How Healthy is your Lake or River

[Bud Kennedy]

Have you noticed that some of our traditionally best or most famous lakes continue to crank out a good supply of bass.  While some may want to restrict bass fishing by claiming that overfishing has depleted the resource and therefore needs to be protected from all those nasty bass anglers.

From my experience this is not the case.  Here in South Carolina, we have a few highly pressured lakes that year after year produce good if not great fishing.  For example, Santee Cooper for decades produces some the best bass fishing in the country.  If you recall at last spring the winning weight was over 100 lbs.  Other lakes like Lake Hartwell and Lake Murray also continue to produce solid numbers as reported by the tournament events.

I am sure you can point to lakes in your area that also have produced solid catches year after year even with all the added pressure of becoming a famous or go to fishing lake.  This leads me to believe that nature continues to amaze at its ability to rebound from the added pressure of bass fishing leaving mostly environmental issues as the kiss of death for some impoundments. 

Most of us are a byproduct of the catch and return strategy as established by B.A.S.S. long ago.  Even with the plethora of bass tournaments, the lake mostly gets to keep its fish although they may take a boat ride, get weighed and then returned to nature.   We do need to keep in mind that fish harvesting is also an important part of the equation.  Harvesting via predators or by angles wanting to add some meat to the table is important to the health of the resource.  I know a few of you have to deal with slot limits and I have no idea if that adds that much value to the process and would like to hear your opinions.

The bottom line is that our waterways keep giving up their bounty.  I just wonder what can we do to ensure that the resource remains and can be enjoyed by future generations without being over legislated by local, state or federal governments. 

[Donald Garner]

We have hundred's of lakes, rivers and coastal waterways area etc. here in Texas.  For the most part TP&WD has done a great job of managing the fisheries here.  We have some lakes that are managed better than others.
I can't tell you how many Bass Clubs there are here in Texas there are a lot.   From what I've read and took part in the clubs here are doing the right things in fishery management.  The major fishing circuits spent a lot of time year after year fishing here in Texas.   They all do a great job of keeping our lakes healthy.  Catch, Weigh and Release has taken over in some of the organizations.  We still have weigh in a lot of venues still also.
Mother Nature does her thing with the droughts and flooding here and in the end it balances out. We do have some lakes with Slot Limits also.  Below is a link you can check out reference slot limits.  You'll be surprised how taking some fish home helps grow bigger bass.


   
 

[coldfront]

most fisheries professionals will tell you that the key to good fisheries is good habitat.  clean water, good vegetation/cover for YOY recruitment... successful spawns..

the idea of 'managing a fishery' via stocking programs is not sustainable.  the water either will or won't support the fish.   in some cases, like here, there's a winter 'put/take' trout program in select waters.  they do just fine in winter, but water temps get too warm and any 'leftovers' usually succumb.

I submit that our water condition, quality today is far improved over 40-50 years ago...  yes, we've come so very far.

one caution:   measuring 'health' of a fishery just based on creel/catch rates is problematic.  our fish today have 'been there, done that' and 'have the t-shirt' when it comes to seeing lures, baits... there's almost no place out there to 'hide' anymore.  untouched populations are very, very rare.  and so too are 'naive fish'.

[Wizard]

When I fished LOZ in the 1950's, the lake shoreline was mostly unoccupied with small pockets of housing or fish camps. The fishing was easy with good amounts of LM, crappie, bluegill, white bass, striped bass and small areas of SM and walleye/sauger. The lures were hair jigs, Lazy Ike, Leaping Lizards and various topwaters. Lots of small ski boats with an occasional larger runabout. A 25 ft. boat was "Queen of the Lake".
1970-1980's: recreational boats increased in size and numbers. Large areas of shoreline saw increased housing and docks. Fishing was very good with crappie and bass the main target of anglers. Stripers, walleye and bluegill decreased in numbers. The Gizzard Shad population exploded in the 70's and tournament angling became a big business. Jigs, large worms and crank baits were being used but the dominant lure was the spinnerbait.
1990-2010: Recreational boats increased in size and numbers while becoming the dominant activity at the lake. Tournament angling increased from around 400 in 1990 to 600 sanctioned derbies in 2010, Fishing throughout the day became harder to do because of increased boat traffic.
Most fishing was for bass, crappie and white bass. Walleye and SM populations were increasing with few anglers catching them. Bass were gradually moving from the shallows to deeper water during boating season.  Jigs were the main winners of tournaments.
2010-today:  recreational boats continued to increase in size and numbers. The largest cruiser in 2022 was 96 ft, in length. On a holiday, as many as 40,000 boats occupy the water at the same time. In boating season, most fishing stops at 9 am. during the day. Night is the best time to catch a lunker. Bass , white bass and crappie are prime fishing targets with SM and walleye again throughout the lake. With climate change, fishing is good in all seasons.  A keeper bass is 15 inches and 3 pounds.
My best morning of fishing was first 9 bass caught were all over 4 pounds. The lake has remained healthy throughout its existence and fishing is excellent.


Wizard

[coldfront]

wizard:  read a fisheries study once upon a time that ESTIMATED about 90% of the crappie on LOZ were caught every year.  didn't say kept...caught.

statistics are interesting things and it can be tough to be really confident in estimates... but even if it's off 'a little' that's a lot of pressure...

[Wizard]

I believe there are more crappie in LOZ today than any time in the lake's history. Most of the crappie I've caught in recent years have a pure virgin mouth. They have never been kissed by a hook. A lot of "meat anglers" fish for crappie. Bass ARE caught and released. Many have several hook scars on their mouth.
The lake is highly pressured by anglers and recreational boaters. However, the shad population is immense, allowing bass and crappie to grow quickly. A bluegill big enough to keep is hard to find as bass eat them before they fully grow. LOZ is a "numbers" lake for bass. A keeper is 15 inches and 3 pounds. Lots of bass to 7 pounds. Smaller amounts at 8- 9 pounds and few 10+ pounds. An excellent fishery.

Wizard

[Smallie_Stalker]

I believe there are more crappie in LOZ today than any time in the lake's history. Most of the crappie I've caught in recent years have a pure virgin mouth. They have never been kissed by a hook. A lot of "meat anglers" fish for crappie. Bass ARE caught and released. Many have several hook scars on their mouth.
The lake is highly pressured by anglers and recreational boaters. However, the shad population is immense, allowing bass and crappie to grow quickly. A bluegill big enough to keep is hard to find as bass eat them before they fully grow. LOZ is a "numbers" lake for bass. A keeper is 15 inches and 3 pounds. Lots of bass to 7 pounds. Smaller amounts at 8- 9 pounds and few 10+ pounds. An excellent fishery.

Wizard

A 15 incher at 3 pounds is a fatty compared to where I am. Here a 16 inch bass weighs right around 2 pounds give or take.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

[Wizard]

It's a Virgil Ward 3 pounder. I either learned from Virgil or Roland how to show a bass.  SON!

Wizard

[Dink Dawg]

I live in SW Washington.  The fisheries people in Oregon and Washington consider Bass a trash fish. Regulations prove that. My home lake was ruined when some fisheries biologist suggested sterile grass carp, 2800 would help the weed growth.  Sooooo, 28000 were released!!!!!!  They are not sterile. All viable vegetation to filter the water was gone in a year.  High phosphate levels, algae blooms have impacted fish populations. Trout can't survive and the bluegill are virtually gone.  It never amazes me how easily it is to screw up an entire eco system.