W. I found your Texans

[Asterisk-Rich]

Originally Posted by yak'em-n-stack'em

a hog like in the picture a few posts back?

no i reserve those for the men that can handle them lol

like pookie?

[SULPHITE]

Originally Posted by yak'em-n-stack'em

a hog like in the picture a few posts back?

no i reserve those for the men that can handle them lol

that reminds me...where has Pox been on all this!!

[yak'em-n-stack'em]

yes

like pookie

and pox cant talk about that kinda stuff now

[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.

[yak'em-n-stack'em]

so the older half of the population of trout produces 68 percent of the eggs spawned



Older fish get older for a reason, there is some sort of something in their genes that give them a competitive edge, just like some humans are bigger, some grow muscles quicker, some loose weight faster.

[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

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by yak'em-n-stack'em

so the older half of the population of trout produces 68 percent of the eggs spawned



Older fish get older for a reason, there is some sort of something in their genes that give them a competitive edge, just like some humans are bigger, some grow muscles quicker, some loose weight faster.

they get caught but get released. If you completely take out the Age IV class of fish, then the others will then produce 100% of the eggs. This study is really crap. It was done 50 years ago. Lets see something mo better

[yak'em-n-stack'em]

Science is accepted til proven wrong

[Capt.B]

Ok Duck...so how many trout over 27 inches have come in your boat....sounds like you have a phd in SOW TROUT CATCHING.....show pics please...

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by yak'em-n-stack'em

Science is accepted til proven wrong

Can't really go by a study in Florida and compare it to Louisiana (apples and oranges). The study in Louisiana even negated that fecundity rose with age (it actually went down by 14% that is pretty substantial) If you went out in Florida and caught those fish that the Texas fisherman caught, then yes you would probably be doing some damage to the breeding stock. Isn't Floridas limit like 5 specks? It is ridiculously low. Louisiana is leaps and bounds a better trout fishery than Florida. Not even comparable.

[Duck Butter]

Originally Posted by Capt.B

Ok Duck...so how many trout over 27 inches have come in your boat....sounds like you have a phd in SOW TROUT CATCHING.....show pics please...

Has nothing to do with fish CATCHING, I read the same scientific abstract you did, you posted the results They actually negate what you are trying to 'prove'.

Trout are prolific spawners, we are not hurting our 'breeding stock'. a trout can reach breeding age in one year = they are like rabbits, they ain't gonna die out

[Asterisk-Rich]

Originally Posted by Capt.B

Ok Duck...so how many trout over 27 inches have come in your boat....sounds like you have a phd in SOW TROUT CATCHING.....show pics please...

i dont think it sounds at all like he has a degree is "sow trout catching" he merely stated that your findings were from a study done in another state and were from over a half century ago...

[Hopedale Hustler]

I think I'm gonna go rape me some fattys in the AM....goin find some big gals fa da grease.....maybe I'll get on a few so I can get a stringer mount done....haha

["W"]

I know for a FACT that 5 12inch females will spawn off more eggs in one year than 5 30inch female trout!

Smaller trout spawn up to 5 times a year

["W"]

