Steady decline of the fish population.

[straw hat]

Someone mentioned lake fertility may be down. Lake fertility can be an important factor in fish production. You can have too little fertility and too high fertility. For the last 8 years you can see a dramatic rise in fertility in Stockton (measured by looking at phosphorus and nitrogen). The levels on Stockton are now at 2 to 3 times the US department of wildlife commended levels. for fish populations. Stockton has had a few small fish kills due to low oxygen levels over the last few years. These kind of oxygen levels can have a significant effect on growth and survival of fish.

On more of a subjective note....There has been, to me, a tremendous growth in the amount of algae in Stockton in the last 10 years. I can not remember fighting the slimy algae when dragging the bottom with a bait say 10 to 15 years ago. Now it can be impossible to deal with during the summer and fall. Two years ago in the CC area my wife and I  checked out an area of floating algae that we estimated to be about 200' long and 50' wide. It was filled with gas bubbles that when disturbed smelled like rotten eggs (hydrogen sulfide) and are produced by low oxygen levels in the water (anaerobic conditions).

Sad to see such things. Maybe we need Zebra muscles to clean the water. Just kidding.

[Walcrabass]

Terrierman,

  You are correct. We are in Missouri. But I always think of things I have been told by MDC in the past. Things like:

1. Armidillos will not come this far North as it is too cold for them.

2. Pheasants just don't do well here. The fact is that they are much more tolerant of the rain and cold we get than Quail. They just need some habitat, people not shooting them when they are first stocked, and 800 million Red Tailed Hawks eradicated so they will not eat them.

3. The Four Point rule on Deer just won't work here. However, now some 30 years too late we finally have it.

MoCarp,

 You and I think a lot alike. Sorry, that might make you sleep a little uneasy tonight.

Walcrabass

[MoCarp]

6 hours ago, straw hat said:

Someone mentioned lake fertility may be down. Lake fertility can be an important factor in fish production. You can have too little fertility and too high fertility. For the last 8 years you can see a dramatic rise in fertility in Stockton (measured by looking at phosphorus and nitrogen). The levels on Stockton are now at 2 to 3 times the US department of wildlife commended levels. for fish populations. Stockton has had a few small fish kills due to low oxygen levels over the last few years. These kind of oxygen levels can have a significant effect on growth and survival of fish.

On more of a subjective note....There has been, to me, a tremendous growth in the amount of algae in Stockton in the last 10 years. I can not remember fighting the slimy algae when dragging the bottom with a bait say 10 to 15 years ago. Now it can be impossible to deal with during the summer and fall. Two years ago in the CC area my wife and I  checked out an area of floating algae that we estimated to be about 200' long and 50' wide. It was filled with gas bubbles that when disturbed smelled like rotten eggs (hydrogen sulfide) and are produced by low oxygen levels in the water (anaerobic conditions).

Sad to see such things. Maybe we need Zebra muscles to clean the water. Just kidding.

Didymosphenia geminata might be an issue, I have not sought any data on elevated phosphorus & nitrogen levels feeding algae blooms,  typically that is seen in all the water strata....if toxic gases or other nasty things going on with bottom algae and could be effecting the benthic organisms or the fish's (or their forage) ability to utilize bottom habitat....perhaps the reduction via Bow-fishing has reduced carp/buffalo feeding on filamentous algae?....as a rule carp/buffalo densities over 100kg per hectare can elevate nutrients if the lake has high silt bottom areas of >70% (Eutrophic lakes) which Stockton is not......or the stratification keeps them from effectively bottom feeding?*  

an interesting note if you have say 200lbs of carp/buffalo per hectare in a lake... you can have it as 10 twenty pounders or 40 five pounders, the smaller more numerous carp/buffalo  

1) 40 do more bottom "rooting" than the 10 larger carp/buffalo

2) 10 larger granny carp/buffalo spawn less successfully than the younger more numerous 40 carp/buffalo **

3) Bow-fishing pressure reduces average sizes of Common carp, black and smallmouth Buffalo.

*(Prezmek Bajer University Of Minnesota,lake Susan MN )

**Old Carp Sydrome (Bonneau,Scarnecchia,& Berard,  Bowman-Haley Reservoir MT)

4 hours ago, Walcrabass said:

Terrierman,

  You are correct. We are in Missouri. But I always think of things I have been told by MDC in the past. Things like:

1. Armidillos will not come this far North as it is too cold for them.

2. Pheasants just don't do well here. The fact is that they are much more tolerant of the rain and cold we get than Quail. They just need some habitat, people not shooting them when they are first stocked, and 800 million Red Tailed Hawks eradicated so they will not eat them.

