Cumberland white bass

[apb]

You also have to consider that the best striper fishing was in the 80's, same as the White Bass, so I do not think Stripers are to blame. Probably a number of things. I would also be interested in hearing from someone who has a better understanding of this what the real reason(s) are. I also thought the state was trying to reintroduce White Bass to Cumberland by stocking?

Andrew

[SSKY]

Stock a place where who knows how many of thousands of fish existed naturally with no reason as to how they vanished? Study? Research? or try dump some more in and see what happens. Try to stock native walleye in the same water that they came from in cumberland and that is stupid? There has to be a reason for the white bass demise and i really think the managers do not care. No i do not think stripers ate them all, as of the mid 80's when the big stripers had their way with little fishing pressure from bait draggers there were plenty. I believe alewives made the difference as to how many fry they eat which is much more than the plankton focused shad. Just my opinion, And if you want to dump fish in the lake to see what happens then use the rockcastle river strain walleye that were here in the first place as far as stocking and let them fight it out.

[kygorski]

If you go back to the stocking of alewives, you'll know that several years after that the whites started to decline.The same thing with dale hollow.The white bass are making a return on the cumberalnd river, but it wont last long, over harvesting is taking place. there are NO alewives in the cumberland river.

[JoeB]

I would buy into the alwive theory except that whites have disappeared all over the southeast in lakes that have no alwives. (such as herrington)

[apb]

I thought Herrington was doing well for White Bass? Taylorsville too. I know Barkely has had a major decline too.

SSKY, I agree, I would like to know why too before more got dumped in there. Maybe fish and game have some ideas? Like I said, probably a number of factors: several poor spawn years, too much angling pressure, competition from Alewifes, combination of these and other factors.

Andrew

[JoeB]

F&Ws opinion is that several consecutive bad spawns did them in. Maybe, but I disagree. I just don't think that would totally decimate a species. I could be wrong. As far as stocking w/out research, the whites being stocked are surpluss from the hatchery, not raised specifically to be stocked in C-land, so why not release them? The whites in Herrington are probably doing better than whites in C-land, but they are still a fraction of what they used to be. Plus, there are lakes in most every southeast state that are experiencing the same thing.

[SSKY]

It happened somewhere else is not a reason at all, it is i do not know at best. we have plenty of reasons and situations that occur here (on Cland) that can define the issue but they will not be adressed.....!So let it go no one cares do they?

[apb]

The fact that it happened on several lakes, at the same time suggests that there are similar things going on. Its not just a Cumberland thing. White Bass, like Stripers, can be very cyclitic. That is, you'll have some really good years, followed by some not so good years. If you have several years with bad spawns and people are still keeping a lot of White Bass, the population will crash. Same thing happened to Stripers in the Atlantic. If the same is the case for White Bass, it suggests that the fisheries people will need to keep better track of the White Bass populations in the future and change limits/sizes as soon as they see any decline. What are your suggestions?

I think you'll find that many people care. White Bass are a whole lot of fun and a great way to introduce kids to fishing.

Andrew

[kygorski]

Yes they are a lot of fun to catch, and they are really not that good to eat.Why are some guys taking 15 or 20 of them home? Over harvest isn't the main reason they are becoming scarce, but it is contributing factor. also these dramatic lake level changes must have something to do with the spawning fish.We have fished up north for some of the white bass runs, and these are river fed natural lakes, and the numbers are still good, but they have imposed some bag limits.

[mhall]

>The fact that it happened on
>several lakes, at the same
>time suggests that there are
>similar things going on. Its
>not just a Cumberland thing.
>White Bass, like Stripers, can
>be very cyclitic. That is,
>you'll have some really good
>years, followed by some not
>so good years. If you
>have several years with bad
>spawns and people are still
>keeping a lot of White
>Bass, the population will crash.
>Same thing happened to Stripers
>in the Atlantic. If the
>same is the case for
>White Bass, it suggests that
>the fisheries people will need
>to keep better track of
>the White Bass populations in
>the future and change limits/sizes
>as soon as they see
>any decline. What are your
>suggestions?
>
>I think you'll find that many
>people care. White Bass are
>a whole lot of fun
>and a great way to
>introduce kids to fishing.
>
>Andrew

Dead on the money!!

[SSKY]

Stripers in the Atlantic ocean? when did they ever vanish, From what I understand they are still there. Am I wrong? I have not heard that news yet. From what i have read they are still there as of today and will be for quite some time. Reason for the white bass demise "none" and I doubt you will get one that is acutally the truth. Stripers may be an excuse, alewives might be a reason but not bad spawns as they were here before the lake and did their job for 20 years after the lake and there are still sauger in the lake which have the worst spawning conditions that could be for them.

[apb]

Back in the 80's (I believe) stripers in the Atlantic went into a major decline. Happens from time to time. Try a google search, you'll find plenty of info on that. Stocks in the Atlantic seem to be doing fine now.

White Bass are well known for going through cycles. Add too many being taken from the lake while they are in decline and the population will crash.

Andrew