Thread: Central Arkansas AGFC Lakes Look Good

Originally Posted by NIMROD

What can you do other than build cover or stock fish to improve this ?

I assume you are asking how to improve low density? If so, research over the last 6 years has demonstrated that stocked crappie contribute 1-4% to the total year class on AGFC lakes. The lake I was talking about in the original post was one of the study lakes. For the most part stocking crappie in these lakes does not help. Habitat work can potentially help improve numbers in a lake. You can also use length limits or creel limits to help reduce harvest and increase numbers. However, low density often doesn’t last long and a strong year class comes though and dominates the fishery for a few years. This is how it naturally occurs on most lakes. Low density also allows for really good growth due to a lack in competition for food. The bottom line is that low density is natural from time to time in most lakes and results in really good growth.


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Originally Posted by D10

I assume you are asking how to improve low density? If so, research over the last 6 years has demonstrated that stocked crappie contribute 1-4% to the total year class on AGFC lakes. The lake I was talking about in the original post was one of the study lakes. For the most part stocking crappie in these lakes does not help. Habitat work can potentially help improve numbers in a lake. You can also use length limits or creel limits to help reduce harvest and increase numbers. However, low density often doesn’t last long and a strong year class comes though and dominates the fishery for a few years. This is how it naturally occurs on most lakes. Low density also allows for really good growth due to a lack in competition for food. The bottom line is that low density is natural from time to time in most lakes and results in really good growth.


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that is interesting, I have had other biologist mention"the boom bust" phenomena of crappie populations.......

does the agfc have historical data available to the public for the density patterns of central arkansas lakes ?

Originally Posted by suvowner

that is interesting, I have had other biologist mention"the boom bust" phenomena of crappie populations.......

does the agfc have historical data available to the public for the density patterns of central arkansas lakes ?

I have a statewide database of crappie sample data that goes back to the 1990's. However, the problem with using nets to sample fish is that there is a large amount of variability in our relative abundance estimates. Relative abundance is defined as the number of fish per net set. This isn't always a good indicator of density. Some lakes, nets don't work very well due to the morphology of the body of water you are trying to sample (poor catchability). So using relative abundance as a surrogate for a density estimate can be a little shaky. However, the gear that is used to sample crappie works excellent in most lakes in my district (high catchablity), so I am pretty confident in using relative abundance as a surrogate for density in most of my lakes. The figure shows the relative abundance (density) of crappie in lakes Cargile, Conway, Harris Brake, and Conway. We have sampled a couple other lakes for crappie in the district but the catchablity of those lakes is poor and does not translate to density well. The take home message from this figure are that densities of crappie in lakes Conway and Overcup are about twice as much as lakes Cargile and Harris Brake.

very interesting. thank you. any useful data on maumelle, nimrod or winona ??

I read the fisheries scientific report on maumelle from back in 2014, is there any new information since then ?? btw new marina owners at maumelle Westrock Landing I think is the new name have remodeled the office and it looks pretty sharp, parking lot and docks are next they said.

Fisheries Scientific Reports

Originally Posted by suvowner

very interesting. thank you. any useful data on maumelle, nimrod or winona ??


Fisheries Scientific Reports

Unfortunately I am not that familiar with the data from those lakes because they are not in my district. Here is some contact info for you so that you can get what you are looking for.

Justin Homan (877)734-4581 manages the fishery in Lake Maumelle.
Frank Leone (877)967-7577 manages the fishery in Lake Nimrod.
Brett Hobbs (501)525-9063 manages the fishery in Lake Winona.


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YouTube

nice mtn hardware beanie you got there Matt

Originally Posted by suvowner

YouTube

nice mtn hardware beanie you got there Matt

Ha ha ha! I have had that beanie for over a decade. It is made with a gore wind stopper membrane and is really warm. I have used is so much that the sun is bleaching the black to brown. Wish I could find the same exact one but I don’t think they make it like that any more.


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Originally Posted by NIMROD

What can you do other than build cover or stock fish to improve this ?

Outlaw yo-yos ! , catch & keep more bass, Flatheads, Gar
Draw the lake down enough to give good weeds and bushes to grow on the edges.



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