Harris Chain of Lakes Premier Environmental Recreation Destination - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Harris Chain of Lakes – Premier Environmental Recreation Destination

Im Improved Habit itat = Great Fishing at the Harris Chain

Lake Griffin

• Aquatic vegetation
• Bass population and angler effort
• Crappie regulation
• Emeralda Marsh reconnection
• Fish attractor research
• Spatterdock Planting

Aquatic Vegetation In Lake Griffin

2017

Bass Population and Angler Effort for Bass, Lake Griffin

5000 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 40000 45000

5 10 15 20 25 30

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Angler effort for bass Electrofishing catch (bass) per 15 min sample

Adults Effort

Highest bass effort since 1968 (50 years)!!

Highest Bass catch rates (bass/hr) we’ve ever recorded!

Griffin Black Crappie Regulation and Monitoring

• Griffin has long been recognized as a top “speck”

fishery

• In response to stakeholders, a 10” minimum size

limit for Black Crappie was enacted in 2012

• Monitoring data includes
• Carcass collections – age and growth
• Creel – Angler effort , catch rates, and

satisfaction

• Otter Trawl – Fisheries independent data

Griffin Crappie Harvest

• Pre-regulation harvest of small crappie

(40% of harvest <10”)

• Pre-regulation harvest of young crappie
• High proportion of age-2 and 3
• Regulation aimed to protect age-2 and

proportion of age-3 fish

• Goal of regulation was to reduce risk of
• verfishing and increase yield
• They may harvest a lower number of crappie

but higher pounds in fillets 10”

Griffin Crappie Harvest

• High compliance
• Size at harvest
• Age at harvest

10”

Angler Satisfaction

• Prior to the regulation, high support
• f 10” MSL
• 5 years after regulation, 83% of

crappie anglers gave a 5 for highly satisfied with regulation

Angler Effort and Catch Rate

Emeralda Marsh Reconnection

Emeralda Marsh Reconnection

Lake Griffin Fis ish Attractor Research

Griffin Spatterdock Planting

Lake Harris

• Water clarity
• Aquatic vegetation
• