River sampled:
Tar River
Fisheries Biologists conducting sampling:
Kirk Rundle and Bill Collart
Date of sample:
3/17/2014
Area(s) of river sampled, and water temps:
From dam at Battle Park to approximately two miles downstream
Water temps dropped from 10C to 9C from March 14 to March 17, or from about 50F to 48F
Boat ramp(s) used to access river:
Battle Park
Species(spp) information:
· Spp. captured:
American shad - 40
Hickory shad - 2
· Numbers by spp:
40 American, 2 Hickory
· Size range by spp:
American shad 16-23”; Hickory shad ~ 15”
· Max size for spp:
American shad – Female ~ 4 pounds; Hickory shad – Female ~ 1 pound
· Sex ratio by spp:
American shad ~ 25% Female; Hickory shad 50/50
· Were the fish tagged?
No
ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS:
River level and other water quality observations (turbity, etc.):
At time of sampling, Tar River was at optimal levels for sampling and fairly turbid.
Weather conditions on sampling date?
Cold and clear
Your observations of other people fishing on the river:
There were a few anglers fishing along the banks.
Comments to anglers about your sampling results, and fishing-related conclusions that can be drawn from your data:
The American shad will be increasing in number over the next several weeks. Shad sampled were returned to the river in good condition.
Tar/Pamlico River Creel Survey Information – For the week of March 10 to March 16
Upper Region (Rocky Mount to Greenville)
Fishing Activity: The weather improved last week. The fish were here, but the high water and flow made access difficult. One agent observed anglers catching American shad at Battle Creek. Plenty of hickory shad were reported from Old Sparta.
Lower Region (Greenville to Washington)
Fishing Activity: A few striped bass were caught, but most were undersized. Fishing effort was low for this time of the year. Muddy water was a big problem for striped bass anglers. The striped bass bite should improve as the water warms and clears a bit.
Fisheries Biologist Kirk Rundle holds an American shad that was sampled on March 17 from the Tar River.