The first Cape Fear Riverwatch Striper Tournament was held in December 2008, but the annual events are now held in mid-January, with this year’s set for Saturday, Jan. 19, as part of Striperfest 2013.
While possession of stripers in the Cape Fear River and its tributaries upstream to Jordan Dam is illegal, the tournament has a special-use permit allowing stripers to be held live long enough to record information for fisheries biologists. Research shows that striper numbers are increasing in the river, and fish are getting larger.
Stripers caught by tournament participants are measured, tagged, photographed and released, with larger fish being transferred to a marine fisheries boat for tagging. The tournament ends at 3 p.m., and awards are given for the most stripers tagged and released, the largest striper tagged and released, plus awards for female and youth anglers catching and releasing the largest stripers.
For more information on the CFRW Striperfest and Striper Tournament visit www.cfrw.us or call 910-762-5606.
Cape Fear Riverwatch was founded in 1993 by Wilmington residents concerned about their river and the region. The Cape Fear is North Carolina’s largest river basin; nearly one-third of the state’s population lives in the river’s watershed.
CFRW organizes monthly environmental seminars covering topics and issues affecting the Lower Cape Fear River Basin, plus environmental-education classes, eco-tours, bird watching tours, water-quality education programs and storm-water management training, plus clean-ups and maintenance, monitoring, research and training for members.
CFRW has helped biologists make significant strides restoring fish populations in the river; the rock-arch rapids fish ladder at Lock and Dam No. 1 is the most-visible project.
For more information on CFRW and their concerns and activities in the Cape Fear River Basin visit www.cfrw.us.
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