Thread: Want your opinions if I may.

I have saw those here but not in big numbers maybe because of all the grass that we have for the fish to hide In but I have saw them on some other lakes in large #s and those lakes have been struggling the last few years as far as #’s .I’ve brought it up to a few folks about how much they say those things can eat but they tell me that they eat mostly small bait fish ?

I fish that area quite often. This was taken not very long ago

Old Hickory has had a strong pelican population for several years. Crappie fishing has remained steady.

Look at water levels during the spawn and shortly afterwards, it explains 90% of the variations in crappie year class strength.

While I am certain these birds will and do eat crappie, my best guess is that they are after baitfish like shad.

I have been to a couple lakes here in Oklahoma that have a lot of birds hanging around all the time. When I get on the water I notice a crazy amount of bait fish and that’s what attracts the birds. I also have a local lake that I use to slay them all the way up to 2018 and then just shut off. I’m lucky if I catch one now. I can’t call it.

If they are eating tons of bait fish. They are still effecting to fishery in my mind. They more the birds eat the less the fish have to eat. They birds in the photo I posted above where on bait fish. Their were lots of bait fish in that bay

This lake I was at I had never seen so many birds. I was surprised I didn’t hit one or get pooped on. The shad was so bad that throughout the entire day I would mark what I thought was structure, turn around just for it to be shad balls. I don’t think the birds could’ve put a dent in the shad population. Here is a pic of what it looked like. I wish I could’ve transferred some to another lake I knew that needed shad. Lol

Wow now that is thick with Shad.