124 MARINE FISHERIES OF NORTH CAROLINA 



water barrier at Cape Cod normally limits the northern spring migration and 

 that a warm water barrier at Cape Hatteras marks the southern extent of the 

 normal fall migration. 



We find no mention in the literature of migrations of striped bass in the 

 regions north and south of the area covered by Merriman. It remains to be 

 determined, then, whether the North Carolina population is a resident one 

 or whether it represents the northern limit of a migration from more southern 

 waters. If in North Carolina there is a resident and more-or-less static popula- 

 tion, not moving to or coming from other coastal states, the management of 

 the species would be simplified. At present the minimum legal size in North 

 Carolina for commercial purposes is 12 inches. Such a fish is two years old 

 and, if a female, is two years younger than spawning age. The females are 

 thus available to commertial use for two years before spawning. If, therefore, 

 the North Carolina fishermen could be reasonably certain that the fish were 

 not moving into "foreign" waters to be caught, they might welcome legisla- 

 tion to protect the species until they attain spawning age and a considerably 

 larger size. Since the third year is the year of greatest growth, it might be 

 advisable, in any case, to allow the fish to reach the larger size before harvest- 

 ing. On the other hand, the additional food, including young herring and 

 shad consumed by the striped bass thus protected, might be of more value 

 than the increment of growth of the bass. The production of striped bass in 

 North Carolina, as in other states along the coast and as with other species, 

 has had its ups and downs. These fluctuations are believed to be closely 

 associated with survival of the young of various year-classes. In 1934, for 

 example, an exceptionally large crop of young was produced in Chesapeake 

 Bay (Merriman, 1941) which were caught in 1936 and 1937 along the coast 

 north to Cape Cod. These years saw all previous catch records broken by 

 wide margins. These same years in North Carolina, however, witnessed no 

 such increase. This fact provides additional evidence that the two populations 

 are separate and distinct, and that conditions favorable to the survival of 

 young are not general but rather occur in specific localities. There is no rec- 

 ord of a local decline in North Carolina such as is reported in more northern 

 waters during the latter part of the nineteenth century. The average annual 

 catch from 1887 to 1945 is 550,000 pounds, and in only one year (1902) has 

 the catch varied by more than 50 per cent of this amount. In 1902, 1,175,000 

 pounds was reported. Although there have been good years and poor years, 

 there has been no appreciable upward or downward trend in the last 60 years. 



Most of the striped bass in North Carolina are taken in Croatan Sound 

 and the eastern end of Albemarle Sound, In 1938, Dare County landed over 

 50 per cent of the State's catch, with other counties along Albemarle Sound 

 producing the rest. These fish also ascend Pamlico and Neuse rivers, but the 



