East Side your Limit drop is comming

["W"]

Originally Posted by Reefman

Again from a personal point of view. I've seen trout limits go from whatever your boat can hold to 25 and now 15 in BL. The reduction in BL limits have not effected the numbers of fishermen who enjoy fishing the lake. If it is proven that fishing pressure has adversely effected trout populations then a reduction in creel limits is surely called for. I have a hard time understanding why it is so important to some here to have a 25 fish limit. I love to eat trout, however i can't eat 25 to 50 a week!

First let's make one thing clear , Big Lake 15 trout limit had Zero to do with facts, this was 100% politics at its finest . A few rich office fisherman who spend 20 days a year on the water listen to a few other rich guys who have homes on the lake , and said let's make big lake a " Trophy Lake" by cutting limit to 15
Before the 15 trout limit we had 10lb trout getting caught every year of the STAR and it took a 8-9lb trout to win the shootout .
Now 6 years into the trout reduction our over all big trout population had declined due to over population of trout .
Bio. said big lake could support a 30 per person limit

[Reefman]

Originally Posted by "W"

First let's make one thing clear , Big Lake 15 trout limit had Zero to do with facts, this was 100% politics at its finest . A few rich office fisherman who spend 20 days a year on the water listen to a few other rich guys who have homes on the lake , and said let's make big lake a " Trophy Lake" by cutting limit to 15
Before the 15 trout limit we had 10lb trout getting caught every year of the STAR and it took a 8-9lb trout to win the shootout .
Now 6 years into the trout reduction our over all big trout population had declined due to over population of trout .
Bio. said big lake could support a 30 per person limit

In your opinion W, do you think the absense of 9lb trout lately has been caused by that creel limit or the destruction of oyster reefs and surrounding estuaries in BL. Over oyster harvesting would be my answer.

BTW, LSU just won in the bottom of the 9th...

["W"]

Originally Posted by Reefman

In your opinion W, do you think the absense of 9lb trout lately has been caused by that creel limit or the destruction of oyster reefs and surrounding estuaries in BL. Over oyster harvesting would be my answer.

Creel limit for sure , only 40% if that is oyster harvest in big lake and the heavy harvest was only 3 years ago when dredging was allowed for the 1st time.
That had no effect on our trout size as our lake is over abundant with bait year around . You can not fish a day with out finding bait..

[Reefman]

Originally Posted by "W"

Creel limit for sure , only 40% if that is oyster harvest in big lake and the heavy harvest was only 3 years ago when dredging was allowed for the 1st time.
That had no effect on our trout size as our lake is over abundant with bait year around . You can not fish a day with out finding bait..

But that dredging destroyed complete reefs that sustain fish populations of all sizes. Trout relate to structure just as bass do. Deplete the lake of reef structure and the fishery depletes no matter how many schools of mullet are in the lake. I have a hard time understanding your postion of catch more fish out of BL in order to produce larger fish. I do believe for a few short years this may be the case but in the long haul I see this as adversely affecting the dynamics of the trout population. If this was the case then Cocodrie eastward should be overflowing with 9lb trout.

[Montauk17]

Originally Posted by Reefman

But that dredging destroyed complete reefs that sustain fish populations of all sizes. Trout relate to structure just as bass do. Deplete the lake of reef structure and the fishery depletes no matter how many schools of mullet are in the lake. I have a hard time understanding your postion of catch more fish out of BL in order to produce larger fish. I do believe for a few short years this may be the case but in the long haul I see this as adversely affecting the dynamics of the trout population. If this was the case then Cocodrie eastward should be overflowing with 9lb trout.

I say we open gill netting again.....you would see 15 pound trout in no time.

[Reefman]

Originally Posted by Montauk17

I say we open gill netting again.....you would see 15 pound trout in no time.

LMAO! but ya can only keep 15 trout..and only 2 big ones..

["W"]

Originally Posted by Montauk17

I say we open gill netting again.....you would see 15 pound trout in no time.

