TPWD 1967 F-2-R-14 #1129: Fisheries Investigations and Surveys of the Waters of Region 2-B: Fisheries Resurvey of Lake Lyndon B. Johnson, Job Completion Report

--- Page 1 --- = <j \ \ a JOB COMPLETION REPORT Abe As required by FEDERAL ATD TN FISHERTES RESTORATION ACT TEXAS Federal Aid Project No, F-2-R-14 FISHERIES INVESTIGATIONS AND SURVEYS OF THE WATERS OF REGION 2-B Job No. B-24: Fisheries Resurvey of Lake Lyndon B. Johnson Project Leader: Richard L. White J. R. Singleton Executive Director Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Austin, Texas Marion Toole Eugene A. Walker D-J Coordinator Director, Wildlife Services May 25, 1967 --- Page 3 --- Job Completion Report State of Texas Project No. F-2-R-14 Name: Fisheries Investigations and Surveys of the Waters of Region 2-B Job No. _B-24 Title: Fisheries Resurvey of Lake Lyndon B. Johnson Period Covered: February 1, 1966 - January 31, 1967 : Objectives: 1. To determine the effect of commercial netting on the river carpsucker, ‘(Carpiodes carpio) - smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus) population ratio in Lake Lyndon B. Johnson (Granite Shoals). 2. To determine the over-all effect of commercial netting of rough fish on the fish population of Lake Lyndon B. Johnson (Granite Shoals). Techniques Used: | Fifteen gill net sets were made monthly at selected sites, Each net consisted of 150 feet of mesh graduated from 1 inch to 3% inches square mesh (in 25 feet sections). Seine ‘collections were taken monthly in an effort to supplement gill net data. All data collected were examined to determine fish population changes which might be correlated with commercial harvest. Scientific names of fishes mentioned are included in the check List (Table 1). Only common names will be used in the body of this report. Findings: During the final: project segment of this job, commercial fishing efforts were continued on the lake. This operation selectively removes smallmouth buffalo almost exclusively, through the use of large (3-3% inch) mesh gill nets. This technique is representative of that commercial fishing in Texas freshwaters which is done under contract with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Table 2 summarizes the data collected during this segment. Data collected during the first two segments of this job suggested that the selective harvest of smallmouth buffalo had not resulted in an over-all reduction in rough fish. There was, however, a significant shift in the ratios of buffalo to river carpsucker. As buffalo numbers and total weight declined, the corresponding carpsucker figures appeared to increase (Job Completion Report B-24(b), F-2-R-12, June 1965 and Job Completion Report B-24, F-2-R-13, June 1966). Per cent by number of all rough fish taken indicates an increase in the ratio of rough fish caught to game fish caught (Table 3). The per cent by weight of all rough fish taken shows a 1 per cent decrease over the previous segment. --- Page 4 --- Scientific Name Lepisosteus osseus _ Dorosoma cepedianum ictiobus bubalus Carpiodes carpio Moxostoma conges tum Cyprinus carpio Ictalurus punctatus Letalurus natalis Pylodictus olivaris Roccus chrysops Micropterus treculi Micropterus salmoides Chaenobryttus gulosus Lepomis cyanellus Lepomis microlophus Lepomis macrochirus Lepomis auritis Lepomis megalotis Pomoxis annularis Aplodinotus grunniens Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum 22= Table 1 A Check List of Species Common Name Longnose gar Gizzard shad Smallmouth buffalo River carpsucker Gray