    [From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                     THE STATUS AND ABUNDANCE OF STRIPED BASSJ MORONE SAXA-1-ILIS.;
               IN THE ROANOKE RIVER AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDi NORTH CAROLINA, 1977-1981

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                                                     by
                                             Wi I I i am W. Hassler
                                            Professor of zoology
                                       North Carolina state University

                               North Carolina Department of Natural Resources
                                         and Community Development
                                       Division of Marine Fisheries

                                         Morehead City, NC 28557

                                    Completion Report for Project AFS-14

                                                 March 1984

                            This project was'conducted.under the Anadromous Fish
                            Act (PL 89-304, as amended) and funded; in part, by
                            The U.S. Department of the Int@rior, Fish and Wildlife
                            Service.

            SH351
             .B3H35
            1984

                                                  ABSTRACT

                           Several aspects of the life history and fisheries for striped
                      bass, Morone saxatilis, were investigated during 1977-81 in Roanoke
                      River and Albemarle Sound, North Carolina. Commercial and
                      recreational harvests declined sharply to extremely low levels.
                      Estimated egg production during 1981 was the lowest on record. Egg
                      viability was extremely low during 1977-80, but improved in 1981.
                      Juvenile abundance declined to the lowest level on record in 1981.
                      The number of fish tagged declined during the study period as did
                      the exploitation rate. Estimates of the spawning population, based
                      on the tagging work, were the lowest on record during 1980 and 1981.

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                                                   TABLE OF %CONTENTS                              Page
               LIST OF TABLES  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      ii-iii

               LIST OF FIGURES   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        iv

               INTRODUCTION    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        1

               COMMERCIAL FISHING  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        4
                 Commercial Catch  of Striped Bass  in North Carolina   . . . . . . . . . . . . .     4
                 Commercial Catch  of Striped Bass  in the Roanoke River    . . . . . . . . . . .     6
                 Commercial Catch  of Striped Bass  in Albemarle Sound    . . . . . . . . . . . .   12
               SPORT FISHING - ROANOKE RIVER    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     16
               QUANTITATIVE SAMPLING OF STRIPED BASS EGGS, ROANOKE RIVER,     N. C. . . . . . . .   19,
                 Viability of Striped Bass Eggs   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     20-
               SAMPLING OF YOUNG-OF-YEAR STRIPED BASS IN ALBEMARLE SOUND      . . . . . . . . . .   22
                 Trawl Data for Other Sp ecies Collected  wit h Striped Bass  in Albemarle
                   Sound   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   * * * ' * * * * *  * * * * * * *  . . .  24.
               BALLOON TRAWL COLLECTIONS IN   THE ROANOKE  RIVER AND MIDDLE RIVER,  N. C.,1978    . 26
               STRIPED BASS TAGGING STUDIES   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     34
               POPULATION ABUNDANCE  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      35
               SUMMARY   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      37-39
               LITERATURE CITED  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      40

                                                      LIST OF TABLES

               Table                                                                                  Page
                 1.   Commercial catch and monetary value of striped bass in North
                      Carolina, 1977-1981   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        5
                 2.   Commercial catch of striped bass in    North Carolina, 1977-1981, by
                      months, quantity in pounds   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       7
                 3.   Commercial catch of striped bass by    number and weight (lbs), Roanoke
                      River, N. C.3, 1977-1981  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .        9
                 4.   Roanoke River commercial catch of striped bass by gear, 1977-1981        . . . .  10
                 5.   Roanoke River commercial catch of striped bass by gear and effort,
                      1977-1981  . . . . . . . . .                                                      11
                 6.   Commercial catch of striped b"as*s*by* w*ee'kl'y'in*te*rv*al's', 1*97*7-'19'81*   13
                 7.   Roanoke River commercial catch of striped bass (in number of fish)
                      by location, 1977-1981    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       14
                 8.   Catch per unit effort for striped bass caught by commercial gear on
                      the Roanoke River, 1977-1981     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      15
                 9.   Commercial landings of striped bass from the Albemarle Sound area,
                      1977-1981  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     15
                10.   Catch and effort data   for striped bass caught by rod and reel fishery
                      in the Weldon area of   the Roanoke River, 1977-1981     . . . . . . . . . . .    17
                11.   Catch and effort data   for striped bass caught by bow nets (drifting)
                      in the Roanoke River,   N. C., 1977-1981    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .     17
                12.   Catch and effort data   for striped bass caught by bow nets (fight) in the
                      Roanoke River, N. C.,   1977-1981  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      17
                13.   Estimated 'sport catch  and effort of striped bass in the Roanoke River,
                      N. C. 1977-1981    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .       18
                14.   Estimated number of striped bass eggs spawned in the Roanoke River,
                      N. C., 1977-1981    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .       20
                15.   Striped bass egg viability during the spawning season in the Roanoke
                      River, N. C., 1977-1981      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .      21
                16.   Striped bass spawning and egg viability related to water temperature
                      during spawning season, Roanoke River, N. C., 1977-1981       . . . . . . . . .   21
                17.   Mean number of young-of-year striped bass caught per 15-minute trawl
                      by year and station in Albemarle Sound, N. C., 1977-1981        . . . . . . . .   24

              Table                                                                                Page
                18.  Number of fishes collected by bottom trawl in Albemarle Sound,
                     N. C. by species and year, 1977-1981     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   25
                19.  Bottom trawl data by species and mean catch per trawl in western
                     Albemarle Sound from 1977 to 1981    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   27-28
                20.  Bottom trawl fish catch composition by species and mean catch per
                     trawl in Albemarle Sound, N. C., 1977-1981 (269 trawls)     . . . . . . . . .  29-30
                21.  Species and number of fish collected by bottom trawl in the Roanoke
                     River and Middle River, N. C., 1978    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   31
                22.  Species and number of fish collected by day surface trawl in the
                     Roanoke River and Middle River, N. C., 1978    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   32
                23.  Species and number of fish collected by night surface trawl in
                     the Roanoke River, N. C., 1978 (24 trawls)     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   33
                24.  Number of striped bass tagged in the Roanoke River, 1977-1981     . . . . . .  34
                25.  Cumulative rate of exploitation for striped bass in Roanoke River
                     and Albemarle Sound, N. C. 1977-1981     . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3.5
                26.  Estimated number of striped bass in the spawning population in the
                     Roanoke River, N. C., 1977-1981   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    36

                                                                                               iv

                                                 LIST OF FIGURES

              Ficure                                                                         Page
                1. Map of the Roanoke River and  Albemarle Sound, N. C. . . . . . . . . . . .  2
                2. Map of the sampling area and  station locations for young-of-year striped
                    bass in the western end of Albemarle Sound, N. C.   . . . . . . . . . . . 23

                                                  INTRODUCTION

                   The Roanoke River is a major coastal stream of North Carolina. It originates
              in Virginia on the eastern slopes of the Appalachian Ridge, traverses the rolling
              Piedmont Plateau, descends the Atlantic Coastal Plain and discharges into Albe-
              marle Sound through several channels (Figure 1). A descent of 2,900 feet occurs
              in the 410 miles from the headwaters to the estuary. The drainage basin of the
              Roanoke covers approximately 9,600 square miles, of which two-thirds are in
              Virginia and one-third in North Carolina. The average annual discharge of the
              Roanoke River at Weldon, North Carolina is approximately 8,500 cubic feet per
              second. Carnes (1965) presented a general description of the chemical, physical,
              and biological features of the Roanoke River Basin.
                   Albemarle Sound is a shallow coastal estuary which extends about 60 mi in
              an east-west direction from the mouth of the Roanoke River. It averages about
              7 mi in width (range 3.5 to 15 mi), and its area is about 500 square miles.
              Eight rivers drain into Albemarle Sound, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean
              via Oregon Inlet. Salinities vary from 0 parts per thousand (ppt) in the wes-
              tern end to approximately 10 ppt at the eastern extremity.

                                           Hydroelectric Impoundments

                   The record flood which occurred in 1940 instigated the construction of
              hydroelectric impoundments on the Roanoke River by the Corps of Engineers, U. S.
              Army and the Virginia Electric and Power Company. The John H. Kerr Dam was
              completed in 1952 at river mile 179.5. It is a multipurpose impoundment for
              flood control and hydroelectric power and covers an area of about 49,000 acres
              at normal elevation. The Gaston Dam was constructed downstream (river mile
              145.5) from the John H. Kerr Dam. It was completed in 1963 and serves primar-
              ily for hydroelectric power. It has a surface area of 20,300 acres. The
              Roanoke Rapids Dam, located at river mile 137.5, was completed in 1955. It
              impounds approximately 4,900 acres (Figure 1).

