Due to the number of issues that are threatening the Roanoke Bass, practicing catch and release is very important to protecting their population, especially in the spring when they are spawning.

The Roanoke Bass is found in the the river systems of the Tar river, the Neuse river, the roanoke river, and the Chowan river. These rivers all exit in the ocean in estuary habitats, but the Roanoke Bass does not have the physiology to be able to deal with salt water. They prefer the upper head waters of their distribution, though they will head into deeper water during spawning and when the water temperature exceeds 72°F/21°C.

The Roanoke Bass mature in two or three years. Their spawning range is from mid-May to mid-June when the water temperature reaches the lower 70&degs. Males construct round nests in clay and gravel near banks and guard the nest and watches over the larvae. They use their tails to brush away the debris to attract the females to lay eggs. Once the female lays her eggs, she is chased away. The Roanoke bass will then defend the nest until the fry hatch.

The Nest

The Roanoke Bass build their nests in fairly fast currents. The male constructs a circular nest in gravel or clay around mid-June, though it can be as early as mid-May as mentioned above. Male encourages passing females to his nest and guards eggs and larval young. The female releases between 3,000 and 12,000 eggs per season.

Threatened Species

The Roanoke Bass is labelled as threatened species, which is three levels away from endangered. There are several events that have brought about this situation.

The Roanoke Bass are close enough to the Rock Bass that they are able to mate across species borders, reducing the number pure bred Roanoke Bass.

The Rock Bass is a voracious feeder and more competitive than the Roanoke Bass, reducing the amount of food in the Roanoke Bass’s distribution. The Rock Bass has a much wider distribution that the Rock Bass, with distributions that extend well into Canada. As such, it can bred earlier and has a shorter breeding time, leaving less food available for the juvenile Roanoke Bass

Moreover, due to their limited distribution, the Roanoke Bass are more susceptible to adverse environmental changes such as human interference from construction to water actives.

Spring Bass Fishing

Due to the number of issues that are threatening the Roanoke Bass, practicing catch and release is very important to protecting their population, especially in the spring when they are spawning.