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Come out to celebrate the 45th Annual NC Spot Festival.
Hampstead has been the home of the North Carolina Spot Festival. But what is a spot and why does Hampstead have a festival in its honor each year? Spot are tasty little panfish that are fun to catch and good to eat. They are somewhat small, around a half pound, and have a distinctive spot located just behind their gill plate. They look a little like a croaker, another local favorite, but are different in that spot have little barbell-like bumps under their chins, are smoother and wider, and have forked tails. Both fish make croaking noises when caught, although croaker are louder and make the sound more often. Local lore says that spot are the fish that Jesus used when he fed the multitudes with loaves and fishes. The actual "spot" on the fish is supposedly where Jesus left His fingerprints when distributing the fishes.
Spot are found in coastal waters from Maine to Florida, but are most abundant around the Carolinas. They migrate seasonally and great runs of the fish occur periodically from spring until late fall. When the spot are running fishermen are able to hook and/or net a great many of these fine fish. Recreational fishermen can fill their coolers and feed their families all winter long with these appetizing fish, and commercial fishermen can fill their nets with this prize catch. As a community that is known as the official Seafood Capital of the Carolinas, many in the Hampstead area owe at least part of their livelihood to the abundant little fish that tastes so good. The North Carolina Spot Festival is a great way to honor the little fish that provides such great benefits.
From an article in the Topsail Voice, by Connie Pletl
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