                                                                                                                           A

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                                                                                                                           A
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                             Kerr    Gaston             VIRGINIA
                             Da
                                       Dam  Roanoke Rapids                                                                 C
                                             Dam
                                                                                                                           0

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                                 --1oke Rapids,             Maj or Spawning                                                C
                                  al           lb*.t*         Area (130 M)           Chowan
                                (135 M)                   lel
                                              e I dn, I,                              River                                A
                                       120 M-1-ialifax----,,     Kelford                                                   N
                                             Palmyra---.---,. 4a            r
                              N
                                                                 Lew is toil
                                                                           B idge
                                        Scotland Neck               Roanoke River
                                              Flobgood
                                              Oak C i ty
                                                                           37.5 M
                                                        I lam i I ton                                Albemarle Sound
                                                         (62 M)              Broad
                                                                             C
                                                                              ,reek
                     NORTH CAROLINA                       WilliafflstoAm-'@-l
                                                         18 M-Jamesville               'Plymouth                           Oreqi)n
                                                                  Da I ey Hi I 1         (6 M)
                                                                   (12.5 M)

                                                                                       Welch Creek

                          F igure I   M@lp of tile Roanoke River and Albemarle sound, N. C.

                      The waters of the Roanoke River serve three major users--hydroelectric
                 power, industrial, and fisheries, both sport and commercial. Other important
                 users include agriculture, lumbering, transportation, and recreation.
                      The conflicting uses of the Roanoke River necessitated the formation of.a
                 Steering Committee for Roanoke River Studies in 1955. This organization, com-
                 posed of state , federal, and private agencies and interests, made a comprehensive
                 study of the river in order to adjudicate conflicting interests and maintain
                 river conditions to permit multiple use. The results of this study were presented
                 in detail by Fish (1959).
                      The cooperative Roanoke-Albemarle Str'iped Bass Studies originated in 1955 as
                 part of the Steering Committee studies. Our studies were originally supported by
                 the National Council for Stream Improvement, Weyerhaeuser Company, and Albemarle
                 Paper Manufacturing Company. The Steering Committee Studies were terminated in
                 1958, but the Weyerhaeuser Company continued its support in an endeavor to be a
                 concerned and responsible corporate-neighbor. However, cooperative field work
                 was resumed in 1975 with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the North Carolina
                 Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, Division of Marine
                 Fisheries, under the Anadromous Fish Act (PL 89-304).
                      These studies have been conducted annually since 1955 to provide long term
                 information on the status and abundance of the striped bass which is the most
                 valuable sport and commercial fish in the Roanoke River and Albemarle Sound. This
                 annual study provides a continuing source of data on the status of the striped bass
                 population. The data are utilized by state agencies for current management infor-
                 mation and decisions.
                      The long term objectives of the striped bass studies are as follows: (1) to
                 determine the striped bass catch and rite of exploitation by commercial fishermen;
                 (2) to determi'ne the catch and rate of exploitation by sport fishermen; (3) to
                 record the prevailing ecological conditions during the spawning season in the Weldon
                 area; (4) to collect striped bass eggs during the spawning season in order to
                 estimate the number of eggs spawned and the viability of the eggs; (5) to estimate
                 the size of the spawning population; (6) to detect changes in the size of the
                 spawning population; (7) to determine the ecological conditions prevailing in
                 Albemarle Sound when the striped bass larvae reach the estuary; (8) to make periodic

                                                                                           4

               trawl collections in Albemarle Sound during the summer and fall to determine the
               relative abundance and growth of striped bass young-of-year; (9) to detect variat-
               ions in recruitment of striped bass in the Albemarle Sound population; (10) to
               observe and recommend fishery management practices which might provide the best
               sustained yield for the present and future purposes; and (11) to develop methods
               of predicting future commercial catches.
                    The data acquired during these studies have been available to graduate
               students for special problems and thesis material and also to biologists in other

               areas.
                    This report was prepared in compliance with the agreement for Project AFS-14
               funded, in part, by the Fish and Wildlife Service, U. S. Department of Interior
               under the Anadromous Fish Conservation Act, PL-89-304 (as amended). Additional
               funding was provided by the Weyerhaeuser COMDany.

                                               COMMERCIAL FISHING
                               Commercial Catch of Striped Bass in North Carolina

                    The commercial fish landings in North Carolina have been recorded since 1887
               by various federal agencies, including the U. S. Fish Commission, the U. S. Bureau
               of Commercial Fisheries, and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the
               National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Since 1978, data have been collected
               by the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development,
               Division of Marine Fisheries in cooperation with NMFS. In 1980 the North Carolina
               Division of Marine Fisheries took over the publication of these data.
                    From 1967 to 1976 the commercial striped bass catch exceeded 1,000,000 pounds
               annually. The peak year was 1970, and a total of 2,318,000 pounds was landed during
               that year. However, by 1977 the commercial striped bass landings had declined to
               approximately 572,000 pounds, and decreased landings were reported for the five con-
               secutive years extending from 1977 through 1981. These data are listed in Table 1.
                    Decreased striped bass landings have been reported throughout the United States
               since the mid 1970's, and this decline is generally attributed to long-term cyclic
               fluctuations and short-term meterological conditions. These reduced catches have
               instigated considerable criticisms of striped bass management policies from

                                                                                                         5

                Table 1. Commercial catch and monetary value of striped bass in           North Carolina,
                            1977-1981                 Quantity in                   Value in dollars
                Year                                  Pounds x 1000                     x 1000

                1977                                      572                              405
                1978                                      698                              623
                1979                                      614                              577
                1980                                      473                              435
                1981                                      417                              452

                                                                                            6

               commercial fishermen and sport fishermen. However, in my opinion the advent of
               favorable meterological conditions should result in a gradual improvement in
               striped bass catches.
                   The monthly commercial catch records for striped bass for the years 1977, 1978,
               1979, 1980, and 1981 are tabulated in Table 2. The most productive month for
               commercial striped bass was-March-with a cumulative total of 541,220 pounds. February
               accounted for 398,764 pounds, while November landings totalled 380,813 pounds.
               Generally, the striped bass landings for this 5-year period were in excess of
               200,000 pounds for the months extending from October through April. May and September
               were in excess of 100,000 pounds, and the summer months of June, July, and August
               were less than 100,000 pounds. Generally, the cool and cold weather months pre-
               dominated the striped bass commercial landings.

                              Commercial Catch of Striped Bass in the Roanoke River

                    Commercial fishing extends 102 miles from the mouth of the Roanoke River
               upstream to the Scotland Neck bridge (Figure 1). Striped bass are caught by various
               types of commercial gear which include anchor gill nets, "rock" drift gill nets
               (drift gill nets designed to catch striped bass), trotlines, fishing machines or
               wheels, hoop and fyke nets, rod and reel, and haul seines. A small number of striped
               bass are captured in herring nets and perch traps.
                   A complete census of the striped bass commercial fishery in the Roanoke River
               has been conducted by the Roanoke-Albemarle Project personnel since 1958. Each
               commercial fisherman was contacted prior to the fishing season and the commercial
               creel census was discussed with him. A log book was given to each fisherman to
               record the daily catch and effort for striped bass. During the season field biol-
               ogists contacted each fisherman weekly to obtain the records. Some of the more
               active commercial fishermen are contacted daily. Also, the field biologists main-
               tained records for other fishermen in the operation of a striped bass tagging program.
               Additional records are obtained from daily receipts of commercial fishermen and
               from fish houses in the area. The most complete records were obtained from the more
               experienced and successful fishermen. Records were not received with much accuracy
               from some intermittent and irregular commercial fishermen. However, the striped bass
               catch of these individuals constituted a negligible percentage, A local fisherman

                                                                                                           7

                 Table 2.    Commercial catch of striped bass in North Carolina, 1977-1981,
                             by months, quantity in pounds

                                                                   Year
                 Month               1977          1978          1979          1980          1981           Total

