NANFA-- Hatcheries-- Was ACLC

John Bongiovanni (bongi_at_cox-internet.com)
Thu, 17 Apr 2003 18:18:51 -0500

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Josh,

Texas and Florida have huge programs to propogate Bass , namely, the
largemouth flavor. Since Trout don't do well in our waters in the
south Bass is King. Texas has a huge fishing industry revolving around
the LGM bass and their kin. The Texas Native Fish Weekend took place at
the Freshwater Fisheries center , which one of its missions is to
propogate bass. They have a sharelunker program designed to use catch
and release techniques to improve the size distribution of the bass in
the state. The eggs are harvested from these fish , raised and
distributed around the state in somewhat systematic approach. The FFC
also raises trout but those fish only survive long enough to get caught
or die in the rapidly warming waters of the late spring in Texas.
Catfish is the third harvest found at the FFC. Blues are raised as
well. There are of course a great many number of commercial fish
hatcheries in the state whose focus is usually catfish. The most
notorius was a catfish farm in west texas that used up to 1 million
gallons of scarce aquifer water a day.

Trout are popular in the north for a few reasons, I surmise, having
lived both North and south. One reason is cleaning a trout is a much
simpler process than cleaning catfish or Bass. Trout also has the edge
on Bass for taste. Bass fishing often includes the need for a boat, so
a larger investment is required. There are no shortage of fishermen from
the great North that come to the south to try and land one of these
"Lunkers". Likewise, there are no shortage of "Bubbas" that go to the
North to try their hand at flyfishing for trout.

John


Joshua L Wiegert wrote:

>The real concern isn't so much as taking a "few fingerlings," but that
>young trout will wind up in nets, seines, traps, etc. in numbers big
>enough to affect their population. Other concerns include that bait
>collectors will remove foods for the trout (especially insect larvae) and
>just plain disturb and disrupt them.
>Trout fishing, especially in the northern areas, is a BIG industry for a
>lot of states. THe trout fishermen really care about enough trout to keep
>their hooks filled. (Think of the number of trout stockings, trout
>fisheries, etc. Ever even heard of a bass hatchery?) Damaging the
>populations in any way, even if its only construed, leads to calls to the
>DNR, etc.
>
>JW.
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