Any Freeper Fishermen/Fisherladies Out There?

3-3-03 | sonofatpatcher2

[sonofatpatcher2]

Just got an e-mail from a buddie of mine. I've posted it here if any of you have comments:

This is to my "...interested fishing buddies of mine from Missouri to Texas who are concerned as well about the future of their favorite species, the muskie and striper. The subject of introducing supplement forage bases for their particular specie with the long-term hope of developing a trophy fishery has long been a question in all of our minds.

What do you know about blueback herring? We know they are in the Alosid family with alewife, hickory and American shad. I also know they have been accidentally introduced into some southern tier reservoirs with good, measurable results on certain species and not so good on others.

We're in a off and on again debate here in Texas about bringing Lake Texoma (approx. 90,000 surface acres of water) back to trophy (striper) status and what it would take to get it there and maintain it. As you may already know, stripers spawn successfully in Texoma due to the high salinity in the Red River.

Consequently, there are several kazillion small stripers and no minimum length limit. However, there is an upper length limit of 20"; that is of the 10-fish per person per day limit, only two of those fish can be 20" or over. Their main forage are threadfin and gizzard shad.

We were hoping to find someone like yourself from the eastern U.S. who might have had some exposure to studies that have been done using Alosids as forage and the pluses/minuses associated with it. We know they are not only plankton eaters but fish egg eaters as well but their spawning cycle is at a different time than the esox (muskellunge) and striper (morone?), so that may not present a problem like occurs with the northern pike and muskellunge spawning cycles being so close together.

Texoma does have a population of largemouth bass and the smallmouth fishery is coming of age. Blue catfish and white bass are abundant as well. Walleyes were stocked many, many years ago but never really established themselves. I was curious to get an eastern opinion on the blueback specifically. Studies that I've read concerning the trophy striper fishery on the Colorado River (Lake Mohave) indicate their main forage is carp (high protein) and ideal 53-58 degree water temps. Those kind of temps are hard to find on Texoma during the months of July thru September. We were curious and since I had your e-mail address anyway, I thought I'd ask. I don't know if Bernie Dowler might shed some light or not or if maybe you might have a good contact in the Maryland to South Carolina corridor or not.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide in that direction.

Best Regards, Jim"

Anyone who has comments, I will forward on to Jim.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I don't have the experience to say if introducing a new shad species would be a good idea or not. This Lake is sort of an artificial fishery to begin with, but the shad I've netted for striper fishing always seem plentiful. Perhaps if I practiced a little more with the net I'd get better at this, but I usually get enough to have plenty of bait in a five gallon bucket. There seems to be a big shad die-off going on right now back in our cove. We've had some ice this winter and it could be these little fish were trapped without oxygen. Seagulls are having a harvest so they will be cleaned up soon.

[Cagey]

FYI

[Mr. Mulliner]

Excellent! Thanks for that link.

[Vigilantcitizen]

"We're still waiting for our first catfish."

Take one of those small bluegills you catch, cut one fin off, then put it on a hook. Big cats LOVE wounded bream.

[Redleg Duke]

Thanks, much!

[Mr. Mulliner]

Hmmmm...I'll have to try that. I've got one of the little guys cut up in the freezer for future use as bait, but I hadn't thought of using a live one as bait.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Re: I travel to hunt and fish too, twice a year at least. Often three times a year.

If you're down Corsicana, Texas (56 miles south of Dallas on I-45) way, give me shout. I won't guarntee any fish, but we'll wet some hooks!

[sonofatpatcher2]

Re: I don't have the experience to say if introducing a new shad species would be a good idea or not...

Thanks for the comment, I passed it on to Jim.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Re: Take one of those small bluegills you catch, cut one fin off, then put it on a hook. Big cats LOVE wounded bream.

Excellent advice if bluegills or sunfish are available. I am generally able to net large shad and I fish them wihout weight for good result on cats at night near a lighted cleaning pier on Richland-Chambers.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Re: Thanks. I haven't been to Texas for years, I'm afraid.

Don't be afraid, All. We don't shoot all Yankees on sight here in the Former Republic. Just those gosh-darned, Liberal-loving, Clinton hinney-kissing ones!

[sonofatpatcher2]

Well, the weather didn't get as warm as forcast. It was breezy at Fishermans Point. (Directions from Corsicana: 287 south to hwy 488 at the dam. Turn right (south) along face of dam to 1st right turn (hwy 416) and it is about 2 or 3 miles to Fishermans Point (large sign) on the right. I got there about 11:30 and went to the cleaning station/pier. (Far left inlet) I put out two millows as my cast net did not find any shad. After about 30 minutes, I caught a small cat (10 inches) near some logs sticking up about 20 years from pier.

[BTW this is a great place for cats durning warm weather. I've caught many here using a live shad without any weights at night.]

I tried some small spinning baits back up into the inlet and out by the logs, but no results other than moss.

The wind kept a stiff 15 MPH, so the wind chill was THERE. Noticed another plugger out on the middle point. He had 6 surf poles out but I did not notice him taking any fish before I left about 1:30 as my kees and the cold did not agree.

Maybe the weather will be better toward the weekend.

Will report back after next trip...

[sonofatpatcher2]

Weather has cleared up from yesterday's rain, so it look like time to wet a hook or two. Anyone want to go?

My old lady
looks ready to measure the catch. So let's hit the bricks!