Thread: Silver carp and lack of shad???? Questions for fishery biologists.

Things are different on the lake this year. Super clear water and Asian carp so thick you can't see the bottom. My normal hot spots to pull up and catch a limit are empty with a huge school or carp just down stream stacked right up to the edge. I have had to look in way deeper water than normal. Pull into most any bay and you get in schools of carp that you cant see the bottom on side scan and or down scan. They are producing way to fast I have noticed the large white crappie are thin more so than normal. This time of year they should have a fat belly of shad and there is no where near as much bait fish as usual. I know there is a rollercoaster of spawn years but this is a trend that has started down hill. Look at the crappie usa weights and most of early years were 5 fish a day and averaged 2 lb on both am and pro spring and fall. Lots of tournaments had 20 or more well over 2 and some at 2.75 those weights are not anywhere close now and with a 7 fish limit can't touch those weights. Lots of things are adding to this the carp are not helping the fish are fished harder each year and everyone has GPS and side scan and fish year round. I hear people talk g about putting 4000 to 5000 fish a year in their freezer and only fish one bay. What is the need for that many fish. For the size of Kentucky and Barkley we should see some big fish. I've heard all about the Mississippi fish having a longer growing season but look how hard those lakes are fished and how much research is put in and they supplement fish when there is a bad spawn. Look at the lake kinkade it has a 4 pounder caught this year and is thriving and it's colder there than here. This has not come over night and won't be fixed overnight and we all know that.
This is something we all need to help figure out and work hand in hand with fish and wildlife to get this under control before it's to late and we don't have this resource. Anyone that can say the fish are as healthy as every and see no problems is a fool. Look at where you are fishing compared to last few years. How much more ground and time it takes for you to get your fish. And look at what your catching vs a few years ago. I see it with what I catch and see it on here some of the fish caught now might have one or two ok fish but most are small.

This year we've put well over 100 white crappie over 14" in my boat, several up to 16". Every one of them is poor like one would expect just after spawn. As fall gets here in years past, we would see the crankbait crappie starting to put on weight and some so heavy they looked like pre-spawn. I've seen zero this year. I check stomach contents of every crappie I clean that has something there. Most of the fish's' stomachs are empty. I don't know of more than a couple that had 2 or more minnows in there. I also try to ID what kinds of minnows that are in stomach contents and I can say with zero doubt that some are Asian Carp.

We fished yesterday in areas I traditionally fish in the fall and saw ONE baitball that is what I would call normal size. The lack of baitballs is scaring the crap out of me.

A Martin, you guys need to plan of coming to my taxidermy studio after the Fruit Jar weight in. We will clean all caught that day here. Your best source of location info will come at the actual weigh-in at Miller Park.

I also agree with J Riley. The lake never muddied up this year and is as clear now as I've ever seen. I'm shocked it hasn't turned over with surface temps now in mid-50s.

I have never said the fishing hasn't changed any or that I am not concerned about the carp. But I also won't stand by and let alot of sketchy at best info be thrown out and watch our biologists who are trying to protect the fisheries be trashed. Even if it means being labeled as drinking the kool-aid or a fool.

2015 Crappie USA Super Results
https://www.crappieusa.com/Tournamen...rnament_ID=531

10 fish per day bags in the early years CUSA
https://www.crappieusa.com/Tournamen...ournament_ID=9



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Since u have mentioned 2 different times about the kool aid statement , i dont think i mentioned your name personally and kool aid in the same statement, but if i hurt your feelings i apologize! Although i will say i wouldnt spend a lot of time assuming things in life that cause your feelings to get hurt as it will make an old man out of you before your time.

The info I posted is on crappie usa and can be looked at from 1999 to present. The weights are all there so if info is "sketcky" then that's their problem. As for pab no one has called you out on saying you haven't had to change fishing ways. There is a problem on our lakes and needs to be addressed and handled. I'm sure you notice the quality of fish isn't what it used to be we all see it. I have set in on the meetings held here and the struggles of finding ways to get rid of the carp and heard from the commercial fisherman that prices on fish don't pay enough to catch them and kdfw has helped in adding money to the price. This needs to be top priority and figured out or we won't have to worry about any fishing or boating on the lake. If they produce like they have in the last 5 years the next five it's going to get bad

I also fished the USA Classic and will say that I have never seen the crappie in such poor shape. We fished for 7 days and biggest fish was 1.25 lb absolutely horrible. I heard a bunch of people who fished including myself say that it wasn't worth my money or time. I can honestly say I am glad the Classic is at Cumberland next year and will voice my opinion to Crappie USA that until the Asian carp are dealt with I would suggest taking Ky lake and Barkley off the trail at the least no more classics there. I will not be making that drive again. Not to mention the dang things jumping in the boat and bout knocking my partner silly.

Originally Posted by mrdux

This year we've put well over 100 white crappie over 14" in my boat, several up to 16". Every one of them is poor like one would expect just after spawn. As fall gets here in years past, we would see the crankbait crappie starting to put on weight and some so heavy they looked like pre-spawn. I've seen zero this year. I check stomach contents of every crappie I clean that has something there. Most of the fish's' stomachs are empty. I don't know of more than a couple that had 2 or more minnows in there. I also try to ID what kinds of minnows that are in stomach contents and I can say with zero doubt that some are Asian Carp.

We fished yesterday in areas I traditionally fish in the fall and saw ONE baitball that is what I would call normal size. The lack of baitballs is scaring the crap out of me.

A Martin, you guys need to plan of coming to my taxidermy studio after the Fruit Jar weight in. We will clean all caught that day here. Your best source of location info will come at the actual weigh-in at Miller Park.

I also agree with J Riley. The lake never muddied up this year and is as clear now as I've ever seen. I'm shocked it hasn't turned over with surface temps now in mid-50s.

We can remove the otoliths wherever works best for you, but we need to know the location of the individual fish. We can bring some waterproof labels and bag the fish if necessary. Alternatively we can remove the otoliths at the weigh in, sex the fish, and then the fish can be taken elsewhere and filleted.

Nevermind, I have linked results from 2015, you can get to all the results from there. Folks can decide for their self. I am aware of how far they go back and how many fish they weighed then, I learned alot of what I know from a guy that was in alot of those write ups for finishing around the top in those early years.



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