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Hackberry underwent renovation a few yrs ago
I can appreciate the efforts of the ngpc but this doesn't seem to be a one time fix for generations of fishing. Hackberry underwent renovation a few yrs ago and now again? Sounds like the definition of stupidity. Mother nature always wins no matter how much my fishing permit costs. There are better ways to clean up carp infested waters. Please explain why the last renovation at hackberry failed and why you believe it will be more effective this time.
Reference to a web article is really not a good answer. A good answer takes us through the thinking of what's really out to be accomplished and the reaction if it's a failure. If the renovations don't work are we going to leave the lake empty as in the case of Willow lake in Brown County? Let's face it there are no fish in that lake and no one is doing anything about it. So now we have a useless body of water that was once top 10. Is that the general rule from here on out. Why not concentrate on fixing past mistakes first and then proceed with more
Daryl what the deal at Willow Lake in Brown county. I was looking forward to fishing it after the renovation. I know some good fisherman that have tried with no luck.
Anyone wanting to know the true impact of Cormorants on a fishery needs to look at what happened to Oneida Lake in upstate New York in the early 90's; there were so many they practically made a world class perch and walleye fishery crash. It got so bad the state along with volunteers had to step in and use a technique called "hazing" to spook them off from using this lake. If cormorants are a true problem it is time to take similar steps and nip this problem in the bud.
Sorry for the backlash Daryl. Simply asking about hackberry and why it needs renovation again. When was it done last? Seems like it was around 10-12 yrs ago. What failed? What happened? You say there are carp already in Willow lake before anglers can even catch any other decent fish. Why? And why do you keep trying this same approach to renovation when it has failed before. Why and how do you expect better results next time? Not trying to offend you just asking. Would like to support these efforts but I need a better explanation than a link to another article. Thank you.
And why do you keep trying this same approach to renovation when it has failed before. Why and how do you expect better results next time?
Thank you Daryl. That helps. Looking forward to it too. Where can I go to be informed of the timeline of the plan at the refuge? Just curious and interested to follow it.
Not Daryl but I've been paying close attention to the V. Refuge lakes for several decades.The last renovation on Hackberry was in the fall 2004. Restocking was implemented later that year with pan fish and bass only. This area was in somewhat of a dry cycle at that time and Hackberry had not returned to full pool going in the winter of 2006. Below normal temps and snow cover that lasted several months produced a 2006-07 winter kill. Hackberry was again restocked in the spring/summer of 2007, pan fish and bass. No pike stockings planned. Spring of 2009 the V. Refuge experienced a high water event which provided enough water in the system to breach carp barriers between Hackberry and Dewey. Both carp and northern pike moved into Hackberry. Apparently a pile of pike must have made the move by the numbers we caught the winter of 2011/12. Pike growth rates were incredible in Hackberry right off the bat with all the pan fish to feed on. It was amazing to watch massive coontail beds disappear in basically 2 years because of carp activity. Pan fish numbers crashed due to pike predation. There was simply not enough habitat to hide. Perch took the brunt of it at first, then bluegill and crappie. The pike have remained strong mainly due to carp and whatever pan fish have been able to hide long enough to get off a spawn. Read the link again. This is a complete system renovation, includes multiple lakes with new levees and carp barriers built to withstand 100 year water events. These improvements have never been implemented before on these lakes. It is not the same approach at all. Sandhill lakes can produce somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 lbs of fish/acre. That is a huge number in North America! Biomass count of carp in Pelican post renovation was 265 lbs/acre. Doesn't leave much room for game fish including pike. Give them a chance. Pretty good track record on Sandhill lakes they get a carp kill on. dc
I will give it chance and see what happens I still think your making a big mistake by not stocking pike but like I said I will give it a chance.Daryl are you or did you lower the water level on Hackberry like you did on Pelican?
New or redesigned water control structures on the outlets below each lake will keep fish from moving upstream into a lake, even during periods of high water, and to allow FWS personnel to manage water levels.Channels were dredged between the outlets’ main lake bodies to insure maximum drawdown prior to a renovation. The key piece to this puzzle is a barrier constructed on the stream below Willow Lake, the last lake in the system, which will prevent carp from finding their way onto the refuge from private lakes to the northeast.Separated from the other lakes, Watts Lake was the test subject for the process. Work began there in 2014, and when it was renovated in 2015, managers were able to lower the lake 3 feet, drawing the water out of all of the vegetation to all but insure a complete kill of carp and cutting chemical costs in half. Growth rates of the bass, bluegills, perch and crappie stocked following the work have been excellent, and anglers began pulling keeper-sized fish from the lake this year. Biologists expect the same at the rest of the refuge lakes.