Asian Carp and other invasive species - unlimited

Started by Woolly Bugger, November 22, 2019, 16:27:40 PM

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Woolly Bugger

new study shows that the population of sport fish — including bluegill, crappie and yellow perch — has dropped significantly in parts of the Upper Mississippi River that now are home to large numbers of Asian carp. That's bad news for the Great Lakes fishery, where many fear Asian carp soon may appear.

read:https://www.record-eagle.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-asian-carp-study-underscores-dangers/article_22e93214-0a35-11ea-8d55-b757bc6d350f.html

Full Report:

https://www.asiancarp.us/Documents/2019ActionPlan.pdf
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

Onslow

The stockings of Kentucky Spotted bass by the DGIf, NCWRC, and the retarded bucket stockers have had profound negative impacts on many largemouth streams in NC and VA.

The Cape Fear is completely screwed, as well as all the tribs such as Rockfish Creek, Little River, Upper Little River by Kentucky Spots, as well as introduced catfish.

Kentucky Spots are established in the Lumber, which is a part of the Little Pee Dee basin.  The Little Pee Dee is one of the crown jewels of SC.  There goes the hood.

Alabama bass have been introduced in lakes all over NC including Belews and Jordan.  It is unclear how Alabama bass will impact the smallmouth fishery on the Dan, or the largemouth fishery on the Haw.

Spotted bass (Alabama or Kentucky) have been caught Tillery and Blewett Falls.  If said fish are Kentucky Spots, they will surely expand their range into every tributary including the Little, Rocky, and Uwharrie.  Currently, all three hold smallmouth and Largemouth, and the Little and Uwharrie both hold Roanoke bass.

I have no knowledge if Alabama bass are prone to overpopulate like the Kentucky Spots.  If they do, there will be very few streams in NC that are exclusively largemouth streams in the near future. 

Yallerhammer

Quote from: Onslow on November 24, 2019, 11:34:30 AMThe stockings of Kentucky Spotted bass by the DGIf, NCWRC, and the retarded bucket stockers have had profound negative impacts on many largemouth streams in NC and VA.

The Cape Fear is completely screwed, as well as all the tribs such as Rockfish Creek, Little River, Upper Little River by Kentucky Spots, as well as introduced catfish.

Kentucky Spots are established in the Lumber, which is a part of the Little Pee Dee basin.  The Little Pee Dee is one of the crown jewels of SC.  There goes the hood.

Alabama bass have been introduced in lakes all over NC including Belews and Jordan.  It is unclear how Alabama bass will impact the smallmouth fishery on the Dan, or the largemouth fishery on the Haw.

Spotted bass (Alabama or Kentucky) have been caught Tillery and Blewett Falls.  If said fish are Kentucky Spots, they will surely expand their range into every tributary including the Little, Rocky, and Uwharrie.  Currently, all three hold smallmouth and Largemouth, and the Little and Uwharrie both hold Roanoke bass.

I have no knowledge if Alabama bass are prone to overpopulate like the Kentucky Spots.  If they do, there will be very few streams in NC that are exclusively largemouth streams in the near future. 

The damn spots and Alabama bass have ruined a lot of our best smallmouth lakes around here. Mostly tourny fishermen stocking them.They also stock blueback herring at the same time, which srews up the white bass and walleye fisheries, too.
Women want me, doughbellies fear me. - Little Debbie Prostaff

Onslow

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — A species of bass once mostly confined to a small native range now is spreading far outside that range, occasionally stocked by fishery managers but more often now aided by anglers who either don't understand or care about the negative consequences that illegal introductions can have.

That fish is the Alabama bass, once considered a subspecies of spotted bass but recognized by fisheries experts as a separate species a little more than a decade ago. Yes, it looks like the spotted bass, but it grows larger — in its native waters and in some western reservoirs where all black bass are non-native introductions.

Where it has been illegally introduced, however, it often eliminates smallmouth bass by hybridization and/or outcompetes largemouth bass for forage and habitat, especially in clear, deep reservoirs. Even in stocked reservoirs in Northern California where a heavy trout and Kokanee diet has produced new world records, Alabama bass have reduced or replaced smallmouth and largemouth in many systems that were once known as quality fisheries for these other black bass. Anglers now report catching Alabama bass at a rate of 3 to 1 over smallmouth or largemouth in some reservoirs and rivers.

At present, Ground Zero for this most recent outbreak of illegal introductions is eastern Tennessee and much of North Carolina. The fish are likely being introduced by anglers bringing them in from the species' native range in the Coosa River system in Alabama, or from northern Georgia waters where Alabama bass have been established for some time.