You laugh but during these times you could sink your boat with rod n reel on big lake every day and trout were 4-7lb adv

My grand paw and great grand paw would go out in lake shrimp and pull shrimp boat up to spots in lake and catch 250 trout in no time . You talk to old timers about big lake during gill net days.There was no having to wake up at 5am to catch the bite .. You got out at 8-9-10 am and never stop catching fish

["W"]

Originally Posted by Reefman

But that dredging destroyed complete reefs that sustain fish populations of all sizes. Trout relate to structure just as bass do. Deplete the lake of reef structure and the fishery depletes no matter how many schools of mullet are in the lake. I have a hard time understanding your postion of catch more fish out of BL in order to produce larger fish. I do believe for a few short years this may be the case but in the long haul I see this as adversely affecting the dynamics of the trout population. If this was the case then Cocodrie eastward should be overflowing with 9lb trout.

We have a super estuary that is made for big trout ...all signs point straight to limit reduction. Also in the areas where oysters were harvested we have several atrifical reefs along with rock jetties up and down our channel with marsh flow from even angle .
When you don't take enough trout out of a given area you start having more smaller trout hog your food source . As you know big trout will not compete with school trout for food . Places where you target bigger trout you can now catch limits of trout . And if you look at WestCove the hardest hit of oystering every year buy yields the biggest trout in the lake every year !

So the 2-3 years of dredging would of depleted West Cove the most but West Cove is the strongest area of big trout
Our big trout decline started year after limit change and has fallen lower and lower of big 9-11lb trout caught

Don't get me wrong we still have lots of 5-8lb trout but no where close to 2006 and before

[Montauk17]

Originally Posted by "W"

We have a super estuary that is made for big trout ...all signs point straight to limit reduction. Also in the areas where oysters were harvested we have several atrifical reefs along with rock jetties up and down our channel with marsh flow from even angle .
When you don't take enough trout out of a given area you start having more smaller trout hog your food source . As you know big trout will not compete with school trout for food . Places where you target bigger trout you can now catch limits of trout . And if you look at WestCove the hardest hit of oystering every year buy yields the biggest trout in the lake every year !

So the 2-3 years of dredging would of depleted West Cove the most but West Cove is the strongest area of big trout
Our big trout decline started year after limit change and has fallen lower and lower of big 9-11lb trout caught

Don't get me wrong we still have lots of 5-8lb trout but no where close to 2006 and before

Originally Posted by "W"

That had no effect on our trout size as our lake is over abundant with bait year around . You can not fish a day with out finding bait..

If there is so much bait how is a large population of small trout hogging the food source. LMAO classic case of foot in mouth.

["W"]

Originally Posted by Montauk17

If there is so much bait how is a large population of small trout hogging the food source. LMAO classic case of foot in mouth.

Explain????


When you have areas of bait and schools of thousands of trout ... Big trout willnot stay !!

For one big trout eat big fish, mullet croaker etc... Not shrimp and tiny shad

When you over run small trout in a area like big lake you deplete big trout



A trout can eat Breakfast in Turners , Lunch at wash out and Supper @ Jetties

We don't not have a huge place when you are not culling enough trout out!

If science would of said.: yes big lake needs to reduce its limits to keep health trout population , that's one thing . They actually said Big Lake from its SPR #s could support a 30 trout limit per person which is double from what we have !!

So there is your answer why Big Trout #s are down!!! Too Many Trout

[Reefman]

I too have noticed a decline in really big trout along with it being harder to catch any size trout out of BL. Granted I don't fish BL year round but have been fishing there for over thirty years. I do believe there were far more trout of all sizes in the lake in those early years..including your 8-9lbers. Catching was far easier back then compared to what it takes to put a limit in the boat today. Why? Fishing pressure pure and simple along with reef destruction. The less structure you have in that lake the more fish will compete over them until the structure can no longer sustain that many fish. The more reefs, the more fish and with more fish the percentage survival rate of larger fish will increase.