                 January           49,291         58,515        47,179        34,339        34,446       223,770
                 February          47,500       185,743-        82,779        48,949        33,793       398,764
                 March             63,713        141,487        246,854       44,848        44,318       541,220
                 April             32,886         79,667        63,777        27,248        29,746       233,324
                 May               22,182         22,509        32,446        17,399        18,949       113,485
                 June              18,395         12,316        11,293        12,027        15,807         69,838
                 July                 6,165         9,058         5,148       14,955        11,581         46,907
                 August            13,841           8,170         4,610       15,8T9-'      13,749         56,189
                 September         22,243         17,007        13,480        26,839        42,170       121,739
                 October           62,912         73,652        41,750        85,291        80,268       343,873
                 November          118,631        57,231        33,399        102,250       69,302       380,813
                 December          113,892        32,507        31,469        42,539        23,195       243,602

                 Total             571,651       697,862       614,184        472,503       417,324     2,773,524

                                                                                               8

               was also employed to maintain records of the catches of "sport-commercial" fisher-
               men who fish mainly weekends and at night. This group has competed for fishing
               areas with the traditional resident commercial fishermen, and some conflict has
               ensued from the competitive and crowded conditions.
                    Declining striped bass populations in recent years (1977-1980) necessitated
               a review of commercial fishing methods employed in the Roanoke River during the
               striped bass spawning run. The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission con-
               ducted public hearings during the winter of 1980-1981 and amended the fisheries
               regulations for the Roanoke, Cashie, Middle, and Eastmost Rivers as follows:
                    (1)  No 'fixed or stationary gill net of any size shall be used during the
                         period April 1 to May 31 from the mouth of the Roanoke River to Highway
                         258 bridge.
                    (2)  No drift gill net with a mesh length of less than two and one-fourth inches
                         or greater than three inches stretch mesh shall be used during the period
                         April 1 to May 31 from the mouth of the Roanoke River to Highway 258 bridge.
                    Also, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission was instrumental in the
               rescinding of a local regulation permitting the use of special devices such as drift
               bow nets and fight bow nets in the Weldon area of the Roanoke River.
                    The commercial striped bass catch in the Roanoke River is recorded by number
               and weight for 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1981 in Table 3. These data indicate an
               acceptable decline in catches for 1977, 1978 and 1979 but a sharp decline occurred
               in 1980. A precipitous drop occurred in 1981, but this was the result of the ban on
               set gill nets for striped bass. It is also necessary to point out that the highest
               total of 16,253 striped bass was caught in a high water year. The sharp decline to
               2,286 striped bass occurred in 1980 whic'h was one of the lowest years on record
               in respect to river flow during the spring spawning run.
                    Examination of the data presented in Table 4 shows that anchor gill nets were
               the most proficient gear in catching striped bass, with a total catch of 29,450 fish
               over the 5-year period, 1977-1981. This gear caught the highest total of striped bass

                                                                                                   9

                Table 3. Commercial catch of striped bass by number and weight (lbs), Roanoke
                River, N. C., 1977-1981

                    'Year                          Number.ca.ught                 Total weight in pounds

                    1977                                10,465                             36,620
                    1978                                16,253                             56,886
                    1979                                 9,798                             34,293
                    1980                                 2,286                              8,001
                    1981.                                  349                              1,468.

               in the Roanoke River     in 1978 when 12,085 fish were taken. This peak      catch declined
               to 8,511 striped bass    in 1979, and the fishery was severely curtailed     in 1980 when
               anchor gill nets captured only 1,935 striped bass. However, fishing conditions in
               the Roanoke River were very poor during 1980 because of a prolonged drought and con-
               sequent low river flows.
                    The 1981 striped bass commercial catches.were completely curtailed in 1981 by
               the ban on anchor gill nets. However, low water levels limited the catch from the
               use of other gear.
                    Roanoke River striped bass catch and effort data are presented in Table 5 by
               gear for the years 1977-1981. The greatest effort was expended by hoop net fishermen
               with a total of 17,339 net days. However, this gear is very inefficient in catching
               striped,bass,and only 290 fish were caught despite the effort expended. The second
               largest effort was expended by anchor gill nets with 15,600 net days, and a capture
               of 29,450 fish. Again,    we mention that the anchor gill net has been banned by reg-
               ulation commencing in the 1981 season. Herring-drift gill nets are used considerably
               on the Roanoke kiver,but this gear catches few striped bass. An effort of 3,684 net
               days over the 5-year period caught only 211 striped bass. Drift gill nets for striped
               bass (now banned) caught the most striped bass in relation to effort with a total of
               6,911 striped bass caught during 1,*066 net days. However, the use of this gear is
               governed closely by river flow conditions. Trotlines, fishing machines, rod and reel,
               and herring-set gill nets account for lesser numbers of striped bass.

             -Table 4. Roanoke River come      rcial catch of striped bass by gear, 1977-1981

                       Anchor        Drift                      Hoop   Fishing    Rod &    Herring set Herring drift
              Year     gill net      gill net     Trotline     net     machine     reel    gill net         gill net            Total catch

              1977        6,597        3,134           59        155      220      164            -             136                10,465
              1978       12,085        3,278           4          48      698        94          14              32                16,253
              1979        8,511          433           3          81      571      142           20              37                 9,798
              1980         1,935          66           0           5      138      138            0               4                 2,286
              1981.          322           0           9           1         14        0          1               2                    349

              Total      29,450        6,911           75        290     1,641     538           35             211                39,151.

              Table 5.      Roanoke River commercial catch of striped bass by gear and effort, 1977-1981

                                                                                                                         Herring-set Herring-drift
              Year    Anchor gill net     Drift gill net     Trotline     Hoop net     Fishing machine Rod & reel         gill net       gill net

                        Fish      Days        Fish     Days  Fish Days   Fish Days        Fish     Days    Fish   Days    Fish    Days   Fish     Days
              1977    6,597     2,615        3,134      359    59    345   155  A-074     220      148     164     104     -      -       136      908
              1978    12,085    4,241       3,278       433    4     17     48   3,623    698      136       94    79      14     266      32    1,007
              1979-   8,511     6,112          433      210    3     70     81  2' 'OT9   571      148     142     79      20     371      37    1,008
              1980    1,935     2,441           66       64    0       0     5     430    138        95    138     63        0     56       4       83
              1981       322       191           0        0    9    188      1   6,893      14       30       0      0       1     42       2      678

              Total 29,450    . 15,600      6,911 ' 1,066      75   620    290  17,339   1,641     557     538     325     35     735     211    3,684
              C.U.E.        1.89                 6.48           0.12          0.02              2.95           1.66            0.05         0.06
              Percent of
              Total Catch     75..22             17.65          0.19          0,74              M9             1.37            0.09         0.54

                                                                                              12

                    The 1977-1981 commercial catch of striped bass from the Roanoke River is
               listed by weeks in Table 6. The five-week period from April 1 to May 5 accounted
               for approximately 77% of the season's catch. The season extends over a 16-week
               span, but the majority of landings are concentrated over a 5-7-week period.
                    The commercial catch of striped bass by location along the Roanoke River is
               presented in Table 7 for the years 1977-1981. These data show that the commercial
               fishery is (was) concentrated in the Jamesville and Williamston areas where 92.42%
               of the striped bass were landed.
                    The catch per unit effort of striped bass by various commercial methods in
               the Roanoke River is tabulated in Table 8 for the years 1977-1981. These data
               indicate the most efficient gear is drift gill nets with a catch of 6.48 striped
               bass per unit effort. The second most efficient is the fishing machine which
               lands 2.95 striped bass per gear day but is limited in effort by river conditions.
               The anchor gill net lands 1.89 fish per net day, rod and reel lands 1.66 striped
               bass per unit effort, and the catches by trotlines, hoop nets, and herring nets
               (drift and set) are all negligible.

                               Commercial Catch of Striped Bass in Albemarle Sound

                    The commercial catch of striped bass in Albemarle Sound is presented in Table 9.
               These data indicate a considerable decline in striped bass landings in 1977 and sub-
               sequent years. The previous striped bass landings for 1975 and 1976 were 625,005 and
               610,385 pounds, respectively. The five-year (1977-1981) commercial catch of striped
               bass is the lowest for any similar period over the.past 22 years.

