvae feed on tiny water animals known as zooplankton. By the time they are 2 months old, Striped Bass are 1 to 2 inches long and begin feeding on small fish. Stripers spawned in the Roanoke River spend two to four years of their lives maturing in the Albemarle Sound before returning to spawn in the Roanoke River. Because they live to ages of 30 years, mature adult stripers return many times to the Roanoke River to spawn.

Range and Distribution
Striped bass are native to the Atlantic Coast from the St. Lawrence River in Canada to north Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida west to Louisiana. Most of North Carolina's Striped Bass population—the third largest on the Atlantic Coast—is found in the Albemarle Sound and its tributaries. In North Carolina, Striped Bass are also found in the Tar-Pamlico River, the Neuse River, the White Oak River, and the Cape Fear and Northeast Cape Fear rivers. Because Striped Bass can live in fresh water, they are stocked as a sport fish in man-made lakes.

People Interactions
The Striped Bass is one of the most important food and game fish found in the coastal waters of the United States. Scientists believe that its population is declining because of overfishing, changes in water flow caused by dams, construction in nursery areas, and pollution.

Black & White Crappie - Species Report

Black Crappie and White Crappie
Pomoxis nigromaculatus and Pomoxis annularis

Papermouth, sac-a-lait and speckled perch are just a few of the nicknames people have given the crappie. Two species are found throughout North America: the black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) and the white crappie (Pomoxis annularis). They are members of the sunfish family, which also includes the largemouth bass and the bluegill. Crappies are two of the largest panfish species. Over the years, their sportiness on light tackle and their quality as tablefare have led to increasing popularity among freshwater anglers. Today, these crappies are two of the most fished-for species throughout North Caro-lina and much of the southeastern United States. About one-third of all sportfish harvested in the Southeast are crappies.

History and Status
Crappies are native to North Carolina and can be found in most waters throughout the state. They are quite hardy and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. In North Carolina, the black crappie flourishes in Piedmont reservoirs and Coastal Plain rivers. The white crappie flourishes in the more turbid reservoirs of the Yadkin River watershed.

Description
The black crappie is distinguished by the irregularly-spaced black blotches on its silvery-green to yellowish sides. In the white crappie these blotches often form vertical bars. The black crappie has a dark-green, olive-colored back and a thin, compressed body, which is somewhat deeper than that of the white crappie. Its dorsal and anal fins are about the same shape and size and colored with rows of greenish-black spots. The black crappie has seven or eight spiny dorsal fin rays, while the white crappie has only five or six. Because hybridization sometimes occurs between black and white crappies, and water quality often affects fish coloration, counting spiny dorsal fin rays is the best method for distinguishing between the two species.

Habitat and Habits
The black crappie is usually found in cool, clear ponds, reservoirs and slow-moving rivers, while the white crappie prefers more turbid waters. Crappies tend to congregate around areas with abundant aquatic vegetation, brush piles or other types of cover. Crappies have an extraordinarily high reproductive rate.

The spawning season for both species in North Carolina lasts from about March through May. The black crappie spawns when water temperatures reach the 60- to 68-degree range, and the white crappie spawns when water temperatures reach the 58- to 64-degree range. Crappies become sexually mature at 2 to 3 years of age. Males select the nest sites and clear circular beds 8 to 15 inches in diameter. The beds are often located in water that is 3 to 8 feet deep. Black crappie nests are frequently found in gravel or in soft, muddy river or lake bottoms. White crappie nests are often located near structures such as brush piles, stumps or rock outcrops. Females spawn with different males over several nests. Each spawning black crappie female produces between 11,000 to 188,000 eggs, while each white crappie female produces 2,900 to 91,700 eggs. Males guard the eggs, which hatch within three to five days. After the eggs hatch, males continue to guard the fry (newly hatched fish) for a few days until the young leave the nest.

Microscopic animals, called zooplankton, and insects are the preferred foods of the young-of-the-year black and white crappies. On this diet, they can grow up to 4 inches long during their first year. When they reach 6 to 8 inches in length, the young crappies eat mostly smaller fish and minnows. Adult crappies prefer forage fish found in the open-water areas of reservoirs, particularly threadfin and gizzard shad. They are, however, often willing to feed on anything that fits into their mouths, including their own young. When little or no prey fish are available, which is often the case during the winter and early spring, adults will shift back to feeding on insects.

The black crappie grows slower than the white crappie. But because of its stockiness, a black crappie will weigh more than a white crappie of similar size. The rate of growth depends on habitat, food availability and the crappie population size for a given body of water. Too many crappies and not enough food results in slow growth or stunting. The tremendous reproductive capability of crappie species often results in stunting, particularly in small ponds.

