TPWD 1955 F-7-R-3 #145: Segment Completion Report: Experimental Introduction of Fish Species, Project No. F733

"” ' STATE Texas PROJECT NO. F733 - Job le PERIOD June l; 1955 m Lay 31 9-t m1- “at“ _- Segment Completion Report Leo D. Lewis, rojeet Leader wai er W. Daiquest, Assistant Project Leader TITLE Experimental Introduction of Fish Species. OBJECTIVES perimenta11y i.htroduce non— —oative fish species to provide either new o improve the quality of the sport fishing or to add predaeious species control of rough fishes and forage fishes. {+3 .akes of North Central Texas arC so sa1 ine that rativs specie- do not thrive is air Caters. Addi ional dams and i3ooshdmw C nature are oontsrrleted. f salt Water fishes with a high toleranee to lo can he established in these lakes, it'may prove possible to orsats excellent fishing waters that W011 1d st 1 serwise provide only'medioore sport. When exotic Species are introduced prefer:aee should he gives to forms teat are both game and preda Cious, thereby aiding in the mtrol of rousi1fs-' ' Some hoses.aline lakes of the Texas Faahaadle are e:xtre1elv ferCile, hat have. fish faunas rather lim3i ted as to species. It may be possiole to pl = a 5 * ' species in these lakes; The rough f:ish populatiois of these lakes are ese C introduced predaoious forms may aid is the control of set h undesi rable ssesies. Work and results; pertaining to this job cannot be judged by flashers of intros dnotions or fishes i.ntrodueed. Much research on distribution and naturai haste Ky ef the apes ies us.der consideration has bees necessary. Work 3 his job has been greatly hamperC :d by laok of sufficient travel funds. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS For assistance with our work in collecting speoiC s of marine fis shes, we are greatly indebted to perSonnel of the marine Division of the Game and Fish Commission, and especially to-hiologists Ernest G. Simmons and Robeit J. Kemp, Jr. For aid. is tram asporting Specimens collected we wish to thank hatchery superintzrdeas- Houston Naples} Harmon henderscn, and H. W. Willis ass. “NCKGEOUND ”a.ed out in the XdL? before Two minor 1*.roda tions of exo"iC fish C i this Ch e hass'sere re lea Cd in Buffalo Lake 1 job was approved. In 1959; tfimfl+Jrs¢gbt as: 58 redfish were placed in La.ke Keap. ACTIVITIES 'Ng“ WHITE BASS. In July, 1955, 78 white bass were caught in Lake Diversi on and released in Buffalo Lake. Additional releases were planned for later in the year, but in August, fishermen at Buffalo Lake began to take small white bass in fair numbers. These were apparently the results of the twenty-eight fishes released the previous year. Because white bass seemed established in the lake, no additional introductions were necessary. REDFISH. In June, twelve large redfish were placed in Lake Kemp. These in- dividuals weighed from one to three pounds each. In August, two redfish of about one-half pound each were released, incidental to stocking with speckled weakfish. ' In October, two more yearling redfish were released. In March, 1956, 1,603 redfish fingerlings were taken in the Gulf and brought to Lake Kemp and Salt Creek, a saline watershed stream. Approximately 150 died in transit, and an additional 150 are thought to have died shortly after release. Probably 1,3OC fingerlings in good condition survived. SPECKLED'WEAICFISH. The first weakfish (speckled trout) planting took place in August, 1955, when 25 specimens from seven to twelve inches in length were released. Some of these fish were not in good condition. In October, 9 yearling weakfish and 9 fingerlings were stocked, all in Lake Kamp. " In March, 1956, 89 fingerling trout, condition uncertain, were placed in Lake Kamp. DISCUSSION The stocking of white bass in Buffalo Lake was weclomed by fishermen of the area. The fact that young fish were taken the first year after the one small planting was most encouraging; After a second year, however, the success of the stocking is less hopeful. Gill netting over the past year has taken only 16 white bass. Several of these were of large size and must have been individuals stocked last year. In our opinion, conditions in the lake are idealtfor the species, but reproduction has not been up to expectations. It is still too soon for positive statement, and the next year or so may disclose white bass in large numbers in Buffalo Lake. Certainly those fish taken by us showed rapid growth and were in excellent condition. ' The introductions of redfish and speckled weakfish in Lake Kemp have been widely hailed by area fishermen, and this job has created more interest and good will than any other job undertaken to date. We have seen not one redfish or weakfish from Lake Kemp, but there are numerous reports of specimens taken by fishermen. -All checked by us were false. A probably authentic record is of two fish taken near the site of release and checked by a game warden. These fish had attained a length of 20 inches, which indicates a minimum growth of 12 inches in 18 months. PUBLICATIONS Saltwater Fish in Freshwater Lakes, Texas Game and Fish Magazine, April, 1956. SUMMARY , work done under this job includes the introduction of white bass to Buffalo Lake, in the Texas Panhandle, where the species has now become well established, and the stocking of 16 large (but not breedihgmage) redfish and approximately 1,300 finger- lings in Lake Kemp, along with 3h large (but not breeding-age) speckled weakfish and . 98 fingerlings.