Originally Posted by
crappiepappy
There has been no such stocking of a "hybrid" fish that would do harm to the Crappie population. All predator fish species will eat the smaller members of other species, as well as their own. Watts Bar's Crappie population consists of White Crappie, Black Crappie, and stocked Blacknose Black Crappie. The Blacknose is not a hybrid, and has been in Watts Bar for decades.
I've fished Watts Bar for decades, first for Smallmouth, then mostly for Crappie (over the last 20yrs). Back when I first started fishing there, the locals were all up in arms over the Stripers ... stating that they were eating all the Crappie and that's why they weren't catching them "like they used to". Turned out to be a false claim and just an excuse for their failure.
Watts Bar has gone through some changes and cycles, just like any other large lake. IMHO .... the one "change" that has affected the lake the most, was when they changed the timing of the water level rise/fall. That and the cyclic nature of Crappie populations in general has changed the normal dynamics of when & where the fish will be ... vs where/when they "used to be" there. In recent years, I've caught spawning Crappie 10ft deep (Spring) and most recently (this past Oct) found them 30ft deep at the end of blowdown trees. Now, I'm fishing the main portion of the lake, not up in the river. Reports from the river end have remained consistant, with shallow fish being caught Spring & Fall. "Normally" (prior to 2005) I would be catching Spring Crappie in less than 8ft of water, around brush or docks ... and Fall Crappie in around 15-20ft of water around brush or docks.
... pappy