No striper stocking this year

[Quillback]

Read today in Bass Times that AGFC will not be stocking striper fingerlings this year due to concerns over COVID.  the whole process involves people coming in close contact so it's been cancelled.  

[Phil Lilley]

So no stocking of fish of any kind in Arkansas...  wow

[Quillback]

I think it is just stripers.

[Phil Lilley]

My point - why just stripers?

[Quillback]

Something about the workers have to be in close proximity to each other harvesting the fish they use for brood stock.  The article did mention that largemouth bass production is still on track.  No mention of other fish.  Nothing on the AGFC website BTW, or if there is, I could not find it.

[Bill Butts]

Intereesting! So, if no Stripers that would have to translate to no Hybrid Stripers either, due to the similar process. 

This is disappointing to hear, but probably puts in perspective the importance of Temperate Basses versus all other popular species that are produced and stocked from AR hatcheries. 

It would be only one year class of fish. Some fisheries are stocked every year and some every other year. Perhaps they will see fit to produce and stock larger than normal quantities of both species next year. Scientific variables would determine that, I'm sure. 

Quillback, can you provide the link to the article. I looked but couldn't find it.  

[Quillback]

4 hours ago, Bill Butts said:

Intereesting! So, if no Stripers that would have to translate to no Hybrid Stripers either, due to the similar process. 

This is disappointing to hear, but probably puts in perspective the importance of Temperate Basses versus all other popular species that are produced and stocked from AR hatcheries. 

It would be only one year class of fish. Some fisheries are stocked every year and some every other year. Perhaps they will see fit to produce and stock larger than normal quantities of both species next year. Scientific variables would determine that, I'm sure. 

Quillback, can you provide the link to the article. I looked but couldn't find it.  

It is in Bass Times, I get a paper copy, sorry don't have a link.  

I agree that missing a year shouldn't have a big impact.

And you are right on hybrids, they won't be produced either, the article mentions that DeGray is the only lake in AR that now receives hybrid stocking.

[Ron Burgundy]

They stocked 96,000 walleyes this year...86,000 went in Beaver and 10,000 went in Lake Fort Smith . I’m glad the walleye stocking didn’t get skipped this year, don’t need to miss a year of stocking walleyes.

[Notropis]

I might be able to shed some light on the reasons behind the cancellation of the striper stocking this year. 

Typically the striped bass brood stock collecting takes place on Lake Ouachita involving several crews gathered from across the state to set and run gill nets designed to capture large fish. The activity involves setting the nets then running them every hour to remove the live stripers and transport them to a fish hauling truck which takes the live fish to the Hot Springs Hatchery for spawning. The activity takes place at night and typically continues most of the night, making it necessary for the crews (which are mostly from out of town) to stay in a hotel located close to the lake.  The crews are also dependent on eating at local restaurants while assigned to the project.  This happens in early to mid-April, just about the time when the Covid scare began to cause business closings, including hotels and restaurants.  

I'm guessing they cancelled the project to protect the crews , since they work and stay in close proximity and because the hotels and restaurants were likely closed.   

[mojorig]

Here is an AGFC article about this issue: Click Here. There is an error in this article. Norfork Lake receives an annual Hybrid Striped Bass stocking except for this year.

I will say from a personal standpoint that I wasn't thrilled about leaving north-central Arkansas, which at the time, had few cases of Covid-19 to go to an area that had much higher number of cases. I was prepared to do it but again I wasn't trilled about.