                Table 6. Commercial catch of striped bass by weekly intervals, 1977-1981

                                                                  Number striped bass caught
                                                                       Year                                                 Percent of
                Weeks                           1977       1978        1979       1980        1981      Total catch         total catch

                Prior  to March 25              396          89          70         2            1            558               1.43
                March  25-31                 1,245         137         269          13           4          1,668               4.26
                April  1-7                   2,243       1,099         751          78          30          4,201              10.73
                Apr-il 8-14                  2,439       3,232      1,666         353          105          7,795              19.91
                April  15-21                 1,757       3,389      1,898         385          145          7,574              19.35
                April  22-28                 1,054       2,333      2,445         553           45          6,430              16.42
                April  29-May 5                 642      1,555      1,412         340            1          3,950              10.09
                May 6-12                        328      1,134         757        322           14          2,555               6.53
                May 13-19                       208        871         337        196            3          1,615               4.13
                May 20-26                       117        625         136          44           1            923               2.36
                May'27-June 2                     30       518           52         -            -            600               1.53
                June 3-9                          6        454           5          -            -            465               1.19

                June 10-16                        -        374           -          -            -            374               0.96

                June 17-23                        -        275           -          -            -            275               0.70

                June 24-30                        -        140           -          -            -            140               0.36
                July 1-2                          -          28          -          -            -              28              0.07

                Total                        10,465      16,253     9,798        2,286         349         39,151              100.00
                Percent of
                total catch                  26,73       41.51        25.03       5.84       0.89

                                                                                                                                                   Lo

                                                                                                         14

                 Table 7. Roanoke River commercial catch of striped bass (in number of fish) by
                 location, 1977-1981

                                                                                      Oak City
                                                                                      Hobgood
                         Plymouth                                                     Palmyra
                        Daley Hill                                                    Kelford    Scotland
                 Year   Broad Creek       Jamesville      Williamston     Hamilton    Lewiston    Neck           Total

                 1977          538           5,900           3,519           298          85        125        10,465
                 1978          283           4,458           11,469           39          4           -        16,253
                 1979       1,057            1,375           6,957           409          -                      9,798
                 1980           83              147          2,007            49          -           -          2,286
                 1981            0                 1            348             0         0           0             349

                 Total      1,961            11,881          24,300          795          89        125        39,151

                 Percent
                 of total     5.00           30.35           62.07          2.03        0.23      0.32         100.00
                 catch

                                                                                                     15

              Table'8. Catch per unit effort for striped bass caught by commercial gear on the
              Roanoke River, 1977-1981

                       Anchor        Drift     Trot-    Hoop    Fishing    Rod &     Herring-set     Herring-drift
              Year    gill net     gilT.net    line     net     machine    re6l''     gill net         gill net

              1977       2.52         8.73     0.17     0.04      1.49     1.58             -            0.15

              1978       2.85         7.57     0.24     0.01      5.13     1.19           0.05           0.03
              1979       1.39         2.06     0.04     0.04      3.86     1.80           0.05           0.04
              1980       0.79         1.03     0.00     0.01      1.45     2.19           0.00           0.05

              1981       T.69         0.00     0.05     0.0001    0.47     0.00                          0.003

              Weighted
                mean     1.89         6.48     0.12     0.02      2.95     1.66           0.05           0.06

               Table 9. Commercial landings of striped       bass from the Albemarle Sound area,
                          1977-1981

                                 Year                                    Landings Ob).

                                 1977                                      422,144
                                 1978                                      475,913
                                 1979                                      243,744
                                 1980                                      376,510
                                 1981                                      333,484

                    From National Marine Fisheries Service and North       Carolina Division of Marine
                    Fisheri.e.s.

                                                                                           16

                                                 SPORT FISHING

                   Sport fishing for striped bass in the Roanoke River occurs over a 140-mile
             area from the mouth of the river to the Roanoke Rapids dam. The Weldon area is
             the most popular site for striped bass anglers. Consequently, our creel census
             effort is concentrated in the Weldon area, although catch records are maintained
             for the entire 140-mile stretch. We strive to collect complete creel census data
             at Weldon during the spawning season and maintain personnel at the access site
             approximately 18 hours per day.
                   The striped bass catch and effort for rod and reel fishermen in the Weldon
             area of the Roanoke River, 1977-1981, is presented in Table 10. These data show
             that the most fish were caught in 1977 and 1979 with 10,898 and 11,126 striped
             bass respectively. The catch per unit effort for these years of 3.98 and 3.16
             striped bass were also the highest achieved during the five-year period. It should
             be stressed that 1977 and 1979 were years of more normal river flows. High river
             discharges occurred during the spawning season in 1978, and record low flows occurred
             in 1980 and 1981. A similar striped bass catch distribution also occurred in 1977
             and 1979 for bow nets (drifting) when a total of 2,054 and 835 fish were taken res-
             pectively (Table 11). Again river flows disrupted the fishing in 1978 (high water)
             and in 1980 (low water), and bow netting was banned in 1981.
                   The striped bass bow net catch from "fights" is listed in Table 12. These data
             show that the most striped bass were landed by this method in 1977 (8,769). In
             second place was 1979 (5,957), and 1980 ranked third (5,451). The fewest fish were
             caught in 1978 (1,051) when high water releases interferred with this type of fishing.
             In 1981 the regulation banning bow netting precluded the catch of striped bass. It
             should be noted that the catch of striped bass did not decline appreciably in 1980
             (a low water year) since this type of fishing harvests the fish at the surface while
             spawning, when they are easily exploited.
                   The estimated sport catch and effort for all areas of the Roanoke River is
             presented in Table 13. These data show the decline in sport catch and effort from
             1977 (10,074 trips and 32,983 striped bass) to 1981 (2,706 trips and 3,905 fish
             caught). The 1981 decline in the size of the spawning run of striped bass was aggrav-
             ated by the low water flow during the migratory period. The 1981 sport catch of
             3,905 striped bass was the lowest recorded during the 26-year tenure of the study.

                                                                                                          17

                Table 10. Catch and effort data for striped bass caught by rod and reel fishery
                             in the Weldon area of the Roanoke River, 1977-1981

                Year              Boat days               Total catch                   C.U.E.     S.E.

                1977                 2,739                    10,898                     3.98     0.11
                1978                 1,450                    3,500                      2.41     0.14
                1979                 3,525                    11,126                     3.16     0.11
                1980                 2,518                    7,279                      2.89     0.18
                1981                 2,128                    3,427                      1.61     0.11

                Total                12,360                   36,230                     2.93

                Table  11. Catch    and effort data for striped bass caught by bow       nets  (drifting)
                             in the Roanoke River, N. C., 1977-1981

                                                                               Mean no.
                             No.         No.        No.           Total        fish/boat
                Year         boats       nets       f i sherTnen  catch         � S.E.              ZX2

                1977          253        257           483        2,054       8.12 � 0.76          53,134
                1978            83        83           173          286       3.45  � 0.63           3,582
                1979          190        190           383          835       4.39     0.46        11,111
                1980            85        85           170          415       4.88     0.66          5,217
                1981          No bow nets allowed    in the Weldon area in    1981

                Total         611        615        1,209         3,590       5.88

                Table  12. Catch and effort data for striped bass caught by bow nets (fight) in the
                             Roanoke River, N. C., 1977-1981

                                                                               Mean no.
                             No.         No.        No.           Total        fish/boat
                Year         boats       nets       fishermen     catch         � S.E.            ZX2

                1977          986        987        2,028         8,769       8.89 � 0-56         384,537
                1978          328        328           690        1,051       3.20  � 0.42         22,499
                '1979         719        720        1,404         5,957       8.29  � 0.57        215,807
                1980          437        437                      5,451       5.90  � 0.71        463,725
                1981          No bow nets allowed in the Weldon area in       1981

                Total        2,470      2,472       4,122        21,228       8.59

                                                                                                        18

                Table 13. Estimated sport catch and effort of striped bass in the Roanoke
                            Ri'ver, N. C. 1977-1981

                Year                 No. fishing units             No. striped  bass           C.U.E.

