It appears to me that the weed/algae infestation is a contributing factor to poor fishing and WR. The predators just have too much trouble getting a meal.
I think it would help to put a limit on keeping larger lmb. In the August issue of PB mag, Cody posts charts showing fecundity/recruitment of smallmouth and largemouth bass.
On lmb size and average number of eggs:
11"-12" 8,000
13"-14" 17,000
15"-17" 25,000
17"-18" 56,000
I like the idea of multiple types of forage. For larger impoundments such as a city lake, I like threadfin shad for open water and all of the BG I can get for skinny water. However, the TFS feed on plankton and don't do very well around here in muddy water. I'm unfamiliar with Kentucky forage bases but do believe in utilizing open, non shoreline, water when possible. In smaller water holes, fathead minnows are eradicated within the first year of stocking. Not sure about lakes. Gambusia(mosquito fish) seem to hold their own under predation but they don't provide the size for anything but smaller fish.
One of the angles that you might cover is that, for lmb to thrive, they need prey that is 1/4 to 1/3 their body size. They also need 10 pounds of forage to gain one pound of weight. So, to grow large predators, always concentrate on growing plentiful forage that doesn't expend too much energy vs. calories obtained.
BTW, there are no experts here on fish ecology. Like you, just a bunch of students that are continually learning. Beware of experts.
Last edited by Dave Davidson1; 08/17/09 06:51 AM.
