TPWD 1968 F-5-R-15 #1235: Region I-B Fisheries Studies: Stocking Recommendations, Federal Aid Project F-5-R-15

SEGMENT COMPLETION REPORT As required by FEDERAL AID IN FISHERIES RESTORATION ACT TEXAS Federal Aid Project No. F-5-R-15 REGION IxB FISHERIES STUDIES Job No. 5 Stocking Recommendations Project Leader: Billy J. Follis J. R. Singleton Executive Director Parks and Wildlife Services Austin, Texas Marion Toole Eugene A. Walker D-J Coordinator Director, Wildlife Services February 21, 1968 ABSTRACT Hydrological data, visual observations, fish pOpulation sampling and prior biological data were used to determine which public waters of Region I-B would benefit from stocking. Fingerling size fish were released to insure better survival and to allow field investigations and recommendations to be made at a more beneficial time. Recommendations were made to stock 2 lakes with both largemouth bass and channel catfish. Four reservoirs needed only bass and 2 other lakes received catfish only. One impoundment, Moss Creek Lake, was stocked with largemouth bass, channel catfish and adult flathead catfish following a chemical reduction of gizzard shad. Four reservoirs did not require stocking, mainly because the present carrying capacity was utilized by rough fish species. SEGMENT COMPLETION REPORT STATE OF Texas PROJECT NO, F-S-R»15 NAME _ Region IHB Fisheries Studies JOB NO. 5 TITLE Stockin Recommendations PERIOD COVERED March 1, 1967 to February 29, 1968 Objectives: To determine those waters which would benefit from stocking. Specific: 1. To determine stocking requirements for existing waters. 2. To determine stocking requirements for new or renovated waters. Procedures: Nine public reservoirs were surveyed under this job to determine their stocking needs. Also stocking recommendations for 3 other lakes, surveyed under other jobs are included in this report. Hydrological data and volume estimates based on spillways, water outlet gauges and other permanent land marks were used to determine the expansion or reduction of each of the concerned waters. Seines, gill nets, and when possible, trawls were used to estimate the The size of seines used varied slightly with water level and t0pography at various reservoirs. The Specific dimensions are given with each seining table. The standard gill nets used were comprised of six 25~by 8wfoot sections the first sections having lwinch mesh and the mesh in each succeeding section being increased by one-half inch. The number of gill nets set at each lake is shown on the netting tables. Trawl samples were made in 3 lakes using a 10~foot, onewhalf inch mesh, sportsman trawl. 3 Creel checks were made during most of the surveys. Also fishing success and lake conditions were discussed with concessionaires and local game wardens when possible. A checklist of scientific names is presented so that common names may be used in this report. These names are specified in ”A List of Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States and Canada”. Second Edition, American Fisheries Society, Special Publication Number 2, 1960. COMMON NAM}; Longnose gar Gizzard shad Goldfish Carp Plains minnow Golden shiner Texas shiner Red shiner Blacktail shiner Bullhead minnow River carpsucker Smallmouth buffalo Black bullhead Channel catfish Flathead catfish Mosquitofish White bass Warmouth Redbreast sunfish Green sunfish OrangeSpotted sunfish SCIENTIFIC NAME Lepisosteus osseus Dorosoma_cededianum Carassiuszauratus Cyprinus garpio flybognathus placita Ngtemigonug crysoleucas Notropis amabilis NotroEisllutrensis NotroEis venustus Pimephales vigilax Carpiodes carpio J—t—I—n—a—m mafia-a...— Lctalurus melas Ictalurus punctatus Pylodictis olivaris Gambusis‘affinis Roccus chrySOps Chaenobryttus gulosus Lepomis auritus Lepomis cyanellus Lepomis humilis Bluegill Lepomis macrochirug Longear sunfish Lepomis megalotis Redear sunfish Lepomis microlophus Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides White crappie Egmoxis annularis Logperch Percina gaprgggg Freshwater drum Apl ginggug grunniens Discussionfi' Five of the 9 public reservoirs surveyed under this job received supplementary stocking as shown in Table 1. Three other lakes were found to need stocking when surveyed under Job No. 4. During the past 2 segments of this job, fingerling size fish have been stocked in the candidate waters with established fish populations rather than fry as used in previous years. This practice is assumed to be superior and will be investigated during the following three years under a new job of this project. One of the advantages of the late or midsummer stocking of fingerling fish is that it enables the necessary field investigations and the resulting recommendations to be made just prior to the releases = not one year in advance as it was done in the past. This appears to be a more efficient practice because of water volume fluctuations and changes in game fish populations. Other public water stocking in Region 11B includes Moss Creek Lake where 7,500 advance bass fingerlings and 4,000 channel catfish fingerlings were released. 