Does anyone know why UAPB is setting nets all over Beaverfork Lake.
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Does anyone know why UAPB is setting nets all over Beaverfork Lake.
Part of the fish agriculture program. They do fish samples this time of year especially with crappie.
Greyson Farris is a graduate student from UAPB and his Masters thesis is looking at stocking contribution of crappie to the existing crappie population. We helped him OTC mark crappie and stock them is several lakes around the state the past 2 years. Now he is trying to determine what percent of the crappie that he catches in the Nets are wild born or stocked. This will help us figure out of stocking crappie in some lakes is a waste of time or notm
Thanks Matt! I'd like the results of his testing. Lake Beaverfork seems to be over populated with small crappie.Quote:
Originally Posted by D10
You bet. I am anxious awaiting the results myself. My personal feeling is that most crappie populations would be fine with no stocking. This study should give us some answers.
Dardanelle is on a down cycle a few stocked could not hurt .:juggleQuote:
Originally Posted by D10
Research conducted in other states found that crappie populations are at their best when they only have a strong year class (excellent spawn) once every three to four years. Frank Leone (biologist who manages Big D) says that their was a good spawn in 2015. My bet is that in a few years, it will be great again. Stocking in systems like this may not be needed to maximize the crappie population. Hopefully we will get this answered.
I agree with you Matt. Lets not try and fix what's not broken. If you can please post the results of his study. Thanks.
Will do. He is finishing up his research now and should be compiling the data and writing his thesis over the summer. I will let yall know what he found out.Quote:
Originally Posted by blackfish
Seems to me that stocking crappie in good crappie waters would cause an overpopulated system and stunted fish when the wild fish do have a banner spawn and compete for forage with the stockers.
I have 0 in a degree in this area tho. [emoji23]
A previous study conducted by Arkansas Tech looking at stocking crappie found out that our current stocking rates on 1000 acre lakes or larger were less than 1% of what historically (based on rotenone data ) were naturally produced in a lake. So basically, we have had very little influence on crappie populations with stocking rates of fingerling crappie. We would have needed to stock 10x as many to notice a marginal increase. To put this into perspective, we used to stock 30,000 fingerling white crappie a year in Lake Overcup. They estimated that this only contributed 1% or less of the number of crappie found in the lake. 99% of the crappie were naturally produced. To make a contribution of only 10% (on an average year) we would need to stock 300,000 fingerling crappie. Pretty eye opening. The bottom line is that at the current stocking rates, we had very little impact negatively or positively. Even if a lake was full of stunted crappie, the stocking would have very little pact because it would represent such a small percent of what is out there. However, lakes with poor natural reproduction could benifit from stocking crappie. Most (but not all) Arkansas lakes have good to great natural crappie reproduction. The current UAPB study is looking at smaller lakes to see if stocking will have a greater impact.Quote:
Originally Posted by BigRiverMarine
Other research has shown that the same can be said for largemouth bass. Hopefully this all makes since. Thanks for listning.
I like to know that people are actively seeking to get the best results from our natural resources. I look forward to hearing the results of this study. Being good resource manages takes an active approach I think.
Matt, thank you for what you do and for giving the information to us.
Chris
If y'all have no where else to release the crappie fingerlings you could always dump them here in Greers to help feed the hybrids.lol
but surely you stayed in a holiday inn :RoflQuote:
Originally Posted by BigRiverMarine
Interesting information Matt.