Thursday, August 16, 2007
Maybe more stripers in Carvins Cove
Bill Cochran
Recent mail
BILL: If I wanted to petition the city of Roanoke to turn the fisheries management of Carvins Cove back over to the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, where would I start? It is such a beautiful area, it is close, and it would be so great if the cove could be stocked with stripers again.
It is a real shame stripers are leaving the cove. There are some smart stripers in there now. They have learned to grasp your lure and if they feel the slightest tension they let it go. It is amazing how hard they are to catch now.
They are a beautiful fish, and they also taste great! The cove is so clean. Is there anything I can do to get a movement started for stripers to be stocked again?
TEDD CUDDY
Fincastle
TED: I share your love of Carvins Cove. It is a wonderful resource in our area and Roanoke city officials always have been overprotective of it to the detriment of outdoor recreation.
Several years ago, in a move to protect this water supply from zebra mussels, city officials limited fishing in the cove to those who live in nearby areas. The DGIF, a state agency, cannot stock a lake that isn’t open to everyone, so it had to back off from its management practices.
More recently, the Western Virginia Water Authority has taken over operation of the cove and the authority appears to be friendlier to recreation. Still, the authority has not held discussions on the fishery with DGIF biologists, but I understand that soon will take place. A good first step for you would be to encourage the water authority to do meet with DGIF biologists.
If things go well, it would be possible for DGIF to be doing some stocking by next spring.
BILL
BILL: I understand that duck hunters in Virginia must purchase a state waterfowl stamp in addition to a federal duck stamp. I thought the state stamp was optional.
W.K.
W.K.: It was optional in the beginning, but no longer. It is mandatory for sportsmen 16 and older who hunt ducks and geese. Last year, 22,628 stamps were sold, generating $203,652 for waterfowl projects in Virginia.
The 2007-08 stamps now are on sale at license agents or via the Internet for $10. The stamp features a painting of Canada geese by artist Guy Crittenden.
BILL
