No More Hybrid Stocking On Beaver.

[Blll]

At the striper club meeting last night, John from the Ar. Fish & Game told us that starting this year there would be no more Hybrid bass stocked in Beaver. The stocked Striper count would increase as not to reduce the total stocking number. There were several reasons but the most interesting to me were new studies that showed hybrids are less open water roaming than whites or stripers and do have an impact on more typical shallow forage, mainly crawfish. Mixed reaction at the meeting. Interesting info. There was also talk of walleyes becoming self- sustaining in high water years and perhaps a reduction in walleye stocking. This idea didn't seem to popular. Striper studies showed a very good growth rate and decent population. 

[J-Doc]

Interesting info. Thanks for sharing. 

 

Regardless of anyone's opinions as to what's best, right or wrong, thank you for sharing. 

 

I disagree with the walleye reduction but, I'm not a biologist and I have no access to the studies and info they do. So it's just an opinion. 

If the hybrids do hurt the crawfish population......"they gotta go". I agree with their move and say good call. 

[Riverwhy]

Fascinating that you can cross two species that are both open water foragers and produce a hybrid that changes into a fish that eats different forage in a different portion of the water column.   Fascinating, but I am not a buyer of that hypothesis.  

The biologists obviously studied and concluded that crawfish populations have suffered substantial declines related to the hybrids.  I would love to see the study.

I'm just a bit skeptical.  I generally catch hybrid that are associated with bait fish schools.  I have never caught one bouncing a jig on the bottom.

 

 

[Blll]

The info was supposedly gathered by stomach content studies. They showed a few hybrid belly pics just packed with crawfish.  

[tho1mas]

I have caught limits of hybrids below Truman Dam on live crawdads the first week of May. Other people fishing nearby wanted to buy a crawdad (could have made a small fortune). Most others were catching a few whites & crappie but no hybrids.

The problem is I can not do that other time of the year.

[J-Doc]

22 minutes ago, Blll said:

The info was supposedly gathered by stomach content studies. They showed a few hybrid belly pics just packed with crawfish.  

I was just about to speculate what you just said. Stomach content. 

[Dan the fisherman]

Cool info. Thanks for sharing....... A lot of people don't know how to identity them and kept smaller hybrids. With that being said, I guess I don't mind them not being stocked.  Kinda felt like the agfc was wasting time and money 

[Riverwhy]

If there is not a decline in crawfish densities why would we care if during certain parts of the year they eat crawfish?  I obviously enjoy fishing for hybrids.

[M_Taylor]

This striper was caught eating a wiggle wart. Must have learned it from his hybrid buddy. Hehe so I took him out of the lake to ensure he didn't teach others. 

Thanks for sharing Bill. I hope that all is for the best of the lake, as I love catching all the species mentioned. 

[Guest]

Bella Vista stocked hybrids in an effort to reduce the gizzard shad population. Totally Backwards.

Somebody needs to teach common sense, not common core!