View Single Post
  #55  
Old 03-18-2019, 10:15 PM
Drakes11's Avatar
Drakes11 Drakes11 is offline
Sand Trout
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 9
Cash: 609
Default Another theory

Quote:
Originally Posted by tigerhead View Post
I've seen the freeze mentioned more than once, but I haven't seen anyone corroborate this theory with eyewitness testimony. I'm not saying it didn't happen, and it is certainly a plausible theory, but did anyone see evidence? If you have a major fish kill, you typically find lots of dead fish. Maybe someone talked about it and I just missed it? Or was it so cold that no one got out on the water, even LDWF, in time to witness the kill?

I read an article years ago (I believe it was in an old GCCA publication maybe?) that said Big Lake was not very susceptible to fish kills from freezing weather because the fish had quick and easy access to the deep waters of the ship channel. According to the article, fish kills happen primarily in back bays, far from deep water. So I don't know.
I?d like to add one thing to the aforementioned theory and that?s combining the cold temps with high freshwater flow from flooding to the north. Concentrating those fish in deep water due to cold and then flushing the channel with floodwater was a true double whammy. A lot of those fish never stood a chance. I?ve been guiding on Sabine for over 25 years now and on Big Lake for close to 20 ( just FYI we always only keep Texas limits on Calcasieu and imposed our own boat rule of releasing all healthy trout over 25? unless they were going to the taxidermist) and I can?t remember a tougher year on either body of water. There are multitudes of contributing factors to the decline of the trout population, hopefully we all will see those fish rebound sooner rather than later.

With much respect to all,

Chuck Uzzle
Wakes N Drakes Guide Service
Reply With Quote