Cash reward is part of study conducted by NCWRC
Who wouldn’t like to get paid for catching a fish? Thanks to a hybrid striped bass study being conducted by the NCWRC, anglers fishing on Lake Norman can get $100 if they catch certain tagged fish and report the tag data to the agency.
Fisheries biologists with the NCWRC began tagging fish as they release them this month. They will continue stocking tagged fish every month throughout 2016. The tags are orange in color, and anglers need to remove the tags and either email or call Corey Oakley with the NCWRC.
Fisheries biologists will gain valuable information from this study, including if changes need to be made to the current size and creel limits, any necessary adjustments to stocking rates, and what the catch-and-release vs. catch-and-keep ratio of hybrid striped bass is.
Among the information the agency requests from anglers who catch a tagged hybrid striped bass are tag number, date the fish was caught, general location on the lake with proximity to a known landmark, whether the fish was release or harvested, whether the angler was fishing from a boat or the bank, and what type of bait was used to catch the fish.
Hybrid striped bass are a cross between striped bass and white bass, and are stocked into Lake Norman for their value as a recreational fish. These fish are tough fighters, and provide good table fare. The NCWRC annually stocks about 163,000 hybrid striped bass fingerlings into Lake Norman.
To report catching a tagged hybrid striped bass, reach Corey Oakley at corey.oakley@ncwildlife.org or 919-214-1095.