[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by Capt.B

Fecundity increases with size in Cynoscion nebulosus. In Florida, Moody (1957) reported a 39.7 cm (15.6 inches) female collected at Cedar Key contained 464,000 eggs. Tabb (1961) reported 15,000 – 1.1 million eggs per female from a collection of females, aged at 4 – 8 years, and ranging in size from 32.5 – 62.5 cm (12.8 – 24.6 inches) standard length (SL). In a Louisiana study, Sundararaj and Suttkus (1962) reported that Age III females contribute approximately 41% of all eggs spawned, and thus have the greatest reproductive potential of all age classes. Age IV females contributed 27% of the eggs spawned, while Age II females contributed 24%. In an Everglades study, Rutherford et al. (1982) found that most male spawners were Ages II, III, and IV.

that is 1957 science! This is crap really. Fecundity = amount of offspring produced, the Florida study says the larger the fish the more eggs, whereas the second study says that basically the middle aged fish are producing most the eggs. So in the Fl study, they claim fecundity increases with size (age) whereas the LOUISIANA study (our state = the state where Lake Calcasieu physically embodeis) does NOT increase with size. Egg production went down in THIS ONE STUDY.

Egg production %

Age II females 24%
Age III females 41%
Age IV females 27%

So in conclusion to this study, we can clearly see that the bigger and older trout are producing as many eggs as the Age II females. Think how many more baitfish and shrimp they consume and take away from the middle age class of females. The 3 to 4 lbers are 'our' spawners in THIS study. So, everybody go out and get those big fish outta the lake, they rapin the pogies, they rapin the shrimps, they rapin erybody