Proposal Wouldn't Apply to West Tennessee
by Richard Simms
posted August 24, 2006
Author's Note: Read this, and then check out the Outdoors Blog on the issue.
TWRA Chief of Fisheries Bill Reeves spoke more on Thursday about the proposal to reduce the crappie creel limit for most of Tennessee. Staff biologists have proposed a regulation that would lowering the creel limit on crappie from 30 fish per day, down to 15 fish per day. However the regulation would not apply to Kentucky Lake, Barkley Lake, Reelfoot Lake or anywhere in the Region II Cumberland River Drainage (Old Hickory or J. Percy Priest).
Reeves said "our studies are showing a decline in crappie abundance. Regional biologists have data that shows the number of young fish entering the system are less than 10 - 20 years ago."
However reduced creel limits does not necessarily mean there will be more crappie.
"Reduced creel limits spread the available catch around to more people," said Reeves.
Part of biologist's presentation was to create more consistency in crappie creel limits across the state... that in spite of the fact that they excluded the three most well-known, and popular crappie lakes in the state where the creel limit would remain at 30 -- plus at least two major Middle Tennessee impoundments.
That does little to create statewide "consistency."
"That's true," admitted Reeves.
Commissioner Bill Cox said, "I can't say I'm in support (of the proposal). My problem is that we shouldn't be short of fish. I'm interested in solving the problem by putting more fish in the water (from hatcheries). We're not doing a good enough job making fish."
Cox, from West Tennessee, said he wasn't concerned about the difference between Kentucky Lake and other reservoirs.
"(The biologists) said (reducing the creel limit) wasn't necessary there... so that didn't bother me."
Reeves said there is some data that indicates biological differences in Kentucky Lake and other Tennessee River reservoirs.
"There are more little fish in Kentucky Lake," he said. "We use Fall Trap Netting in all the reservoirs, the same comparable data. The Kentucky Lake data shows that there's more fish in Kentucky Lake than over there than in East Tennessee."
Reeves said however that it would take a few days to pull that data together for Chattanoogan.com Outdoors.
Among the Regional biologists Reeves said that Region III and Region IV were in complete agreement. He said however, it was a split decision among the two Region II biologists.... hence the Cumberland River System reservoirs in Reg. II were not included in the proposal.
Reeves said, "We develop an Agency recommendation, I support the recommendation put forth by our Regional biologists."
The proposal will be formally voted on at the Commission's October Meeting, Oct. 18-19, held at Cedar Bluff Holiday Inn in Knoxville.
Go HERE to learn how to contact the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commissioner for your area.
Biologists told Commissioners that a recent survey indicated that an overwhelming majority of anglers would not object to the crappie creel reduction. So far a Chattanoogan.com Web Poll indicates a majority support.
Author's Note: Check out the Outdoors Blog on the issue.
Meanwhile Chattanooga angler Alan Witt made a proposal to the TWRC to increase the limit on spotted bass from 5 fish per day to 15 fish per day. Witt believes that an overpopulation of small spotted bass is hurting the opportunity to grow more trophy smallmouth bass in the area. This is the presentation he gave Commissioners on Wednesday:
Comments for TWRA Commission meeting Aug 23, 2006
My name is Alan Witt, I live in Chattanooga, and I appreciate the opportunity to come and ask you to change the creel limit for spotted bass for Chickamauga & Nickajack, to 15 per day per angler. We currently have a 15 spot per day limit on Boone, Cherokee, Ft. Loudon, John Sevier, Melton Hill, Norris, Tellico, & Watauga. All of these lakes eventually drain into the Tennessee River.
I believe the current situation of including them in the daily limit of 5 black bass is detrimental to the future health of the overall population of black bass in the Tennessee River system. The net effect of including them with largemouth and smallmouth is that essentially none of them are harvested. The population of spotted bass is numerous and the average size of the fish is small. I believe that they will become the dominant species unless a change is implemented.
I belong to a 750 member organization called the Chattanooga Fishing Forum. Since I brought up this issue for discussion, I have not had a single comment that disagreed with the need for change. One of the purposes of the forum is to share fishing information. Because I have become sort of an unofficial expert on fishing the tailwaters of Chickamauga Dam, I am sometimes asked by members planning to fish a tournament on Nickajack where they can catch five 12” or better Spots so they can fill out a limit and then concentrate on larger fish. I have to truthfully tell them that I don’t have a clue how or where they can reliably catch five 12” spots. It’s not uncommon for me to catch 30 to 50 spotted bass in an afternoon of fishing. What is unusual is for any of them to be 12” or longer. Our Tennessee River Spotted bass are either stunted or they do not have the genetic capability to grow very large. I have been Bass Fishing for over 50 years and my Personal best Spotted Bass is about 3lbs. And that fish was caught over 20 years ago. The largest spotted bass I have caught since I started keeping picture records about 3 years ago is 2.1 lbs.
The only data I have to present that supports this contention is the “Trophy Fish” program conducted by the TWRA. Since it’s inception in 2003, only 7 spotted bass have been submitted for recognition and all of them came from West Tennessee. 3 of the 7 were caught by one person fishing private water. The only thing I can figure out about this is that those fish were either illegally transplanted or they migrated into West Tennessee through the Tombigbee Waterway.
I fish the tailwaters of Chickamauga Dam frequently. My personal observation is that over the years, I catch more & more spotted bass and fewer & fewer largemouth & Smallmouth. We still have a good fishery for Big largemouth & Smallmouth, But it seems to me that I’m catching fewer small largemouth & smallmouth. This indicates to me that Spotted bass are probably decimating the baby largemouth & smallmouth population. This can only lead to a decline in Trophy largemouth & Smallmouth. I just don’t consider it a good trade to replace a 6lb Smallmouth with a 2lb spot.
So, I suggest that a means to improve this situation is to encourage the harvesting of spotted bass. You can help by increasing the creel limit to make it worthwhile to target spotted bass as a food fish and we can help by educating the fishing public to identify spotted bass.
I recognize that even with an increase in the harvesting of spots, that it probably would not be noticeable in the reservoirs, but in the tailwaters, which are the prime Smallmouth waters, and where we have the highest concentration of bank fishermen, I believe a significant improvement can occur. A couple of years ago, a 10 ˝ lb Smallmouth was caught just below Chickamauga Dam. This event gave me visions of a potential World Record Smallmouth lurking around in the waters I normally fish. Every 2”smallmouth gobbled up by an 8”spot reduces that possibility.
There is apparently a strong precedent for such a regulation based on actions TWRA Staff and the Commission have taken on other East Tennessee waters. At the request of Chattanooga-area anglers, the TWRA Staff and Commission have strongly supported the management of Chickamauga Tailwaters as trophy waters for smallmouth. I am convinced that the extraordinary population of spotted bass is competing with our smallmouth. Based upon the precedent for such a regulation on numerous other East Tennessee waters, I would respectfully ask the Commission to consider a similar regulation regarding spotted bass on Chickamauga Lake and Nickajack Lake. I, along with many other Chattanooga-area anglers are certain that “it can’t hurt, and it might help!” Thank You!
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