Range and Distribution
The native range for the black crappie extends from the upper St. Lawrence River and Manitoba south to northern Texas, including most midwestern states but excluding the northeastern seaboard. The native range for the white crappie extends from Southern Minnesota and the Great Lakes region south to Texas and western Florida. Demand for crappie fisheries has led to their introduction in all suitable areas throughout the United States.

People Interactions
Crappie species are most often encountered by anglers. Fishing for crappie is very popular in North Carolina, and fishermen consider crappies to be excellent sportfish. They can be caught on a variety of fishing equipment including cane poles, spinning and bait-casting outfits, fly rods and ice-fishing gear. Anglers usually try to locate a school of crappie and fish for them using minnows, small jigs or a combination of the two. Care is required when setting the hook or when landing the fish because their soft, papery mouth tears easily, allowing hooks to pull out. Crappie species are most active and easily caught at night and in the early morning.

Blue (bream, brim) - Species Report

Commonly referred to as "brim" or "bream," the bluegill is the most common of all the sunfishes. It is a member of the sunfish or panfish family, which also includes the crappie and largemouth bass. Other species of sunfish sometimes mistaken for bluegills are redears, pumpkinseeds and warmouths. Because it is one of the true sunfish species that grow large enough to be acceptable to fishermen, the bluegill has introduced many people to the sport of fishing. Its size, coupled with its tenacious fighting ability and voracious appetite, make it a favorite of many anglers.

According to a recent statewide survey, the popularity of sunfish fishing ranks behind only largemouth bass and crappie angling.

History and Status
Bluegills are native to North Carolina. They are highly adaptable and can be found in streams, rivers, ponds and reservoirs throughout the state. They especially flourish in Piedmont farm ponds and in ponds and slowmoving rivers along the Coastal Plain. Because of their prolific nature, bluegills are not considered threatened or endangered in North Carolina.

Description
Bluegills are characterized by a small head and mouth and a hand- or pan-shaped body. The body is often an olive-green color with several broad, dark vertical bars on the side. The throat and belly are often yellowish or orange in color. The lower jaw and gill cover is powder-blue, hence the name "bluegill." There is a black blotch at the base of the dorsal (top) fin. The earflap is entirely black, helping to distinguish the bluegill from other sunfish species that often have an orange or red spot on the earflap.

Bluegills tend to breed with other sunfish species, resulting in hybrids with the external characteristics of both parents. In populations where hybridization occurs, identification is often difficult.

Habitat and Habits
Bluegills prefer protected areas with clear, quiet water and a bottom covered with sand, gravel or mud. Warm, shallow, productive lakes or ponds support the largest populations, but they can also be found in slow-moving streams and rivers. Bluegills prefer water temperatures between 60 and 80 F.

The spawning season for North Carolina bluegills begins around May when water temperatures reach about 70 F. Bluegills usually mature and begin to spawn when they reach two to three years. They may spawn several times throughout the summer and even continue through October, as long as the water temperatures remain favorable.

Males select the nest site, usually in an area where the bottom is covered with sand, gravel or mud and is protected from the wind. The male creates a nest 1 to 2 feet in diameter by fanning the bottom of the lake or river with his tail to form a shallow depression. Nests are usually located in 1 to 6 feet of water. Often, several nests will be located within the same area because spawning bluegills tend to form nesting colonies. Sometimes these colonies are segregated by the size of the bluegill. The female will lay 2,000 to 60,000 eggs in a nest and then abandon it. The eggs hatch within one to two days depending upon the water temperature. During this time, the male guards the nest, protecting the eggs and the hatched young from predators.

The bluegill is a prey species. Therefore, its reproductive rate and frequency is higher than that of a predator species such as the largemouth bass. If predation on these small fish is low, its numbers can be greater than the habitat of a pond or small lake can support. When this happens food becomes scarce, populations are stunted, growth is slow and fish rarely, if ever, reach a harvestable or desirable size. The current world record is held by an angler who caught a bluegill that was 15 inches long and weighed 4 pounds, 12 ounces.

The bluegill eats mainly aquatic insects, zooplankton and small fish. However, it may also consume some aquatic vegetation, snails or fish eggs. Because of its small mouth, it can only eat small minnows or the young of other fish. Bluegills tend to swim in school and occupy shoreline habitats 1 to 20 feet deep. The schools are usually located near some type of shelter such as docks, weedbeds or bridges. Larger bluegills usually occupy deeper areas and are often loners.

Range and Distribution
Originally, the bluegill ranged throughout much of the eastern half of the United States. They are still found in every county in North Carolina. Introductions of this fish have extended their range to the west to include every state except Alaska.