[SIZE=3]SPECKLED TROUT FACTS
[SIZE=2]by Jerald Horst
(Revised June 2003)[/SIZE][/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]The spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus, or as we call it in Louisiana, the speckled trout, is one of the most popular saltwater fish in the state. Besides being popular in many south Louisiana restaurants, it is targeted by more recreational fishermen than any other saltwater fish. In the last 10 years, recreational fishermen have harvested an average of 6,578,061 speckled trout from Louisiana waters annually – this is more than 93% of the combined recreational/commercial harvest. The best year for recreational landings was 2000 with a take of 9,615,942 specks and the poorest year was 1990, the year after the great freeze, with 2,679,167 landings.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] Although the commercial catch had been regulated by minimum sizes and gear restrictions, the recreational fishery was unregulated until 1977, when a combined daily limit of 50 was placed on speckled trout and redfish. In 1984 the possession limit was reduced to the daily limit, and a new saltwater fishing license was required. This was followed by a 12-inch minimum size (14- inch commercial) in 1987 and the recreational limit was reduced to 25 in 1988. Speckled trout management and biology remain an area of high public interest. Some of the most commonly asked questions on the subject are answered below.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] Why do we have a 12-inch minimum size on speckled trout?
A minimum size of 12 inches allows most fish to spawn at least once before reaching harvestable size. All of the males and more than 75% of the females are sexually mature at 12 inches long. The minimum size also increases the overall yield of the fishery. Each year since the regulation went into effect, the average size of recreationally caught specks has been more than 13 inches. Before the minimum size requirement, the average size of recreationally taken specks was as low as 10 inches.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] Why don’t we have a larger minimum size, such as 14 inches?
Speckled trout have sex-specific growth and survival rates. Males grow slower and don’t grow as large as females. In Louisiana, males do not reach a size of 14 inches until their third or fourth years. Since few specks live beyond age 5, and more than 70% of the total speckled trout population is age 3 or younger, very few males grow to larger sizes. This would result in a loss of recreational opportunity to harvest the males and could possibly cause a shift of harvest pressure to females.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2]How many of the undersized, released speckled trout really survive?
The majority of hook-caught speckled trout survive when released. Louisiana conducted a 18-month study ending in 1995 on the survival of released speckled trout. The survival rate depended on the fishing method. Treble hook artificials had a 97% survival rate, single hook artificials were 91%, treble hook with bait had 83%, and single hook with bait was 74%. The overall average survival rate was 82.5%. Research done in 1984 in Texas showed a survival rate of 73%, and a Georgia study, done in 1990, showed a 63.8% rate.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] Why don’t we close the season during spawning time?
Speckled trout exhibit a protracted spawning season, lasting from April to September. Females ready to spawn have even been recorded in March and October. Closing the season during spawning would result in a 5 to 7 month closure. Also, from a biological perspective, any removal of a female fish from a population has the same impact. Regardless of whether the fish is caught 8 months or 8 days before it spawns, the result is the removal of the fish and all of her future offspring. Since there is little biological advantage to such a measure and since the closure would take place during the months of best fishing weather and most intense recreational activity, the negatives outweigh the possible benefits.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] Why can’t I catch more big trout?
Aside from the fact that there are many more small trout than large ones, large speckled trout are very specialized creatures. Large trout are not as widely distributed as small trout. The largest trout are taken in the spring, next largest in winter, then fall and summer, out in the Gulf. Large but lesser sized trout are taken near beaches, lesser still in lakes and bays, and the smallest usually in the marsh. Anglers prefer to fish for specks in summer and the second preference is fall. Fishing is most intense in sheltered inside waters. More big trout are caught in spring because they move into shallow beach and bay habitats at that time for their first spawn of the season. The rest of the summer and early fall, the larger trout tend to stay in cooler Gulf waters and only periodically enter beach and bay habitats for subsequent spawns. Many of the large fish winter offshore, with a few wintering in the interior marshes, where they are very sluggish. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] Large trout also have very different food habits than school trout. Small trout eat large amounts of shrimp and other crustaceans. As trout become larger, their diet shifts toward fish, the larger, the better. Studies in Texas and Mississippi show that really big trout strongly prefer to feed on mullets; a large trout will find the largest mullet it can handle and try to swallow it. Often the mullet is half or two-thirds as large as the trout. The key to catching large trout is to fish where they are and use big baits.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=2] What is the future of recreational speckled trout fishing?
The future of the fishery depends on two factors: good habitat and good management. If our coastal areas remain unpolluted and coastal erosion is controlled, management will be the key. Very few more speckled trout can be produced from other sources. If the entire commercial speckled trout harvest were divided up equally among Louisiana’s over 400 thousand recreational anglers, each sport fisherman would get less than one fish per person per year. Research has also shown that very few speckled trout appear in shrimp trawl bycatch. This means that gains and losses will be the result of management within the recreational fishery. Management priorities, as set by recreational leadership, will determine whether the fishery is managed for liberal limits and smaller fish or restrictive creel limits and larger fish. [/SIZE]

["W"]

Here ya GO

[calcutta37]

popcorn

["W"]

[evis102]

Big fish do bred big fish. 90% of trout will never get over 7lbs no matter how old they are or how much they eat. It's the same with deer. Not every buck will grow into a trophy. Big bucks and big trout have the same thing incommon, the genetics to be big. The longer you keep the trophy genetics in the pool the more trophys you will have be it trout or deer.

["W"]