Sunday, April 17, 2011

Where Are The Fish? Where's the Milfoil?

I've spared you the pain of having to read multiple posts that echo the same theme - spring time bassin' where are the fish?  I've fished about 8 different trips on Watts Bar this spring from Buck Creek to Thief Neck and caught one fish here and there, but never like I figured it should be.  Most of the time the water temperature has been in the high 50s to low 60s.  There have been several cold fronts that have messed things up, but I think the biggest factor has been the way the lake levels have been jerked up and down.  For example, on Sunday 4/17 the water level was ~4-5 feet above full summer pool, and on the following Friday (4/22) the water level was about 2 feet below normal full summer pool.  While I'm whining I think I'll jump on my favorite soap box...I believe the biggest difference between Watts Bar and other lakes on the Tennessee River system is the absence of milfoil on Watts Bar.  Why won't TVA and TWRA wake up to the fact that the best possible thing that could be done for fish, aquatic wildlife, and waterfowl is to get milfoil back in Watts Bar?  It doesn't take a wildlife fisheries biologist to figure this out!  Just take a look at Guntersville.  You can't hardly book a hotel room in Scotsboro, AL in the spring because of massive influx of bass fishermen on Lake Guntersville.  It's time for TVA and TWRA to begin to optimize the aquatic habitat.

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