May 24

Written by:
5/24/2011 4:06 PM 

Christian-Trigg County Chapter, LKS                  May 2011 Newsletter

*Wow!  What another weather spring we have had, the 4th in a row.  Going back to 1965, never do I remember more than two high water years in a row, now for summer.

*We have about 50 on our email list and these have gotten lots of information about Asian Carp.  The KY New Era had an article in early May.  This is a big deal.  There are three stages of these fish in a body of water: 1 - plankton feeders, 2 – eating of game fish eggs, 3 – take over the water 35-95% thick (end of native game fish)  Fish and Wildlife heads were told about this problem in 2004 and they went into denial until the fall of 2010.  Now they are scrambling to get going with a meeting at the KY Dam Convention Center, May 31st, at 7:00 P.M.  They have put out a regulation they want the LRC to pass and become law.  When you read it you will see that it offers those fish more protection than eradication.

*The state’s league directors voted to send this reply to all concerned:
•    Asian carp are threatening to overtake Kentucky waterways.
•    There is no known body of water in the United States, containing Asian Carp, in which the sport and commercial fishing has not been ruined beyond comprehension and repair.
•    The League of Kentucky Sportsmen supports the eradication process.
•    The League of Kentucky Sportsmen further supports the limitation or removal of any regulation(s) that may hinder the eradication or population reduction of Asian Carp.

*KY Fish & Wildlife regulations they want passed in part reads:
•    To set seasons; establish bag and creel limits; to regulate the buying and selling and transmitting of Asian Carp.  Program participant means a commercial fisherman who is enrolled in Asian Carp program; must fish in restricted waters; always have Department employee present; take carp only on dates and locations approved by Department; sign card provided by an overseer of the Department what the catch is.  There are several other “do’s and don’t’s”.  The real approach to Asian Carp has to be eradication, not the proposed program that looks more like it is a game fish.  We need a very short trial period, and not pass this into law before knowing it will work correctly.

*Over 50% of our membership is not on our email list; therefore, the need to inform you by this newsletter.

*In a meeting two weeks ago, a commercial fisherman said “We are already in the 2nd stage of a 3 stage take-over by these carp and 6 years they will achieve that”.  These carp have already ruined the white bass and sauger fishing below our dams.

*Remember the word “eradication”.  That may not control them – they spawn 3 and 4 times a year.  One was caught this spring, was 6’9” long, 125 pounds, and had over 10 gallons of eggs.

*Remember our next bass tournament is June 4th.  Here are the results of the May tournament:
 May 7, 2011 – 22 Boats
1st Place – James Naylor and Tomi Estes         5 fish    14 lbs. 15 ozs.
2nd Place – Gary Hightower and Tommy Myers     5 fish     13 lbs. 10 ozs.
3rd Place – Kenneth Cherry and Ramie Colson    4 fish    12 lbs. 13 ozs.
Big Bass – Cherry and Colson            5 lbs. 10 ozs.
2nd Big Bass – (Tie    )  Hightower/Myers        4 lbs. 15 ozs.
           Naylor/Estes

Dan Cayce, President