                1977                       10,074                       32,983                  3.27
                1978                       10,161                       28,016                  2.76
                1979                        9,048                       29,419                  3.25
                1980                        4,189                       15,239                  3.64
                1981                        2,706                         3,905                 1.44

                Total                      36,178                       109,562                 3.03

                                                                                               19

                                   QUANTITATIVE SAMPLING OF STRIPED BASS EGGS

                   The Roanoke-Albemarle project striped bass egg sampling station was located
              at Barnhill's Landing from 1977 through 1981. Barnhill's Landing is located
              approximately nine miles downstream from the major spawning grounds at Weldon,
              North Carolina. Some striped bass spawning occurs below the sampling station,
              but it is relatively insignificant.
                   The river's contour at Barnhill's Landing was surveyed, and a nomagraph was
              drawn indicating the cross-sectional area in square feet of the river for each river
              stage. A river stage gauge   was constructed at the sampling station.
                   The samples were taken by a standard 10-inch net from each side of the stern
              of a small aluminum outboard motorboat. The nets were adjusted according to river
              flow to remain approximately six inches under the surface. Five-minute samples
              were collected eight times daily at three-hour intervals. The river stage, surface
              water temperature, and air temperature were recorded as each sample was taken. The
              number of striped bass eggs collected by each net was counted, the number of non-
              viable eggs determined, and the stage determined for the viable eggs. For each day
              the estimated number of eggs spawned was calculated by using the following equation:
                            N =   514.29 XY
                   where    N =   estimated number of eggs spawned in 24-hour period
                            X =   average number of eggs collected per net during 24-hour period
                            Y =   cross-sectional area of river for average river stage during
                                  24-hour period,
                   and      514.29 = constant for 10-inch net.
                   The annual striped bass egg sampling program commences at the first significant
              indication of spawning and continues until it is virtually negligible.
                   The estimated number of striped bass eggs spawned annually in the Roanoke River
              for the period 1977-1981 is tabulated in Table 14. These data show a continual
              decline in the number of eggs spawned, and this decline is the most acute ever re-
              corded during the past 20 years. This decrease in the total number of eggs spawned is
              attributed to the reduction in number of spawners, decreased egg viability (1977-1981)
              and low river flows in 1980 and  1981.

                                                                                                        20

                Table 14. Estimated number of striped bass eggs spawned in the Roanoke River,
                            N. C., 1977-1981

                                                                       Estimated number of
                            Year                                       striped bass eggs spawned

                            1977                                              1,775,957,318
                            1978                                              1,691,227,585
                            1979                                             1 613,382,382
                            1980                                                870,322,832
                            1981                                                344,364,065

                                             Viability of Striped Bass Eggs

                     The viability of the    striped bass eggs is determined immediately following
                collection of   each sample. Non-viable eggs have been classified into the following
                categories: 1.   Milky-white and opaque
                            2.   Yolk disintegrated and perivitellene space cloudy
                            3.   Yolk disintegrated and perivitellene space clear
                            4.   Yolk and oil globule disintegrated
                            5.   Oil globule broken or disintegrated
                            6.   Embryo disintegrated
                            7.   Post larvae dead upon collection
                            8.   Embryo normal but yolk subnormal in size
                            9.   Embryo abnormal
                     Striped bass egg viability was determined over the five-year period from 1977 to
                1981. These data are presented in Table 15. These data indicate that striped bass
                egg viability, which first declined in 1975 (55.69%) and 1976 (50.73%) reached its
                lowest point in 1978 (37.72%). The viability continued poor in 1979 and 1980 with
                43.62 and 43.39% respectively. However, a resurgence in viability occurred in
                1981 with an increase to 73.70%.

                                                                                                           21

                Table 15. Striped bass egg viability during the spawning season in the
                            Roanoke River, N. C., 1977-1981

                               Number of                      Number of                  Percent
                Year           non-viable eggs                viable eggs               viable eggs

                1977              6,332                         7,061                      52.72
                1978              2,942                         1,782                      37.72
                1979              4,448                         3,442                      43.62
                1980              3,025                         2,319                      43.39
                1981                 911                        2,554                      73.70

                Total             17,658                        17,158                     49.28

                     The striped bass    egg viability as related to water temperatures is tabulated
                in Table 16. These data indicate a considerable range of temperatures with similar
                viabilities and are not in agreement with previous Roanoke River studies showing
                optimum egg viabilities in the 17-200 C range.

                Table 16. Striped bass spawning and egg viability related to water temperature
                            during spawning season, Roanoke River, N. C., 1977-1981

                Temperature               Number of                Number of                Percent
                Range OC                  non-viable eggs            viable eggs            viable eggs

                10.3-11.9                         1                       0                    0.00

                12.0-13.6                        98                      53                  35.09
                13.7-15.3                    1,736                    1,138                  39.60
                15.4-17.0                    7,465                    6,158                  45.21
                17.1-18.7                    3,826                    4,385                  53.40
                18.8-20.4                    3,516                    4,414                  55.66
                20.5-22.1                       761                     743                  49.40
                22.2-23.8                       255                     267                  51.1-5

                Total                       17,658                   17,158                  49.28

                                                                                               22

                            SAMPLING OF YOUNG-OF-YEAR STRIPED BASS IN ALBEMARLE SOUND

                   Annual sampling to determine the survival and relative abundance of young-of-
              year striped bass has been conducted in Albemarle Sound from 1955 to 1981. The
              sampling area is located in western Albemarle Sound extending eastward approximately
              12 miles. Seven permanent sampling stations have been selected and demarcated by
              some fixed land feature. These locations are as follows:

                              Station No. 1  -  Black Walnut Point
                              Station No. 2  -  East of Edenton Bay
                              Station No. 3  -  North side between bridges
                              Station No. 4  -  North side east of N. C. 32 bridge
                              Station No. 5  -  South side east of N. C. 32 bridge
                              Station No. 6  -  South side between bridges
                              Station No. 7  -  Albemarle Beach
                   The sampling area  and station locations are illustrated in Figure 2.
                   A 5.49 m balloon trawl is used to collect the samples. The samples collected
              early in the sampling period are taken with a 6.35 mm stretched mesh cod end, while
              later samples are collected with a 12.7 mm stretched mesh cod end. Each trawl
              sample is of 15 minutes duration at a towing speed of approximately 2.75 mi per
              hour. The trawling depth varies between 6 and 10 feet. Wind direction and velocity,
              depth, air and water temperatures, and the time started and stopped are recorded
              for each sample. All striped bass are retained for growth information. Other
              species captured are identified, counted, measured (a sub-sample of 30 if the total
              number exceeds that), and released.
                   The mean number of young-of-year striped bass per 15-minute trawl in Albemarle
              Sound is listed-by year (1977-1981) and station in Table 17. These data show that
              there has been a severe decline in the number of young-of-year striped bass collected
              over the 1977-1981 time period. Previously, in 1975 and 1976 the mean catches of
              10.80 and 10.52 specimens per trawl were considered average in abundance. The drop to
              3.63 young-of-year striped bass per trawl in 1977 indicates below average recruitment
              for this year class. The next four years, 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1981 have been the

              MM mm@m@mm MEN

                              Chowan
                              Ri ver

                                    US 17
                                                          Edenton
                                                            Bay
                                                     N                        "- @3                   4

                                                             N and S
                                                           Railroad                   NC 32

                                                       ALBEMARLE       SOUND

                    NC 45

                                           Roanoke
                                            River

                                                                                         Nautical Miles
                                                          Trawling                          aw
                                                          Station
                                                                                              1     2     3

               Figure 2. Map-of the sampling area and station locations for young-of-year striped bass in the
                           western end of Albemarle Sound, N. C.

                                                                                                           24

                Table 17. Mean number of young-of-year striped bass caught per 15-minute
                             trawl by year and station in Albemarle Sound, N. C., 1977-1981

                                                                Station
                Year                    I       II         III      IV               VI         VII        Total

                1977                  5.62     2.38     4.50       0.43    4.43     4.50      3.25         3.63
                1978                  0.25     1.88     0.75       0.29    0.00     0.25      0.62         0.59
                1979                  0.57     2.29     0.00       0.29    0.14     0.00      0.57         0.55
                1980                  1.63     0.75     0.38       0.00    0.00     0.38      0.50         0.46
                1981                  0.00     0.04     0.00       0.04    0.00     0.00      0.02         0.09

                Mean                  0.24     0.22     0.17       0.03    0.12     0.14      0.14         1.06

                poorest four-year span of recruitment recorded over the          27-year   duration of the project.
                These four years (1978-1981) averaged 0.59, 0.55, 0.46,         and 0.09 young-of-year striped
                bass per trawl. The only other year in which the mean number of young-of-year striped
                bass occurred in this low range was 1958 when the mean number per trawl was 0.15.
                This low level of recruitment in 1958 was attributed to a very high rate of river
                discharge which persisted throughout the entire spawning season.
                      The data in Table 17 also indicate      that Stations I and II were the most productive
                areas from 1977 to 1981 for the collection of young-of-year striped bass. Station I
                (Black Walnut Point) has been the most productive trawling station for young-of-year
                striped bass throughout the duration of the project. Since this station is located
                at the mouth of the Chowan River, the influence of the discharge from this river on
                young-of-year striped bass should be investigated.

                               Trawl Data for Other Species Collected with Striped Bass
                                                     in Albemarle Sound

                      In Table 18 the number of fishes collected by bottom trawl in Albemarle Sound,
                N. C. are listed by species and year from 1977 through 1981. The species most
                commonly collected in the balloon trawl for this five-year period has been the white
                perch, with 32,868 specimens. The spot has ranked second in abundance with a catch
                of 5,463 fish while the blueback herring ranked third with a catch of 3,949 specimens.
                Anchovies were the fourth most abundant species with 1,658 specimens, and croakers were
                ranked fifth with 1,025 landed.

                                                                                                   25

                Table 18. Numbers of fishes collected by bottom trawl in Albemarle Sound, N. C.
                           by species and year, 1977-1981

                No. trawls                       54        54       49        56       56

                Year                             1977     1978      1979     1980      1981      Total

                Species
                Morone saxatilis (y-o-y)         196        32       27        26        5         286
                Acipenser oxyrhynchus               2                            3                    5
                Alosa aestivalis                 635     2,320       98       896                3,949
                Alosa mediocris                                      30        16                     46
                Alosa pseudoharengus             278       319      130        82                  809
                Alosa sapidissima                                    63          4                    67
                Anchoa hepsetus                                                          3            3
                Anchoa mitchilli                 325       170       48       201      914       1,658
                Anguilla rostrata                 20        15        7                               42
                Brevoortia tvrannu,5                7                          31        4            42
                CitharichthVs spilopterus           1                 1                               2
                CVprinus carpio                     4        9        5                  9            27
                Dorosoma cepedianum                          5                   2       4            11
                Esox americanus americanus                                       2                    2
                Esox niger                                   2                                        2
                Etheostoma nigrum                           51       42          8                 101
                Etheostoma olmstedi                 5       19                                        24
                Eucinostomus gula                   I                                                 I
                Ictalurus catus                  159       142      308        64       13         686
                Ictalurus furcatus                                    8                               8
                Ictalurus melas                                       2                               2

                Ictalurus nebulosus                                   1          1                    2
                Ictalurus punctatus               75        65      406       134       88         768
                Lagodon rhomboides                  2                                                 2
                Leiostomus xanthurus            4,238       38      242        43      902       5,463
                Lepoznis gibbosus                           16       52        12                     80
                Leponzis macrochirus                        16                   2                    18
                Lepomis SP.                                  3                                        3
                Micropogonias undulatus          623       30        83        11      238       1,025
                Micropterus salmoides                        1                                        1
                Morone americana                3,565   12,938     8,607    4,230     3,528      32,868
                Morone saxatili@ (yearling)       22         5                   5       5            37
                Moxostoma coregonus                                   3                               3
                Moxostoma SP.                       1        2                                        3
                Mugil curema                        1                                                 1
                Notropis hudsonius                16       212      232        26                  486
                Notzopis SP.                                 2                                        2
                Paralichthys lethostigma          15                  4          5      17            41
                Perca flavescens                  51       275      429       ill       12         878
                Pomatomus saltatrix                                                      1            1
                Pomoxis nigromaculatus                                3                               3
                Trinectes maculatus              @19       116      287        70       15         707
                Total finfish                                                                    50,165
                Callinectes sapidus              485        28       73                544       1,130
                Grand Total                                                                      51,295

                                                                                           26

                    The bottom trawl catch by species and mean number per trawl are contained in
              Table 19 for long-term comparisons with data collected before 1977.
                    Also, Table 20 lists the percentage of total catch in the balloon trawl for
              each species, and white perch composed 65.52% of the total fish catch. Spot
              accounted for 10.89% of the catch, blueback herring were 7.87%, anchovies were 3.31%,
              and croaker were 2.04% of the fish caught. These five species accounted for almost
              90% of the total number of fish collected in the balloon trawl.

                  BALLOON TRAWL COLLECTIONS IN THE ROANOKE RIVER AND MIDDLE RIVER, N. C., 1978

                    During 1978, bottom trawling, day surface trawling, and night surface trawling
              were conducted in the Roanoke River and in the Middle River which is a delta tributary
              of the Roanoke Ri.ver. A total of 98 six-minute bottom trawls were taken in the
              Roanoke River, and 17 six-minute bottom trawls were pulled in Middle River. These
              data are contained in Table 21, and confirm earlier trawling observations that
              young-of-year striped bass are not present in the delta river areas during the first
              summer of life. White perch was the most abundant species collected, and a total
              of 7,354 white perch were caught. The 'spot-tail shiner (Notropis hudsonius) ranked
              second in abundance (3,358), and the white catfish rated third in abundance, total-
              ling 3,201 specimens.
                    A total of 72 day surface trawl collections were taken in the Roanoke River,
              and 12 day surface trawl collections were made in the Middle River. The blueback
              herring was the most abundant species coTlected (246), while spot-tail shiners
              (Notropis hudsonius) and silvery minnows (Hybogmathus nuchalis) ranked second and
              third, with 135 and 122 specimens respectively (Table 22).
                    Twenty-fou@ night surface trawls were taken in the Roanoke River. Alewives
              predominated in the catch with 338 specimens, while silvery minnows and blueback
              herring followed with 239 and 159 fish respectively (Table 23).

                                                                                                      27

                Table 19. Mean catch per trawl by species in western Albemarle Sound,
                Year        1977-1981             1977       1978       1979      1980      1981

                No trawls                          54         54         49        56        56

                Species

                Morone saxatilis (y-o-y)          3.63       0.59       0.55      0.46      0.09
                Acipenser oxyrhynchus             0.04                            0.05
                Alosa aestivalis                  11.76      42.96      2.00      16.00

                Alosa mediocris                                         0.61      0.29
                Alosa pseudoharengus              5.15       5.91       2.65      1.46
                Alosa sapidissinia                                      1.29      0.07
                Anchoa hepsetus                                                             0.05
                Anchoa mitchilli                  6.02       3.15       0.98      3.59     16.32
                Anguilla rostrata                 0.37       0.28       0.14
                Brevoortia tyrannus               0.13                            0.55      0.07
                Citharichthys spilopterus         0.02                  0.02
                Cyprinus carpio                   0.07       0.17       0.10                0.16
                Dorosoma cepedianum                          0.09                 0.04      0.07
                Esox americanus americanus                                        0.04

                Esox niger                                   0.04
                Etheostoma nigrum                            0.94       0-.86     0.14
                Etheostoma   olmstedi             0.09       0.35
                Eucinostomus gula                 0.02
                Ictalurus Catus                   2.94       2.63       6.29      1.14      0.23

                Ictalurus furcatus                                      0.16

                Ictalurus melas                                         0.04

                Ictalurus nebulosus                                     0.02      0.02
                Ictalurus punctatus               1.39       1.20       8.29      2.39      1.57
                Lagodon --homboides               0.94
                Leiostomus xanthurw               78.48      0.70       4.94      0.77     16.11
                Lepomis gibbosus                             0.30       1.06      0.21
                Lepomis macrochirus                          0.30                 0.04

                Leponus SP.                                  0.06

                                                                                                        28

                Table 19. (continued)

                Year                               1977       1978        1979       1980       1981

                No.trawls                           54         54          49          56        56

                Species

                Mic.ropogonias undulatus           11.54      1.30        1.69      0.20      4.25
                micropterus salmoides                         0.02
                marone americana                   66.02     239.59     175.65      75.54     63.00
                morone saxatilis (yearling)        0.41       0.09        0.06      0.09      0.09
                moxostoma co-regonus
                moxostoma sp.                      0.02       0.04
                mugil curema                       0.02
                Notropis hudsonius                 0.30       3.03        4.73      0.46
                Notropis SP.                                  '0.04
                Paralichthys lethostigma           0.28                   0.08      0.09      0.30
                Perca flavescens                   0.94       5.09        8.76      1.98      0.21
                p0matomus saltatrix                                                           0.02
                Pomoxis niyromaculatus                                    0.06
                Trinectes maculatus                4.06       2.15        5.86      1.25      0.27

                callinectes sapidus                8.98       0.52        1.49                9.71

