Angler Input Requested, Thought I Would Share

[kscullawl]

Ok let me clarify my post.

I did not say that I think TR is at carrying capacity. I was saying that just stocking fish is not the answer. Making sure there are structure and forage is an equal part of the equation. That is all I meant by that statement. If you stock too many then you run out of forage at some point.

I am talking mainly about largemouth because that is what we fish for mostly and wins the majority of tourneys. I would agree with Bill that Spots and SM relate less to man made cover. I have caught plenty of fish out of sunken brush both at TR and other states. They were not from the MDC.

As for Lake Fork they were transitioning their bass population to Florida strain and developing a Trophy lake. Without the right cover and forage, the stocking would been useless. I never said they DIDN'T stock bass, I said it has a TON of cover. Missed my point entirely.

I also never said fry would be reproduced in brush piles. Not having a place to hide until your not on every other fishes menu can be helpful though. Are the structures the MDC are using doing the trick? Well certainly debatable.

Bill, I am sure few people have as much experience on the lake as you in the last 25 or so years. You think the fishing pressure in clear water with lack of cover, whether it be wood, rock or grass has to do with why so many bass moved off shore? Again I agree with you on Spots and Smallmouth.

Would that be a reason that the shad move away too? Less predators?

I have spent numerous hours in ichthyology classes. Not all waters are the same of course. But as a whole, prey like to hide, predators like to find and eat the prey.

[bfishn]

... But as a whole, prey like to hide...

Not shad. Lookup "pelagic".

[kscullawl]

Not shad. Lookup "pelagic".

The problem with that statement and shad is they can be found anywhere from 70ft to 1 foot during different times of the year, but also can vary greatly at the same time of year. Hiding can also be in the form of open water and numbers too. Much like a Zebra.

There is more to the ecosystem than Bass and shad.