People Interactions
Natural mortality in bluegills is high, although angling also contributes to mortality. Bluegills are a highly sought-after game fish and they provide excellent fishing particularly in small ponds and coastal rivers throughout North Carolina.

Bluegills are most active in the early morning or late afternoon and can readily be caught during these times. The schooling nature of the bluegill can make for some fast and furious fishing.

Black Bass - Species Report

Centropristis striata

"Blackfish" is also called the "black bass", but by whatever name it is called, it is a much-sought-after fish in our oceanic waters. It is not large in size, perhaps, but the black sea bass is large in taste, a staple of the fishermen and restaurants along the North Carolina coast. Many people claim that it is the best-tasting saltwater fish to be found. It is commonly found at rock jetties, artificial reefs and any hardbottom areas in our nearshore waters.

History and Status
The black sea bass has always been a permanent fixture in the oceanic waters of North Carolina. Long a popular fish of both recreational and commercial fishermen, it is highly esteemed for its taste. Commercial landings of black sea bass have exceeded 500,000 pounds each year since 1988, and managers are concerned that this intense fishing pressure is causing declines in the populations. They have placed minimum-size limits on any fish caught as well as restricted the types of gear that can catch them. Currently, there is a 8-inch minimum size, but there is a proposal to increase this to 10 inches.

Description
At least 37 members of the sea bass family are found in our offshore waters. The black sea bass is one of the smallest members of this family, which includes the groupers, some of which can reach 580 pounds. This bass is easily identified by its body shape, fin characteristics and color. The head and body are bluish black to dark brown with various blotching. White centers in the scales form narrow pale stripes along the sides. The upper and lower edges of the tail fin are white, as are the short white tabs on the tips of the dorsal fin. The dorsal fin is also marked with series of white spots and bands.

Two similar-appearing species are the rock sea bass (Centropristis philadelphica) and the bank sea bass (C. ocyu-rus). The rock sea bass is generally tan in color with a black blotch in the dorsal fin (the back fin) and long, fleshy tabs on the dorsal fin spines. The bank sea bass occurs offshore in deeper waters and is identified by the six to seven dark bars and blotches on the sides and the lack of long tabs on the dorsal fin spines. The black sea bass can reach 2 feet in length and up to 8 pounds in weight, although fish from 8 to 12 inches long and weighing 0.5 to 2 pounds are much more common. Centropristis means “spine-saw,” while striata means "striped."

Habitat and Habits
The black sea bass inhabits irregular hardbottom areas such as wrecks, jetties, reefs and rock outcroppings in shallow waters. All members of the sea bass family are known as "protogynous hermaphrodites" that is, they start out life as females and change to males as they get older. The females mature in their second year when they are about 7 1/2 inches long. The transition to the male occurs between ages 2 and 5. Generally fish over 10 inches long are males.

The spawning season is long, but the peak time is March through June. The number of eggs produced can range from almost 30,000 for a young female to over 300,000 for larger females. Black sea bass will eat almost anything, but they prefer crabs, shrimp, worms, clams and small fishes. Although they can live as long as 20 years, few get much older than 9 years. They grow slowly. A 1-year-old fish is only 5 inches long; a 5-year-old is 12 inches long; and an 8-year-old is only about 15 inches long.

The younger, smaller individuals (primarily females) are found in shallower, inshore waters (less than 66 feet deep), while older, larger fish tend to be caught in deeper water. The population north of Cape Hatteras migrates seasonally, with a general inshore and northward movement in late spring and an offshore, southerly movement in the fall and winter. Movements of black sea bass south of Cape Hatteras are much more restricted, often covering only a few miles.

People Interactions
The black sea bass is the mainstay of the recreational fishery off North Carolina, particularly of the headboats operating mainly out of Morehead City and Carolina Beach. Commercial fishermen also fish for them heavily in the colder months using sea bass pots. They are abundant on the many artificial reefs maintained by the state of North Carolina. Small individuals can also be caught off fishing piers and on the rock jetties that line several of our inlets. Fishermen north of Cape Hatteras catch them in fish trawls.

Range and Distribution
The black sea bass is a temperate marine species that is found inhabiting hardbottom areas and rocky outcrops from Maine to Cape Canaveral in Florida and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Two populations are believed to exist - one north of Cape Hatteras and the other south of Cape Hatteras. The species is also encountered in the high salinity sounds found behind the barrier islands.

Largemouth Bass - Species Report

Micropterus salmoides

Largemouth bass are the most sought-after freshwater gamefish in the United States. There are several reasons for the popularity of this fish. Anglers can usually find waters that contain large-mouth bass within a short distance from their homes; they can catch bass that regularly reach trophy size (7 to 15 pounds); and these fish are exciting to catch, with a battle characterized by head shaking and explosive leaps from the water.