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Haam ma q xomso woaam> mmwmv mmwdw .Um%®>MSm GmsB oumm ooEEoo kmaaaflmw Mo poomaa swapwz NH q macho cflwooaoz Amédv nmv ucmumcoo seem SoEEou hawfimm rpmkm>uom docs flash Ha q Xmoso Sam Gad Sees RA2: S as oompo53¢ mumm BoHofl umww N Hw>ma umumz OH m Bmz amwwudez mmawuao mmam menses son ..onow mm oodmpdon4_.mo0HUHccoo.HMMMwoaoeojm- .wumwcmfl -nk .wxmg include the stocking in this report. Also, 53 adult flathead catfish ranging in size from 4 to 17 pounds were released in this 150esurface acre impoundment in an attempt to control an expanding black bullhead population. These large predator fish were collected from area lakes by project personnel. It is recommended that this job be continued under the newly created fisheries management job. Prepared by Billy J.-Follis Approved by 3””,r Project Leader *’ Coordinator Date February 21, 1968 _ - Leo D. Lewis Inland Fisheries Supervisor Table 2 k-Rsservoir.-June.l4..1962._ Per Cent Total Wt. Avg. Wt. Per Cent Avg. Survey Results_Champion Cree Results of 6_ ill nets. 3199195-“ H__ __ __Number.pw-lbh,Noy..._ -Ppuadsli-i_-tosads_u-__b_ Wt. ”KV-__ Gizzard shad 1 .53 1.98 1.98 2.03 Carp l .53 2.64 2.64 2.72 Golden shiner 6 3.18 1.21 .20 1.24 River carpsucker l .53 2.04 2.04 2.10 Black bullhead 21 11.11 13.66 .65 14.05 Channel catfish* 10 5.29 24.57 2.46 25.27 2.30 Flathead catfish* 2 1.06 6.11 3.05 6.28 2.04 White bass* 4 2.11 4.85 1.21 4.99 2.65 Warmouthi 1 .53 .13 .13 .13 4.02 Bluegilli 133 70.36 37.93 .28 39.02 4.44 Largemouth bass* 8 4.24 1.99 .25 2.05 2.13 White crappie* 1 .53 .12 .12 .12 2.75 Total 189 100.00 97.23 100.00 Game Fish* 159 84.12 75.70 77.86 Rough Fish 30 15.88 21.53 - 22.14 Seining Results Champion Creek Reservoir (100 x 10 x %~inch mesh seine, 30 x 6 x %winch mesh seine and 20 x 6 x 1/8-inch mesh seine). Species Number Size Range In Inches Goldfish 1 5 Golden shiner 2 4 Red shiner 54 _ 1%w2% Blacktail shiner 22 2m3 Bullhead minnow 2 2% River carpsucker 1 4 Mosquitofish 26 122% Green sunfish 3 3m4 Bluegill 2,008 1~4 Largemouth bass 566 1m7 White crappie 1 3 Total 2,686 Table 3 Survey Results Colorado City Lake, April 5, 1967. Results of 6 gill nets. Per Cent. “Total Wt.l Avg.th.'- Per Cent- Avg.l ”Pounds_fi_ Gizzard Shad 119 55.09 20.60 .17 8.29 Carp 5 2.31 5.10 1.02 2.05 River carpsucker 17 7.87 31.00 1.82 ' 12.48 Channel catfish* 9 4.17 9.14 1.01 3.68 1.65 Flathead catfish* 17 7.87 148.78 8.75 59.90 2.04 White bass* 5 2.31 9.69 1.94 3.90 3.26 Green sunfish* 1 .47 .12 .12 .05 2.64 Bluegi11* 14 6.48 1.25 .09 .50 3.02 Redear sunfishW l .47 .11 .11 .04 3.51 Largemouth bass* 8 3.71 12.40 1.55 4.99 2.47 White crappie* 20 9.25 10.21 .51 4.12 2.84 Total 216 100.00 248.40 100.00 Game Fish* 75 34.73 191.70 77.18 Rough Fish 141 65.27 56.70 22.82 W% Seining Results ColoradJCity Lake (30 x 6 x %minch medlseine and 20 x 6 x l/8winch mesh seine). WM Species Number Size Range in Inches Gizzard shad Plains minnow Golden shiner Texas shiner Red shiner Blacktail shiner Bullhead minnow Channel catfish Flathead catfish White bass Bluegill Longear sunfish Redear sunfish Largemouth bass White crappie Logperch 400 22 18 100 200 10 10 50 20 4O 25 10 H E Hl—J NM\"“N\"’UJI\JI\3 Q WWWMU'l-DQ lu\"' iii-J ro\"" six-12‘s U‘l l--‘l—-' L‘ L20 m\"" N :o\"" w\"" (.0 I i mmmb-P-b Total 920 Table 4 Survey Results J. B..Thomas Lake, March 7 and August 17, 1967. ' gill nets. gpegies Gizzard shad 22 12.30 3.20 . .14 1.65 Carp 30 _ 16.76 39.15 1 30 20.29 River carpsucker 45 _ 25.13 48.84 1.08 25.31 Channel catfish* 22 12.30 28.02 1.27 14.52 Flathead catfish* 3 1.67 27.64 9 21 14.33 White bass* 16 8.94 20.50 1.28 10.62 Bluegill* 2 1.12 .18 .09 .10 Largemouth bass* 6 3.35 19.55 3.26 10.13 White crappie* 10 5.59 2.66 .27 1.38 Freshwater drum 23 12.84 3.22 .14 1.67 _wnL__m_#mm_____w_m___fi____wa__M____m___m____fl________d___mwfl__m_ . Total 179 100.00 192.96 100.00 Game Fish* 59 32.97 98.55 51.08 Rough Fish 120 67.03 94.41 48.92 _, ,,._ . ,.._,..__._._._.......___ _..__ WW Seining results J. B. Thomas Lake (100 x 10 x %-inch mesh seine, 30 x 6 x auinch mesh seine and 20 x 6 x 1/8~inch mesh seine). WW Species Number Gizzard shad 257 3:12 Plains minnow 1 1% Red shiner 118 1=2 Blacktail shiner 403 113 Bullhead minnow 50 141% Green sunfish 1 3 Orangespotted sunfish l 2 Bluegill 18 1m4 Longear sunfish 17 2:3 Largemouth bass 67 2-10 White crappie 1 4 Results of 12 1.82 2.26 2.73 3.38 2.81 2.42 Size Range in Inches Total 934 Wm: M’-