Thread: Ask the Biologist

Craig Johnson, the District Fisheries Biologist at El Dorado, has agreed to monitor this site and answer questions, as time allows, to what is happening on our lakes. WELCOME CRAIG!!!! <*)}}}><

Glad to have you on the site!

Good Deal.

Craig I have a question or two. I am sure the sampling numbers will be coming out shortly giving us the 2010 forecasts. But I am impatient. What lakes do you see on the rise for crappie in 2010. Also how is Douglas State Lake north of Baldwin doing in terms of fish growth etc.

Originally Posted by Chadku

Good Deal.

Craig I have a question or two. I am sure the sampling numbers will be coming out shortly giving us the 2010 forecasts. But I am impatient. What lakes do you see on the rise for crappie in 2010. Also how is Douglas State Lake north of Baldwin doing in terms of fish growth etc.

Chadku,

Fall test netting is just wrapping up around Kansas and most of the fish bios are still working on entering their fish catch data so I don't have access to all the most up to date data for Kansas crappie yet. As you mentioned, the 2010 Fishing Forecast will be coming out soon and it will have population info for all popular Kansas sportfish. I still have a lot of data to enter otherwise I would give you a run down of my lakes!

I called Richard Sanders and asked him your question about Douglas SFL. He said overall the lake is in good condition but it will need a couple more years before the crappie population offers good angling opportunities. The channel catfish population sustained heavy pressure and as a result density decreased (but remains good) and many of the larger cats were harvested by anglers. The lake has good numbers of panfish (bluegill, redear sunfish, and greensunfish) with some larger fish available. The bass population is improving and currently there are high numbers of fish but most are still small. Black crappie were stocked in the Fall '08 and it will take a few more years for the crappie to reach sizes of interest to anglers.

Welcome Craig

Welcome,

Q #1. Is Hillsdale Res scheduled to get wipers? If not Why? Thanks...

Originally Posted by Springhill Duckman

Welcome,

Q #1. Is Hillsdale Res scheduled to get wipers? If not Why? Thanks...

Springhill Duckman,

I checked with Andy Jansen, KDWP fisheries biologist for Hillsdale, to get the answers to your questions. Wiper stockings are not currently requested for Hillsdale Reservoir and there are no current plans for wiper introductions in the near future. Why no wiper stockings? Hillsdale currently (and historically) has a rather well balanced sportfishery and produces productive fisheries for crappie, white bass, and walleye all of which that can rely heavily on gizzard shad for good growth rates. This "balance" has allowed the Hillsdale gizzard shad population to be productive while also exhibiting shad sizes that are able to be used by the sportfish. Some lakes do not have dense enough predator populations to effectively utilize available shad and the shad length distributions get "out of whack". If not enough gizzard shad are preyed upon by predators, then too many shad grow in to large sizes. When the shad get "too big" they have outgrown their usefulness as a prey item to sportfish and basically these LARGE shad just take up valuable space that could be occupied by smaller shad which could be eaten by sportfish. Hillsdale has not seen the problems associated with the stockpiling of large shad as the shad population gets good predation pressure from the sportfishery. Wipers are sometimes used to add MORE predation pressure on the gizzard shad population to cause a change in gizzard shad length distributions. The increased predation results in FEWER large shad and MORE small shad which is beneficial to young of the year sportfish as well as adult sportfish. Ideally, a sportfishery would use a high percentage of the young of the year gizzard shad population EVERY year leaving a few to grow in to adult shad which will be the spawners to produce the following year's shad spawn. Sometimes the old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" applies in fish management too! Kansas lakes are always changing, especially as they age, so one of these days wipers may be a good option at Hillsdale. But currently, wiper are not in the management plan at Hillsdale.

Wow! Great Answer on the Hillsdale Lake question. Not the one I wanted to hear, but glad to know the real deal.
Thanks!

Craig,
Not really in your area, but maybe you could find an answer for us. With all of the updates at the state park at Melvern new cabins, new main office, and the new boat docks why can't we get a fish cleaning station?

thanks
Al

Originally Posted by haugboss

Craig,
Not really in your area, but maybe you could find an answer for us. With all of the updates at the state park at Melvern new cabins, new main office, and the new boat docks why can't we get a fish cleaning station?

thanks
Al

Al,

When I was at Hillsdale, I worked for years to get a fish cleaning station and as far as I know there still isn't one there (maybe there is!!). There were several issues that affected the success of the cleaning station project. Location of a fish cleaning station can be an issue as water and electrical service must be present. There is also the "waste" issue to be addressed whether it is to be a septic tank which requires pump-out or tapping in to the sewer system and lift stations to properly dispose of the fish waste. At times, the best location for a fish cleaning station makes the project cost prohibitive as gaining water and electrical service and waste disposal can be quite expensive. Fish cleaning stations can also require very high amounts of maintenance which make them less attractive to property managers.

When I worked at Eisenhower State Park in the early 90's there were fish cleaning tables on each of the east and west boat ramp docks. Pitcher pumps provide water for clean up after the fish cleaning and these worked very well for anglers. After checking with the park manager, I've been told that tables and pumps are still present for anglers to use to clean their fish. Currently there are no plans for a fish cleaning station at the Eisenhower State Park.