Is big lake done?

[redaddiction]

Originally Posted by MathGeek

One important source of energy at the bottom of the food web is detrius - decaying organic matter that the small stuff feeds on. Hurricanes like Rita put tons and tons of detrius into the water, and this creates a significant boost in production. In the years following Rita, saltwater intrusion into the marsh also killed many, many tons of vegetation creating detrius. But this is not a sustainable situation - one gets a short term boost in production but pays a high cost in terms of lost marsh.

A second contributing factor to the boom years after Rita were high oyster populations in the estuary. Oysters provide a variety of essential ecosystem services ranging from filtering water (increasing light penetration and primary production) to improved habitat and structure. Abundant oyster reefs also tend to hold fish in easily identifiable locations making them easier to catch. A few years after Rita, oyster overharvesting hit big lake really hard (high harvest pressure, mechanical dredges, etc.) resulting in a steep decline in oyster populations. This also had a negative impact on production at about the same time that the weirs were rebuilt and restored to their original management plan.

Thanks for all your info! FACTS over Feelings!

[Bumfisherman]

Every bay system goes through cycles. 2018 was by far the worst trout fishing in my three years of guiding. Think of the freeze we had and also the multiple floods bringing millions of gallons of fresh water into our bay system. Not to mention the near complete depletion of our oyster reefs. I am proud to report that I guided Tuesday and Wednesday this week and only saw one oyster boat in two days. We caught some really nice trout and did not have to measure any. I am very optimistic about 2019 and without any major flooding I think we will see a strong rebound in our near future.

[ckinchen]

Originally Posted by Bumfisherman

Every bay system goes through cycles. 2018 was by far the worst trout fishing in my three years of guiding. Think of the freeze we had and also the multiple floods bringing millions of gallons of fresh water into our bay system. Not to mention the near complete depletion of our oyster reefs. I am proud to report that I guided Tuesday and Wednesday this week and only saw one oyster boat in two days. We caught some really nice trout and did not have to measure any. I am very optimistic about 2019 and without any major flooding I think we will see a strong rebound in our near future.

That is encouraging brother.