Ohio River Milfoil

[NateO]

Went fishing on the Ohio last weekend and noticed something there I had never seen before and never expected. Growing on the Kentucky side of the river on a flat with some timber was a large milfoil bed. I had never heard of the presence of milfoil on the river and figured the water fluctuations and clarity would prevent its establishment. The water was a murky so I couldn't see exactly how large it was, but where it was matted up looked to be about a 50 by 50 yard area. I guess the drought this summer has allowed for the grass to take hold. I was wondering how it got there as well. Anyways, it would be nice if it would take hold in the river and spread. Would be some well needed cover for those river bass also. Im sure when conditions on the river get back to normal next year the grass will be gone.

[MarkW]

What part of the Ohio are you talking about---you don't have to give out secret info--just general areas. It takes some low water times for the river to ever have grass. Back in 2000 down here in the Louisville area, some grass started to come back, but was soon gone with the next few years of overly high water levels most of the year. I can remember when I first started fishing the Ohio back in the early 90's---seems you could go out and find grass many,many places. Don't kow if it was Milfoil---because I don't know one water grass from another, but there was bunches of it. Fishing seemed to be better then too.

[Moose1am]

There was a good article in the In-Fishermen Magazine this month about different types of submergent vegatation that can survive cold water periods. I am trying to study up on the differnet types of weed that grow in my area here in Southern IN. We are right along the Ohio River across the river from Henderson KY and Owenboro KY. I also think that the river may be clear enough in low water times to support aquatic submergent vegetation growth. I read that the zebra muscles filter out a lot of sediment too which can make the water clearer. Clear water is needed for the sunlight to reach the bottom where the plants grow their roots.

I contacted my state DNR fisheries Biologist and asked him what type of weed grow in the strip pits that I fish. He advised that it was mostly "Eurasian Millfoil" which is a exotic weed that has taken over. It outcompetes the other native weeds and pushes them aside. It can take over a lake. We have it all over the stip pits here in Southern IN around Evansville.

Another weed that can take over is Curly Leaf Pondweed or broad leaf pondweed.

I have read that it's hard to ID the weeds and that it's not easy to tell them apart for some species. I know I an not able to tell what weed is what without looking at a good key book of somekind. One would really have to study the weed and the leaves and the book to id the plant. I didn't take any classes on how to do this but do know how to key out the different fresh water fish. I do wish they had offered more aquatic biologgy classes where I went to school. Knowing your weeds should help you find fish.

Regards,

Moose1am

[NateO]

It was in the Greenup pool. I know for a fact that it was eurasian milfoil, I casted into it and pulled some in. It looked as if it was beginning to die off because it had lost it's bright green color, but that also could have been because the semi-muddy water had coated it with sediment.

[Fishhead]

I've seen alot of Milfoil in the Meldahl and Markland Pools. This year it was pretty thick in some places, but the other poster was correct about the low water periods. During years when the river is high and floods alot the Milfoil dies off, like the past 4-5 years. Years when the river is stable and clears up good the Milfoil takes off, like this past spring and summer. There were some good size beds of grass this summer. I seem remember Joe Thomas doing a show on the Ohio in the 90's and he talked about the grass cycles in the river.

I'm not sure about other pools, but in the Meldahl and Markland pools it is not a new comer. Back in the late 90's the river had a few years in a row when it was fairly stable and the grass really took off, the bass fishing seemed to be better.