Thread: Do They Or Don't They?????????

I don't think fish get near as lethargic as some might think. Their metabolism might slow down but not the ability to swim. I caught bass last year in less than a foot of water with ice on the lake. And I could see them come hit the lure. And they were anything but slow moving. Fishes is a fish in that regards. Also, what is the odds of so many fish being at the one relatively small area of the intake? Over acres and acres of the lake. I'd think you could damp a boat out from the intake if that was the case and catch fish all day.

MDWFP biologists say that winter spillway fish come from the big lake during extreme cold weather pull down. There was always good Sardis spillway activity (bite and snagging) in Dec., Jan., and Feb. until the last few years. I think this is a direct result of the wildly increased catches of main lake fish, especially when they get more concentrated in the lower third of the lake during the pulldown. If there are less fish in the big lake, there will be less fish pulled into the spillway. I think that the lack of spillway fish is just an indication of a more serious overall fish population problem.

11" thing hurt. I know it cycles, but the increased pressure in the past 8-10 years is a major factor too. JMO tho.

Why don't they just put something upstream to keep the bigger fish from going thru there to begin with.

Originally Posted by 27458

Why don't they just put something upstream to keep the bigger fish from going thru there to begin with.

Trash would constantly build up it and cause lots more work maintaining it.

Originally Posted by 27458

Why don't they just put something upstream to keep the bigger fish from going thru there to begin with.

You are talking about a flow of up to 6000 cubic ft. a second at max. discharge.

Originally Posted by Rees Guide

. Do crappie go through the spillway or not?????

Only the slow ones!!! ;-)

Buddy at ole miss did the study and lost quite a few radio tagged fish through the spillway during cold snaps when they were pulling water. Not my opinion, just what he observed.