redhorse sucker Hiconsan carp Golden shiner Channel catfish Yellow bullhead Yellow catfish or flathead catfish White bass ‘Texas spotted bass Largemouth bass ‘Warmouth Green sunfish Redear sunfish Bluegill sunfish Redbreast sunfish Longear sunfish White crappie Freshwater drum Rio Grande perch --- Page 5 --- = Table 2 Lake Lyndon B. Johnson Netting Data 1967 Per cent Per cent Species . Number _ By Number Weight By Weight Longnose gar 34 0.56 99.41 1.37 Gizzard shad 1,972 32.70 895,37 12.31 Smallmouth buffalo 246 4.08 © 1,532.03 21.06 River carpsucker 2,014 33.40 3,189.36 43.84 _Gray redhorse sacker 47 0.78 68.47 0.94 Ruropean carp 50 0.83 250.67 3.44 Golden shiner 14 0.23 2.72 0.04 Channel catfish 121 2.01 219.38 3.02 Yellow or flathead catfish 60 1.00 367.83 5.06 Yellow bullhead catfish . 1 0.02 0.88 0.01 White bass. . 149 2.47 185.18 2.54 Texas spotted bass 19 0.32 21.70 0.30 Largemouth bass - 69 1.14 58.40 0.80 Warmouth | 65 1.08 15.16 0.21 Green sunfish 17 0.28 2,68 0.04 Redear sunfish 27 0.45 3.22 0.04 Bluegill sunfish 789 13.08 87.12 1.20 Redbreast sunfish — 14 0.23, 1.97 0.03 Longear sunfish 23 0.38 1.87 0.02 White crappie 192 | 3.18 123.36 1.69 Freshwater drum 106 1.76 148.24 2.04 Rio Grandé perch: eae 0,02 0.06 0.001 Totals 6,030 7,275.08 --- Page 6 --- “4- Table 3 Per Cent of Rough Fish Taken in Gill Nets Lake Lyndon B. Johnson i cl en se tc tc ts tt cE A A A NE ELE ETT ES LLCS 1959 1960 : 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 ee me en a a Per cent By Weight 79.02 ° 85.57 88.71 90.14 85.94 87.81 86.25 85.19 Per cent i {. $3 By Number 70.59 72.54 73.89 75.82 73.88 77.17 67.63 73.96 i Na Ea alee el ae EN SE oS Table 4 Number of Fish Caught Per 100 Feet of Net Lake Lyndon B. Johnson es enn et erin Species 1959 +«=«:1960Ss«d961—“‘<é‘i HZ Ssi(itéi9Gsi«d9GH:C(atsiCédHSS«1966 Smallmouth buffalo 6.12 5.30 . 3.20 7.71 3.23 2.32 1.53 0.91 River carpsucker 4.17 6.40 5.20 4.19 5.18 5.78 6.38 7.46 _ seccececaceecensasgisnpact pc tf pans ct Sng apg cs irene Totals 10.29 11.70. 8.40 11.90 8.41 8.10 7.91 8.37 Table 5° Pounds of Fish Caught Per 100 Feet of Net Lake Lyndon B. Johnson Species — . 1959 1960 £1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 see ts stun aman nme a eae pee Smallmouth buffalo 15.21 15.47 ° 13.07 22.93 14.79 11.65 8.63 5.67 River carpsucker 3,63 6.96: 5.36 5.13 6.86 8.48 10.54 11.81 pay sg enema RR ec ce Totals 18.84 22.43 18.43 28.06 21.65 20.13 19.22 17.48 --- Page 7 --- -5- Otherwise, the data indicated continued reduction of smallmouth buffalo and con- current increase in river carpsucker (‘tables 4 and 5), As revorted in the tables, runbes and weight of buffalo caught ver hundred feet of net have decreased from 7.71 and 22,93 in 1962 to C.91 and 5.67 in 1966. In the sane period, number and weisht of cosucker have increased fron 4,19 and 5,13 in 1962 to 7.46 and 11.81 in 1966. Since the carpsucker is considered less desirable than the smallmouth buffalo (Job Completion Revort B-24(b), F-2-R-12), it appears that continued selective har- vest of buffalo way prove injurious to the fish vopulation as a whole. Recommendations: The field work for this job has been completed. ‘This data will be compiled and detailed analysis will be made. It is anticipated that the results and conclusions will be published, vrobably as an issue of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries Series, oe a aan White ~...__. Approved by eae. nme Prepared by... Richard L. White (io Project Leader Coordinator pate MAY 23 IGT ene Coen FRED G. LOWMAN Regional Supervisor