"We had national-class fisheries rivaled only by Texas and Florida. Now they are ruined," said an angry Bill Frazier, conservation director for the North Carolina B.A.S.S. Nation (NCBN). "It is an outrageous mess that has occurred in about the last five to seven years."

"What is most embarrassing about the situation is when the people with the biggest stake in the sport are the ones destroying it. They actually brag about it," he added.

After Alabama bass destroyed smallmouth fisheries in Georgia's Blue Ridge and Chatuge Lakes, "Now we are seeing this happen in North Carolina with the same results," said Steve Sammons, an Auburn fisheries scientist who specializes in black bass species.

"Alabama bass are an extremely adaptable, aggressive fish that tend to be able to outcompete or hybridize with almost any other bass species they come in contact with," he continued. "We are seeing similar impacts with Shoal bass in the ACF (Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/Flint River system), Bartrams bass (redeye) in the Savannah, and now Tennessee is starting to see this happen in the upper Tennessee River system."


Of special concern are the world-class native smallmouth fisheries in the Volunteer State, such as Norris and Dale Hollow, which are worth millions of dollars to local economics.

"All prior experience shows that if this (illegal introductions) happens, those fisheries would be gone, wiped off the map, never to return," Sammons said. "And it happens fast. If Alabama bass were put in there today, in less than 20 years, those fisheries would disappear."

There was recent genetic confirmation that Alabama bass have been illegally introduced, or made their way by connecting waterways, to TVA's Wilson and Pickwick Reservoirs where Alabama and smallmouth bass hybrids (often referred to as Meanmouth bass) are being caught in the Wilson tailwater and the upper reaches of Pickwick.

Watts Bar is another fishery that concerns Mark Thurman, a fisheries biologist with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Alabama bass already are established there in one embayment and the population is growing.

"The general angling public looks at all fish as being similar," he added. "And it doesn't take a lot of Alabama bass to establish a population and start to hybridize. Once that happens, then you start to see a decline in the quality of the smallmouth fishery like at Parksville, where largemouth bass also were impacted."

Some anglers dismiss the idea that introducing Alabama bass could harm Chickamauga, one of the nation's most popular largemouth fisheries. After all, it's spread across 36,000 acres with lots of vegetation and shallow-water habitat, generally more conducive to largemouth than Alabama bass. But Thurman worries about that fishery too.

"Chickamauga is bigger than Parksville, so it would take longer to see," he said. "But I feel confident in saying that there's the potential for damage, and it doesn't take a whole lot of fish to start the process."


In adjacent North Carolina, meanwhile, illegally introduced Alabama bass all but eliminated largemouth from the main body of Lake Norman.

"There's been no introgression (hybridization) with largemouth bass," said Lawrence Dorsey, a fisheries biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. "It's been a competition thing."

And while anglers might be impressed by the Alabama bass' growth potential in its native Coosa River system, the North Carolina biologist pointed out that is not likely to be the case in waters where they are illegally introduced, with Norman as a prime example. "We are not seeing anything good come out of this. Take it out of its native range, and you just don't see the growth," he said.

"But we are stuck where we are (at Norman). There are still largemouth there. In a tournament, you catch five Alabama bass, and then try to go find a largemouth to increase your weight."

Meanwhile, Alabama bass now make up an estimated 32 percent of the bass population at Lake Gaston, up from 8 percent in 2016.

North Carolina smallmouth fisheries are suffering too. For example, 75 percent of 50 smallmouth sampled contained Alabama bass genes at Fontana Lake. To the east on the Catawba chain, the hybridization rate was 33 percent at Lake James.

"James seems to be about 10 years behind Fontana," said biologist Scott Loftis. "But the trend points to complete hybridization of smallmouth fisheries."


Loftis pointed out that largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass "co-existed with no issues" in North Carolina waters. "But with Alabama bass, we're seeing dramatic issues."

According to B.A.S.S. National Conservation Director Gene Gilliland, "Transferring fish from outside a species native range and stocking them in public waters is illegal in almost every state. Yet we see this problem more and more with bass anglers moving fish in hopes it will make their fishing better. But in almost every case, unintended consequences catch up with them, and the results are far worse than what they started with."

So, what can be done about these issues? Gilliland stresses, "Leave fish stocking to the biologist, to the professionals who understand those systems and species interactions."

NCBN President Chuck Murray said that B.A.S.S. members must be at the forefront of educating bass anglers about how Alabama bass can harm their fisheries.

