What's up with BL?

[bgizzle]

Originally Posted by Jadams

The lake is a month behind... 3 northerners in may delayed shrimp coming in shrimpers just started catching week half ago by now fish should be on reefs and birds should be done... Also the trout bite should be over behind the weirs and its still goin on.... Once shrimp makes it to the marsh all the fish will concentrate on reefs and channel bc that's where all the bait holds there's always a 2 week transition from bird fishing to reefs it's starting to happen now... The night boat just started limiting out on reefs past. 5 days ....the 25 or bust theory is dumb Sabine lake is same as big lake and the fish size isn't struggling neither is numbers ive made 7 trips over there this yr and limited out 6 out of 7 the difference is weirs... I think biggest factor is weirs restricting bait flow 2nd would be pressure and 3rd would be the 3 northerners in may that delayed shrimp coming in just my opinion but as far as too many fish in lake I'm not buying that every1 would be catching... I've talked to biologist and they said on there net surveys they haven't seen size decrease and agree that there is a cycle this spring was best big trout yr in a few years...

Agree. 100%. I couldn't have gone that in debt but seems like that's exact truth. This first yr I caught fish where they weren't supposed to be by logs. Like clampy said we used to pull up shut down and lay hamma. Same spot same time same conditions 3 fish here 5 there. I think since bait is restricted trout are patrolling more than staying put and ambushing. There's only been 2-4x this yr we've caught 15-20 in same spot.

[speckulator]

this has been a bad year so far for me both fresh and salt i fish prien area to salt water barrier water hasnt been good at all this year havent caught many at all this year

[bjqx]

Started fishing evening til after dark to get away from pressure. Have had some pretty good trips all spring on BL and Sabine.

["W"]

Originally Posted by Jadams

The lake is a month behind... 3 northerners in may delayed shrimp coming in shrimpers just started catching week half ago by now fish should be on reefs and birds should be done... Also the trout bite should be over behind the weirs and its still goin on.... Once shrimp makes it to the marsh all the fish will concentrate on reefs and channel bc that's where all the bait holds there's always a 2 week transition from bird fishing to reefs it's starting to happen now... The night boat just started limiting out on reefs past. 5 days ....the 25 or bust theory is dumb Sabine lake is same as big lake and the fish size isn't struggling neither is numbers ive made 7 trips over there this yr and limited out 6 out of 7 the difference is weirs... I think biggest factor is weirs restricting bait flow 2nd would be pressure and 3rd would be the 3 northerners in may that delayed shrimp coming in just my opinion but as far as too many fish in lake I'm not buying that every1 would be catching... I've talked to biologist and they said on there net surveys they haven't seen size decrease and agree that there is a cycle this spring was best big trout yr in a few years...

Sabine lake has 200 less guides and 1500 less boats per weekend

And i dont know which Biologist you spoke with but i have a email from Baton Rouge and the trout size in nets have decreased over the last 7 years with last year being the smallest


I do agree that the trout are late because they are catching limits behind weirs and that should of been way over

[Jadams]

Post ur email then w

["W"]

Originally Posted by Jadams

Post ur email then w

I already posted it up in a thread like this but let me look for it and i will be glad to post it again

[Jadams]

So if too many fish??? u state limit should be 25 why is everyone not catching?Sabine lake limit is 15 same amount of fish less pressure and bigger fish..... W

["W"]

Originally Posted by Jadams

So if too many fish??? u state limit should be 25 why is everyone not catching?Sabine lake limit is 15 same amount of fish less pressure and bigger fish..... W

I have zero info on Sabine estuary, but our SPR #s can support a 30 trout limit.....plus Sabine has zero Oyster Harvest which makes a huge difference..
On fish holding

[Jadams]

What is spr??

[Jadams]

Sabine lake is identical to big lake both have rivers at the top end that run thru
em both hit gulf thru a channel both have marshes on east and west.. An idiot can catch a limit on Sabine... They take way less fish out than here on big lake and have better trout per school fish... Taking more fish out of big lake is not the answer the answer is in the bait the only difference on Sabine is no weirs and no butterfly nets across every cut!

["W"]

Originally Posted by Jadams

What is spr??

Spawning potential ratio

["W"]

Originally Posted by Jadams

Sabine lake is identical to big lake both have rivers at the top end that run thru
em both hit gulf thru a channel both have marshes on east and west.. An idiot can catch a limit on Sabine... They take way less fish out than here on big lake and have better trout per school fish... Taking more fish out of big lake is not the answer the answer is in the bait the only difference on Sabine is no weirs and no butterfly nets across every cut!

No big difference is No Oyster boats


Lets take on small area on bl

Basket reef before and after

Btw i have written documents of every trip!!

Pre oyster rape of Basket you could sit on a spot and catch al the trout you wanted once fish moved in the are

Post oyster rape...i have not sat one time on that reef and limited and have not spoke to anyone who has

["W"]

Think about our trout vs Sabine

Our trout are beat up 24/7

We have more boats running over reefs and lake day and night

Hell we have 5 night boats i know of that sit on reefs all night smoking trout, then we pull up in the am and wonder why we cant catch trout???

Simple reason they have moved off

[Jadams]

Sabine lake doesn't have many reefs....

[Jadams]

Can't catch em in am after night boat bc they full from eating all the bait under the lights... Cheniere prime example won't catch **** after Jason been there at night

[Jadams]

So we got less reef now less bait and more pressure and u say take more fish??? What's the logic in that?

["W"]

Originally Posted by Jadams

So we got less reef now less bait and more pressure and u say take more fish??? What's the logic in that?

We dont have less bait..our lake is full of bait our ship channel is a seafood buffet

Im saying the reason our big trout size has fell off is because we are not taking enough fish out!! We only have a very small circle of people who can actually catch trout .. we have over a 1000 boats on weekends but maybe 25 can catch a limit but the other 975 are running over reefs..trolling up wind letting boat slap in chop...pulling up on big motor...throwing anchors...so these people make it even harder for the 25 that can fish to catch fish ( does not mean fish are nor there) You know that when trout get spooked the either go deep and hang on bottom or move

[T-TOP]

You two both up early... Y'all fishing?? If so Post up some results...

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by "W"

We dont have less bait..our lake is full of bait our ship channel is a seafood buffet

Im saying the reason our big trout size has fell off is because we are not taking enough fish out!! We only have a very small circle of people who can actually catch trout .. we have over a 1000 boats on weekends but maybe 25 can catch a limit but the other 975 are running over reefs..trolling up wind letting boat slap in chop...pulling up on big motor...throwing anchors...so these people make it even harder for the 25 that can fish to catch fish ( does not mean fish are nor there) You know that when trout get spooked the either go deep and hang on bottom or move

This is contradictory, food is one of the limiting factors on sustainability of fish/trout/deer/antelope/elephants/water turkeys/zebras/hippos etc.

If there was a shortage of food, then you have a problem but you just addressed that.


and I thought the weirs were keeping ALL the bait behind them, how is their a buffet?


The fishermen's take of trout is negligent in the grand scheme of things in Big Lake. This isn't some clear shallow water lagoon in Florida, the limits could be much higher before any negative effect was seen.

[Ray]

BL school Trout are way bigger than in Barataria and Timbalier Trout.
They have a higher limit.
School Trout there average 6 to 8 inches.
I have never seen so many small Trout, even in the Fall.
There are plenty, but not much size.