Clean And Clear Catawba, by Alice Battle – Aug. 3, 2012
The Catawba River is a major source of recreation from the
mountains all the way to Lake
Wateree. Boating is the first thing that comes to mind
when mentioning going to the lake. Boating encompasses a lot of different types of activities.
One activity that is prevalent the year round is
fishing. Even in the month of January,
some hardy fishermen are out casting lines. They are usually early risers.
The North Carolina Wildlife Federation enhances the sport of
fishing by placing fish attractors in the lakes. They are generally placed in areas where
small fish migrate from spawning sites to the main part of the lake. Their purpose is to protect the smaller fish
from predators. The predators gather
outside the attractors, waiting for an opportunity to get a meal.
The attached picture shows porcupine attractors. The tubes are hollow, so the small fish can
hide in them. The attractors are placed in at least 20 feet of water near an underground
wall. These walls are the guides where the
smaller fish migrate.
This example is not the only type of attractors. Another type has also been placed in Lake Norman
and Mountain Island Lake. The alternate type is called a honey hole
tree. It looks like a traffic cone with
branches. The bottom is weighted, and the
branches are hollow. They serve the same purpose as the spokes on the porcupine
attractors.
No harm in giving the smaller fish a chance at
survival.
About Alice Battle – Alice lives
on Mountain Island Lake has served on numerous groups devoted to protecting the
lake, including the Duke Energy Relicensing stakeholders group. She currently
is Lakekeeper for the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation.
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