History and Status
The largemouth bass is a native species of North Carolina. In North America it was originally found from southeastern Canada through the Great Lakes; south down the Mississippi Valley to Mexico and Florida; and up the Atlantic Coast as far north as Maryland. As the fish grew in popularity with anglers, it was stocked in other areas and today is found throughout the continental United States and Hawaii, and southeastern Canada. It has also been stocked in Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.

Range and Distribution
In North Carolina, the large-mouth bass is found in ponds, reservoirs, streams and rivers throughout the state, as well as in brackish coastal waters alongside saltwater species. Populations are considered good in every area of North Carolina, with the best populations occurring in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Bass tend to grow faster and larger in reservoirs, although large fish are also common in many farm ponds and in some coastal rivers.

Description
Largemouth bass belong to a group of fish collectively called black basses. Other black basses found in North Carolina include the smallmouth and spotted bass. All black bass belong to the sunfish family, but are distinguished from other sunfish by their elongated bodies. Largemouth are distinguished from other black basses by means of the lower jaw, which is longer than those of other basses. The largemouth is also a bigger species than the smallmouth or spotted bass. There are two subspecies of largemouth bass: the Florida largemouth and the northern largemouth.

Habitat and Habits
The largemouth bass prefers habitat with lots of structure. This structure may be in the form of weed beds, sunken logs, rocks, brush and standing timber. It uses structure as cover for ambush sites and to hide from larger predators.

Largemouth bass prefer temperatures between 77 and 86 degrees. Bass seldom feed at temperatures below 50 degrees and cannot survive for long at temperatures above 98 degrees.

When water temperatures approach 60 degrees in the spring, male bass swim onto the spawning grounds. Male bass spend several days selecting their nest sites. The beds are usually in 1 to 4 feet of water, but they may be deeper in clear water.

Spawning begins when the water reaches 63 to 68 degrees and remains in this range for several days. A female large-mouth lays between 2,000 and 7,000 eggs per pound of body weight. She may lay all her eggs in one nest or spread them over several nests. Following spawning, she returns to deep water where she does not eat for two to three weeks.

The male guards the nest, fanning the eggs with his tail to keep off silt and debris. He will attack anything that swims near the nest. Despite the male's vigilance, many eggs are eaten by other fish species. Hatching time for bass eggs depends on water temperatures. If the water is 72 degrees, eggs will hatch in only two days, but they take five days to hatch in water around 67 degrees. Approximately 2,000 to 12,000 fry hatch from each nest. Of these, however, only five to 10 are likely to survive to reach a size of 10 inches.

Newly hatched largemouths feed on tiny crustaceans and other zooplankton until they reach 2 inches in length. Young largemouths eat insects and small fish, including smaller bass. The adult large-mouths will eat almost anything alive that will fit in their mouths. Fish, worms, frogs, insect larvae, crayfish, salamanders, snakes, small mammals, birds and ducklings are eaten at times. Anglers use a variety of natural baits and artificial lures to catch largemouths. Springtime movements center around spawning when bass move from deep to shallow water. During the summer months, bass will be active in shallow waters during the morning and afternoons, but may move to deeper water at midday, when the water temperature increases in the shallows. When the water starts to cool in the fall, bass will return to the shallows to look for food. As the water temperatures decrease during the winter months, bass will become more sluggish and their metabolism will slow down, and they will require less food. They may become active during winter months if several days of warm weather heat the water temperatures above 50 degrees.

People Interactions
Largemouth bass have had a tremendous influence on many people. Tackle manufacturers, boat dealers and bait shops all provide specialized gear for large-mouth bass fishing, and many people make their livelihood from the industries that have grown up around bass fishing. Although water pollution is a real threat to bass and other fish populations in some waters, the largemouth bass is an adaptable species and, overall, its future looks bright.

Site Update

Well, things are sure moving along. The following changes to Carolina-Fishing.com have been made within the last couple of days:

• Fishing records for North Carolina have been posted
• Fishing information including guide service has been posted for Lake Norman
• Numerous fishing articles have been posted.
• Fishing information for the Uwharrie River has been posted.
• A link to our Fishing Forum has been added.
• Fishing information for Badin Lake has been posted.

New content added

More lake and river information has been posted to the site in preparation for our launch. Information about Lake Norman, Falls Lake, Lake Wylie, and others have been updated. Fishing trends, fishing reports, and boat ramp information will be posted shortly. New fishing articles have been posted so be sure to check them out!