                                                                                                          29

                Table 20. Catch composition by species and mean catch per trawl in Albemarle
                             Sound, N. C., 1977-1981 (269 trawls)

                                                       Total number          Mean catch        Percentage of
                Species                                  collected           per trawl           total catch

                Morone saxatilis (y-o-y)                    286                 1.06                 0.57
                Morone americana                          32,868               122.19                65.52
                Leiostomus xanthurus                      5,463                 20.31                10.89
                Alosa aestivalis                          3,949                 14.68                7.87
                Anchoa mitchilli                          1,658                 6.16                 3.31
                Micropogonias undulatus                   1,025                 3.81                 2.04
                 erca flavescens                            878                 3.26                 1.75
                Alosa pseudoharengus                        809                 3.01                 1.61
                P

                Ictalurus punctatus                         768                 2.86                 1.53
                Trinectes maculatus                         707                 2.63                 1.41
                Ictalurus catus                             686                 2.55                 1.37
                Notropis hudsonius                          486                 1.81                 0.97
                Etheostoma nigrum                           101                 0.38                 0.20
                Lepomis gibbosus                             80                 0.30                 0.16
                Alosa sapidissima                            67                 0.25                 0.13
                Alosa mediocris                              46                 0.17                 0.09
                Anguilla rostrata                            42                 0.16                 0.08
                Brevoortia tyrannus                          42                 0.16                 0.08
                Paralichthys lethostigma                     41                 0.15                 0.08
                Morone saxatilis (yearling)                  37                 0.14                 0.07
                Cyprinus carpio                              27                 0.10                 0.05
                Etheostoma olmstedi                          24                 0.09                 0.05
                Lepomis macroclzirus                         18                 0.07                 0.04
                Dorosoma cepedianum                          11                 0.04                 0.02
                Ictalurus furcatus                            8                 0.03                 0.02
                Acipenser oxyrhynchus                         5                 0.02                 0.01
                Anchoa hepsetus                               3                 0.01                 0.006
                Lepomis sp.                                   3                 0.01                 0.006
                Moxostoma coregonus                           3                 0.01                 0.006

                                                                                                       30

                Table 20 (continued)

                                                       Total number       Mean catch        Percentage of
                Species                                  collected        per trawl          total catch

                Moxostoma sp.                                  3              0.01                0.006
                Pornoxis nigromaculatus                        3              0.01                0.006
                Citharichthys spilopterus                      2              0.007               0.004
                Esox americanus americanus                     2              0.007               0.004
                Esox niger                                     2              0.007               0.004
                ictalurus melas                                2              0.007               0.004
                ictalurus nebulosus                            2              0.007               0.004
                Logodon rhomboides                             2              0.007               0.004
                Notropis sp.                                   2'             0.007               0.004
                Encinostomus quia                              1              0.004               0.002
                Micropterus salmoides                          1              0.004               0.002
                mugil Cureffe                                  1              0.004               0.002
                Pomatornus saltatrix                           1              0.004               0.002

                Total finfish                            50,165
                Callinectes sapidus                       1,130               4.20

                                                                                                 31

                Table 21. Species and numbers of fish collected by bottom trawl in the Roanoke
                            River and Middle River, N. C., 1978

                River                                   Roanoke River           Middle River

                No. trawls                                    98                      17

                Species                             No. fish caught            No. fish caught        Total

                Alosa aestivalis                             2                          7                  9
                Alosa pseudoharengus                       189                       155                344
                Anguilla rostrata                            3                                             3
                Cyprinus carpio                             34                          3                37
                Dorosorna cepedianum                        17                                           17
                Esox niger                                   1                          1                  2
                Etheostoma nigrum                          213                       256                469
                Etheostoma   olmstedi                        3                          1                  4
                Hybognathus nuchalis                       504                        36                540
                Ictalurus catus                          3,109                        92              3,201
                Ictalurus melas                              3                          4                  7

                Ictalurus natalis                            5                          1                  6

                Ictalurus nebulosus                         52                                           52
                Ictalurus punctatus                        452                          5               457
                Lepisosteus  osseus                          9                          2                11
                Lepomis gibbosus                            33                          2                35
                Lepomis gulosus                              2                                             2
                Lepomis macrochirus                        160                        15                175
                Micropterus salmoides                       26                          3                29
                morone americana                         7,05.8                      296              7,354
                Moxostoma anisurum                          64                          9                73
                moxostoma coregonus                         47                        14                 61
                moxostoma SP.                                2                          1                  3
                Notropis hudsonius                       2,840                       518              3,358
                Noturus insignis                             4                                             4
                Perca flavescens                            28                        13                 41
                Pomaxis nigromaculatus                     115                        11                126
                Trinectes maculatus                         22                        12                 34

                Total                                   14,997                      1,457             16,454

                                                                                                        32

               Table 22. Species and number of fish collected by day surface trawl in
                           the Roanoke River and Middle River, N. C., 1978

               River                                   Roanoke River          Middle River

               No. trawls                                   72                        12

               Species                              No. fish caught          No. fish caught        Total

               Alosa aestivalis                             200                        46            246
               Alosa   pseudoharengus                       39                          7              46
               Brevoortia tyrannus                            1                                         1
               Dorosoma cepedianum                            4                                         4
               Etheostoma nigrum                                                        1               1
               Hybognathus nuchalis                         ill                        11            122
               Ictalurus catus                                5                                         5
               Lepisosteus osseus                             1                                         1
               Lepomis gibbosus                               2                                         2
               Lepomis macrochirus                                                      1               1
               Morone americana                               6.                        3               9

               Moxostoma anisurum                             3                         2               5
               Notemigonus arysoleucas                        2                                         2
               Notropis analostanus                           1                                         1
               Notropis hudsonius                           29                        106            135
               Unidentified species                         20                          3              23

               Total                                        424                       180            604

                                                                                                  33

               Table 23. Species and number of fish collected by night surface trawl        in
                           the Roanoke River, N. C., 1978 (24 trawls)

                       Species                                    Number fish caught

                    .Alosa aestivalis                                    159
                    Alosa pseudoharengus                                 338
                    Brevoortia tyrannus                                    13
                    Dorosoma cepedianum                                    66
                    Hybognathus nuchalis                                 239
                    Ictalurus Catus                                         5

                    Morone americana                                        7
                    Notropis hudsonius                                      5

                      Total                                              832

                                                                                                        34

                                               STRIPED BASS TAGGING STUDIES

                      Since 1956 striped bass have been tagged in the Roanoke River to provide
                information pertaining to population size, rate of capture by commercial and suort
                fishermen, survival and mortality estimates, movements and migrations, and growth.
                Most of the tagging is performed in the lower section of the Roanoke River, and
                the fish are obtained by working in cooperation with commercial fishermen. Striped
                bass have been tagged from a variety of commercial gear such as set gill nets,
                drift gill nets, trotlines, and a large haul seine. In recent years the set gill
                net has been the principal gear utilized. The tagging has also been conducted
                from a number of locations such as Daley Hill, Jamesville, Williamston, and Hamilton.
                In recent years the majority of the tagging has been concentrated above Williamston,
                between river miles 41 and 50.
                      In 1981 the use of anchor gill nets to catch striped bass in the Roanoke River
                during April and May was banned by the North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission.
                Consequently, the Division of Marine Fisheries has permitted our personnel to set
                gi I I nets i n the Roanoke Ri ver at Wi 11 i amston f or the purposes of the mark and re-
                capture study. The number of striped bass tagged in the Roanoke River for the years
                1977 to 1981 are listed below in Table 24:

                Table 24. Number of striped bass tagged in the Roanoke River, 1977-1981

                                                                     Number of striped bass
                                  Year                                       tagged
                                  1977                                          334
                                  1978                                          452
                                  1979                                          385
                                  1980                                            77
                                  1981                                          156

                                                                                                         35

                     These data in Table 24 indicate a decrease in the number of striped bass
               tagged during the 1980 and 1981 seasons. The reasons for this decline is that
               very low water flows prevailed during both of these years, and these low water
               discharges limited the number of migrating fish and also made gill netting less
               productive. A reduced number of spawning fish could have also limited the catch
               of striped bass.
                     The cumulative rate of exploitation for striped bass in Albemarle Sound and
               the Roanoke River, N. C. for the years 1977-1981 is presented in Table 25. This
               rate of return for the past five years has been less than the long term average,
               and the low rates of tag returns for 1980 and 1981 have contributed considerably
               to this decline. Both of these years were characterized by small numbers of fish
               tagged, and decreased recovery effort.