Frazier added, "If you see something, say something. Take pictures and include boat or license plates. Help us stop the smugglers."



https://m.bassmaster.com/conservation-news/alabama-bass-invasion?fbclid=IwAR3A9vE5_ToQ1lCrceWpCYNpvvRHfBe0Mzq5eveq3MaG5R9ctF1kQN60gtU

Onslow

"Loftis pointed out that largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass "co-existed with no issues" in North Carolina waters."

This is not factual.  Kentucky Spots have done great damage to many largemouth river fisheries.  Kentucky Spots are now dominating the Yadkin and Ararat rivers.  I predict in 10 years, 90 percent of the bass in the Yadkin and Ararat will be puny Spots.

The Dude

"We had national-class fisheries rivaled only by Texas and Florida. Now they are ruined," said an angry Bill Frazier, conservation director for the North Carolina B.A.S.S. Nation (NCBN)."

Huh?!?
I was born by the river in a little tent, And just like the river I've been running ever since, It's been a long, long time coming, But I know change is gonna come.

Woolly Bugger

#6
Biologists' fears confirmed on the lower Colorado River

Denver, Colo. (AP) — For National Park Service fisheries biologist Jeff Arnold, it was a moment he'd been dreading. Bare-legged in sandals, he was pulling in a net in a shallow backwater of the lower Colorado River last week, when he spotted three young fish that didn't belong there. "Give me a call when you get this!" he messaged a colleague, snapping photos.

Minutes later, the park service confirmed their worst fear: smallmouth bass had in fact been found and were likely reproducing in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam.

They may be a beloved sport fish, but smallmouth bass feast on humpback chub, an ancient, threatened fish that's native to the river, and that biologists like Arnold have been working hard to recover. The predators wreaked havoc in the upper river, but were held at bay in Lake Powell where Glen Canyon Dam has served as a barrier for years — until now. The reservoir's recent sharp decline is enabling these introduced fish to get past the dam and closer to where the biggest groups of chub remain, farther downstream in the Grand Canyon.



https://apnews.com/article/science-travel-lakes-colorado-river-canyons-71c6743aba18e2b59cea81bb986fb974
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

Onslow

Alabama x largemouth cross recently caught in the Roanoke River near Weldon.  The ruination of this fabulous largemouth fishery has begun. 


Mudwall Gatewood 3.0

It is interesting how species become established, often purposely introduced and I believe often accidentally.

Last week I accompanied the Virginia DWR on a local brookie stream.  There was a concern over the self-sustaining population of rainbows appearing over the last few years, which I am sure was an 'accident'. 

What I found odd was the number of rainbows in the most upstream reach (several YOY).  There were very few collected downstream.  Several large bookies and YOY brookies were collected.  Many were over 300 mm (around 12 inches) in the 4-to-5-year class.  Very few 2- to 3-year-old brookies were observed. 

I first saw YOY rainbows in this stream in 2013, and now they've moved to the very upper reaches.

There seems to be some dialogue on the use of sterile male rainbows in these situations.  I think NC or TN is tinkering with this potential solution.

I don't enjoy discovering invasives, but I suppose we are all invasive in some way.   
"Enjoy every sandwich."  Warren Zevon

Woolly Bugger

The joy and splendor of the annual fight against invasive carp that is the Redneck Fishing Tournament in Bath, IL. Team Dwight Against Carp caught 142 and took home 3rd place in Friday's second heat. Not bad for a bunch of beet farmers.


ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

Stone-Man

Watauga Lake has a damn big population of spots in it now. I think that TWRA is wanting  to get rid of them. I have never eaten a spot. Anybody got good information on how they taste

  Stone-Man

Onslow

Quote from: Stone-Man on September 01, 2022, 16:26:34 PMWatauga Lake has a damn big population of spots in it now. I think that TWRA is wanting  to get rid of them. I have never eaten a spot. Anybody got good information on how they taste

  Stone-Man

I've eat my fair share of Kentucky Spots.  Haven't eaten any Bama bass. Kentucky spot flesh is not as delicate as smallmouth. Also has more aftertaste wherein Smallies have none. I rate them somewhere between river largemouth, and pond largemouth.  That all being said, I haven't eaten some of these in 12 years.

Woolly Bugger

A new invasive pest has made its way into North Carolina, according to the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The elm zigzag sawfly was recently documented in Surry and Stokes Counties by an NC Forest Service assistant ranger.

The assistant ranger found the elm zigzag sawfly in Westfield north of Pilot Mountain. They are a type of wasp native to Asia, and they were previously only found in Virginia in 2021 and Canada in 2020

https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/piedmont-triad/nc-has-new-invasive-species-found-in-surry-stokes-counties?utm_source=wghp_app&utm_medium=social&utm_content=share-link
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!