3. The Four Point rule on Deer just won't work here. However, now some 30 years too late we finally have it.

MoCarp,

 You and I think a lot alike. Sorry, that might make you sleep a little uneasy tonight.

Walcrabass

 more them than us

[straw hat]

Absolutely agree MoCarp.

[bassfisher]

 For the most part over the last 20 years at Stockton I've caught all my bigger bass in the spring and in the fall. But i agree with dan they are scattered this year. And with all the new rain this past year it's pump new water into Stockton or should i say ran into stockton from the river. There are plenty of fish. I see alot of shad up in maze, turkey creek,  and up around Aldrich,  thats where i have been catching quality bass. But i have been releasing.  But crappie i keep,  and trust me this coming spring if we do not get another lake rise crappie will be all over the banks since this year was not so great. 

[ryan]

I think Stockton has fished a little tougher this year with the high water.  I believe that the baitfish presence has scattered the fish a little and caused a lot of them to suspend.  That being said the wallet fishing is awesome and there are still 20+lb bags being weighed regularly.  Also I read where people talked about the number of big bass deteriorating in lake of the Ozarks.  I'm blown away by the weights that lake has cranked out this year.  30lb bag!!!!!   Every tournament mid 20lb bag to even have a chance.  That lake is loaded, flat loaded with 3-5lbers.  We are lucky to live in an area with so many Great Lakes!!!

[waterpossum]

On ‎8‎/‎31‎/‎2017 at 8:54 AM, straw hat said:

Someone mentioned lake fertility may be down. Lake fertility can be an important factor in fish production. You can have too little fertility and too high fertility. For the last 8 years you can see a dramatic rise in fertility in Stockton (measured by looking at phosphorus and nitrogen). The levels on Stockton are now at 2 to 3 times the US department of wildlife commended levels. for fish populations. Stockton has had a few small fish kills due to low oxygen levels over the last few years. These kind of oxygen levels can have a significant effect on growth and survival of fish.

On more of a subjective note....There has been, to me, a tremendous growth in the amount of algae in Stockton in the last 10 years. I can not remember fighting the slimy algae when dragging the bottom with a bait say 10 to 15 years ago. Now it can be impossible to deal with during the summer and fall. Two years ago in the CC area my wife and I  checked out an area of floating algae that we estimated to be about 200' long and 50' wide. It was filled with gas bubbles that when disturbed smelled like rotten eggs (hydrogen sulfide) and are produced by low oxygen levels in the water (anaerobic conditions).

Sad to see such things. Maybe we need Zebra muscles to clean the water. Just kidding.

My first fishing experience on Stockton was in 1981 when I joined a bass club out of Joplin. I remember how all the area lakes would get locked up during the winter.  I sat some brush North  of the north Muttton creek ramp by walking out on the frozen 4" ice. This was not a unique situation. Grand and Table Rock also froze. I saw Grand frozen shoreline to shoreline and literally thousands of dead drum and shad hung in the ice. To the best of my recollection this occurred in the 80s.  When to anyone's recollection has Stockton frozen completely.  I would assume the year round lake temp has increased over the last three decades. Thoughts?

[lundone]

A few years ago there was a build up of algae in Sons Creek so I called DNR who sent a man out.  He talked to some of the owners abutting Sons and concluded that it was a result of livestock run off in the upper reaches of the creek.  He also stated that DNR had no control over such run off.  In terms of quality of fishing on Stockton, I would have to say that this year was probably one of the most productive I have had for walleye fishing both in terms of keepers and size.  Watterpossum:  I have lived on Stockton for 15 years and can remember only one winter that it froze completely and that was probably 4 to 7 yrs ago.  

[Old plug]

That is interestng I got to wonder though jus how much you fish.

[MOPanfisher]

Fishing is so cyclical due to water levels, water temps, spawn success, availability of prey, water quality, angling pressure, and sometimes simple luck.  So many different variables to consider, I think I will defer to the sampling methods that MDC use to estimate the populations, they certainly aren't perfect but they do follow scientific methods and being an old Biology Major I can understand that.  Personally I remember fishing Stockton in the 70s and 80s with my dad, lots of crappie and there was no length limit and the limit was 30 a day.  Hadn't fished it much after that until the last few years, but certainly can't complain about my trips.