               Table 25. Cumulative rate of exploitation for striped bass in Roanoke River and
                           Albemarle Sound, N. C. 1977-1981

                                          No. striped               Number                 Percent
                        Year              bass tagged               recovered             recovered

                        1977                   334                      45                  13.47

                        1978                   452                      96                  21.24

                        1979                   385                      63                  16.36

                        1980                     77                       9                 11.69

                        1981                   156                      10                    6.41

                                                   POPULATION ABUNDANCE

                     The estimated number of striped bass in the-spawning migration up the Roanoke
               River has been made annually since 1955. Both the Petersen (1896) and Ricker (1940)
               methods have been used to derive the population estimation. However the Petersen (1896)
               method has been.used for the 1977-1981 data. The population estimation for the five-
               year period from 1977 through 1981 is given in Table 26.

                                                                                                      36

               Table 26.. Estimated number of striped bass in the spawning population in the
                            Roanoke River, N. C., 1977-1981

                                                                       Estimated number
                                      Year                             of striped bass

                                      1977                                  347,584
                                      1978                                  354,152
                                      1979                                  313,736
                                      1980                                  100,192
                                      1981                                    34,032

                                      5-year average = 229,939

                      These data indicate that the striped bass spawning population was estimated to
               be fairly abundant in 1977, 1978, and 1979 when the estimations were in excess of
               300,000 fish per year. However, the spawning estimation declined considerably to
               100,192 striped bass in 1980 and to 34,032 striped bass in 1981. Two possible
               reasons for these declines are decreased numbers of striped bass in the spawning run,
               and the adverse effects of low river discharges on the migration behavior of these
               fish.

                                                                                             37

                                                     SUMMARY

               1.  The North Carolina striped bass commercial landings exceeded 1,000,000 pounds
                   for 10 years (1967-1976). In 1977 the catch declined to 572,000 pounds, in-
                   creased to 698,000 pounds in 1978, 614,000 pounds in 1979, and then dropped to
                   473,000 and 417,000 pounds respectively in 1980 and 1981.
               2.  North Carolina commercial striped bass landings from 1977-1981 showed the
                   greatest cumulative monthly totals during March, followed by February and
                   November. Generally, striped bass landings are concentrated from October
                   through April with decreased catches in May and September. The landings during
                   the summer months are minimal.
               3.  Roanoke River commercial striped bass landings were approximately average in
                   abundance in 1977 (10,465), above average in 1978 (16,753), and then declined
                   in 1979, 1980, and 1981 to 9,798, 2,286, and 349 fish respectively. The 1981
                   decreased landings resulted from a change in commercial fishing regulations.
               4.  The commercial striped bass season in the Roanoke River in 1977-1981 was con-
                   centrated from the last week in March through the first week in May.
               5.  The 1977-1980 Roanoke River striped bass commercial catch was landed mainly by
                   anchor gill nets and striped bass drift aill nets. Both of these devices were
                   prohibited by regulations enacted in 1981. Catch and effort data for other
                   gears are presented.
               6.  The Roanoke River commercial striped bass fishery was concentrated in the
                   Jamesville and Williamston areas of the Roanoke River during the 1977-1981
                   time period.                        I
               7.  Albemarle Sound striped bass catches declined in 1977, and the successive
                   landings during the 5-year period, 1977-1981, were the lowest recorded for
                   the past 20 years.
               8.  Rod and reel striped bass catches at Weldon, N. C. during the 1977-1981 inter-
                   val declined from the long-term average. High water discharge in 1978 and low
                   water flows in 1980 and 1981 may have contributed to the reduced rod and reel
                   catches.
               9.  The catch and effort data for striped bass caught by bow nets (drifting) in-
                   dicated 2.,054 fish caught in 1977 for a c.u.e. of 8.12. The drift bow net

                                                                                           38

                   catches were reduced in 1978, 1979, and 1980 (286, 835, and 415 fish caught
                   respectively). The use of the bow net was prohibited in 1981.
              10.  The catch and effort data for striped bass caught by bow nets (fights) in the
                   Roanoke-River indicated that 1977 had the highest catch (8,769 fish). The
                   catch was reduced considerably in 1978 (1,051 fish) because of high water, and
                   further reduction occurred in 1979 and 1980 (5,957 and 5,451 fish respectively).
                   The use of bow nets to capture striped bass in "fights" was prohibited in 1981.
              11.  The estimated sport catch of striped bass by all methods in the entire Roanoke
                   River declined from 32,983 fish in 1977 to only 3,905 fish in 1981. Low river
                   flows in 1980 and 1981 were associated with a considerable reduction in the
                   sport catch to 15,239 and 3,905 fish respectively.
              12.  The estimated number of striped bass eggs spawned in the Roanoke River was con-
                   sidered to be in an acceptable range during 1977, 1978, and 1979 (1.776; 1.691;
                   1.613 billion respectively). However, during 1980 and 1981 the estimates
                   declined to the lowest totals since 1965 (0.87 and 0.34 billion).
              13.  Striped bass egg viability which decreased in 1975 and 1976 continued in this
                   decli ne from 1976 to 1980. The egg viability increased to 73.70% in 1981.
              14.  The 1977-1981 egg viability and water temperatures were not indicative of the
                   relationship existing in prior years.
              15.  The mean number of young-of-year striped bass caught by trawling in Albemarle
                   Sound nursery areas declined in 1977 to 3.63 fish per trawl. Young-of-year
                   striped bass were conspicuously scarce in 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1981 when the
                   c.u.e. was only 0.59, 0.55, 0.46, and 0.09 fish respectively. These were the
                   lowest averages (with one exception)'attained during the 27-year history of the
                   study.
              16. Trawling @ata for other fish species were tabulated for Albemarle Sound from
                   1977 to 1981. White perch was the most abundant species, composing 65% of the
                   total catch. Other abundant species were spot, blueback herring, bay anchovies,
                   and croaker.
              17. Day bottom trawls, day surface trawls, and night surface trawls were taken in
                   the Roanoke and Middle Rivers to determine distribution of fishes in the delta
                   area. Striped bass were not collected. The bottom trawls collected numerous
                   white perch, spot-tail shiners, and white catfish. The day surface trawl col-
                   lections were mainly composed of blueback herring, spot-tail shiners, and silvery

                                                                                              39

                   minnows, and blueback herring.
              18.  Striped bass tagging studies were conducted in the Roanoke River during 1977
                   to 1981. A total of 334, 452, 385, 77, and 156 fish were tagged. The reduced
                   numbers tagged in 1980 and 1981 were probably the result of record low water
                   flows.
              19.  The cumulative rate of exploitation of striped bass in the Roanoke River and
                   Albemarle Sound from 1977 to 1981 was 13.47, 21.24, 16.36, 11.69, and 6.41
                   percent respectively.
              20.  The estimated number of striped bass in the Roanoke River spawning migration
                   was 347,584; 354,152; 313,736; 100,192; and 34,032 fish for the respective
                   years 1977-1981.

                                                                                           40

                                               LITERATURE CITED

             Carnes, W. C. 1965. Survey and classification of the Roanoke River watershed
               North Carolina, N. C. Wildlife Res. Comm., Raleigh, N. C., 17 p.
             Fish, Frederic F. 1959. Report of the steering committee for Roanoke River
               studies, 1955-1958. U. S. Public Health Service, Raleigh, N. C., 279 p.
             Petersen, C. G. J. 1896. The yearly immigration of young plaice into the
               Limfjord from the German Sea, etc. Rep. Dan. Biol. Stat. 6:1-48.
             Ricker, W.E. 1940. Relation of "catch per unit effort" to abundance and rate
               of exploitation. J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. V 5(l): 43-70.

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