Cumberland Striper Health???

[pct]

Any updates as to how the Stripers are health wise, as of 2 years ago there were parasites in the gills. Hopefully with more water the Stripers are getting healthier and back to growing normally. My group will be heading to C-Land in May for the night bite and just wondered about how they are recovering.

Thanks,

PCT

[Duayne]

Any updates as to how the Stripers are health wise, as of 2 years ago there were parasites in the gills. Hopefully with more water the Stripers are getting healthier and back to growing normally. My group will be heading to C-Land in May for the night bite and just wondered about how they are recovering.

Thanks,

PCT

The parasites are more a mainstay and are better or worse from year to year. I wouldn't let that affect your thinking on fishing for them. As for the over all health, I think it is as good, or maybe a little better than can be expected. Really good numbers of healthy fish with a few wow fish thrown in. They were stunted some a year or three ago but they've moved on from that. There is a very good population of old regulation legal size fish and I look for them to change the regulations back within a year. Probably could have (should have?) done it this fall. My average on my last trip was around 27 inches. Catch and release now through May would be just as productive as taking a few.

[Mean Morone]

I will agree with Duayne. I was there last November and caught 6 stripers all at night. They all looked very healthy and were all in the 26 to 28 inch range. I didn't look for any of the parasites because all my fish were caught at night. Can't wait for next year. The average size should be better.

[snapper30]

Compared to the last 3 years the stripers are in ten times better health. I've fished almost everyday this past month and the smallest I caught was 24". (Not including a small 10" yearling). 80% of the fish were between 26 and 28". 30" to 33" seems to be seems to be your bigger fish caught. But every fish is fat all the way to the very end of tail.

Most weigh around 8 to 10 pounds with some getting 12 to 15.

They still have the parasites but I don't think they are supposed to effect the health.

I'm not an expert by any means but if the growth rate I've seen since spring continues i would assume we could see 20# class in large numbers very soon.