A portion of our 2022 stocking took place this afternoon. Years ago, we would split up the stocking in 2 different dates. However, about 10 years ago I decided to move the annual stocking to one date, in early spring, when the water temperatures are lower, and dissolved oxygen counts are higher. This is the more ideal environment for trout. Stocking trout in 70 degree water temps in June, seems a little cruel to me. This way, the fish can at least be acclimated over time to that temperature. With as shallow as our lake has become, it's actually a better environment for largemouth bass, which have been thriving here for the last 6 years, thanks to the efforts of Billy Brooks.
I'm asked often by members, 'How many fish make it through the winter?' First off, many of the trout that we stock each year get caught. Even if caught and released, the trout will often die as a result of the trauma associated with over exertion or being caught with improper bait like corn or artificial lures with treble hooks. On top of that, we have a pair of Bald Eagles and an Osprey, that can easily polish off a dozen trout per day. And finally, lets not forget about the family of river otters, that are periodically seen on the lake. They too, feed on fish. When all this is factored in, I would estimate that only a handful make it to the following year. While you'd think some of these fish would reproduce on their own, we've never seen any evidence of that.
Next week, we'll be stocking 25 more triploid grass carp. Triploid basically means they are unable to reproduce, becoming overpopulated. While we'll added a handful of these fish over the past several years, we've not seen a drastic reduction in aquatic weeds. My guess is that since they swim near the surface, they are constantly in the cross hairs of our Eagles and Osprey. According to hatcheries, it only requires about 5 carp per surface acre of water to feed on the unwanted aquatic vegetation.