Counting fish




Every so often you see Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPWD) news release giving information on the fish population at a certain Texas lake. How does TPWD biologists figure out how many fish are in a lake, what species are doing well and what are the size range? Inland Fisheries crews conduct one of several kinds of surveys. Creel surveys: Let's take Bridgewater as an example. TPWD biologists conduct a creel survey on Lake Bridgeport beginning in September and wrap up in May of 2014. Creel surveys are conducted by contacting anglers in person while they are on the lake fishing or when they are at a boat ramp. The creel survey will determine harvest of all fishes from the lake, especially largemouth bass and Palmetto bass, during the period. (As part of an every-other-year stocking plan, 59,756 Palmetto bass fingerlings were stocked in May 2013.) Other information such as monetary value of the fishery, sizes of fish harvested and caught and angler residence will also be determined. After all the data are compiled and analyzed, a management report will be written which summarizes the results and recommends strategies to improve or maintain the fishery. The report will be available late summer of 2014. Electrofishing: An electrofishing boat (also known as a shocking boat) is used to sample the fish in Lake Bridgeport. Electrofishing works best at night in six feet of water or less. Biologists expect to collect a wide range of sizes of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass from the lake. The fish are collected using long dip nets on the bow of the lighted electrofishing boat during the sampling. All bass are weighed and measured. A small sample of largemouth bass will be checked for the presence of Florida largemouth bass genes. All forage species are measured and released. Records are kept of all fish collected. Comparing numbers and sizes of fish collected over a period of years shows population trends and growth rates. Trap net: Bridgeport's crappie population is sampled with a piece of gear called a trap net. It works like a minnow trap and funnels the crappie into the net, where they cannot escape. The net is set in the afternoon and taken out the next morning. The crappie are weighed, measured and released. Gill netting: Finally, channel catfish, Palmetto bass and white bass numbers are sampled with gill nets. Gill nets are 125 feet long by 8 feet deep and entangle fish with varying mesh sizes. Gill nets are set in the afternoon and taken out the next morning. Once again the target fish will be weighed, measured and released, if possible. Not all lakes are surveyed every year, but chances are good that TPWD boat you see on the lake in the fall and winter will not carry a game warden but a fisheries biologist working to make fishing better. Information from these surveys is used to guide management decisions for the reservoir, such as what kind and how many fish to stock. Photo: Caption/Information: TPWD Inland Fisheries biologists collect and measure fish from reservoirs using electrofishing at night, when fish tend to be in shallow water and close to shore. Photo credit: Larry D. Hodge, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department




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Cedar Creek Lake Weather Forecast

Thursday

Sunny

Hi: 69

Thursday Night

Mostly Clear

Lo: 56

Friday

Partly Sunny

Hi: 74

Friday Night

Partly Cloudy

Lo: 60

Saturday

Mostly Cloudy

Hi: 78

Saturday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 64

Sunday

Mostly Cloudy

Hi: 79

Sunday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 67


Cedar Creek Lake Water Level (last 30 days)


Water Level on 3/29: 322.30 (+0.30)



Cedar Creek Lake

Fishing Report from TPWD (Mar. 27)

EXCELLENT. Stained; 64 degrees; 0.21 feet above pool. The hybrid striped bass and white bass have made a full recovery from the spawn and are now back in the main lake in droves and are on a feeding frenzy. Look for heavy bird activity throughout the lake on flats and near the dam on edges of drop offs especially on cloudy and overcast days. The bite will continue to get even better in these areas as the shad spawn will start to take place in the next 2-3 weeks across the lake. Slowly retrieve shiny slabs or spinnerbaits off the bottom to catch these fish in depths of 17-26 feet of water. The crappie have also migrated back into the main lake. Look for them under bridge pylons or under docks where the depths are between 3-10 feet. Guides have been reporting exceptionally nice catches on sunny warmer days. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service.

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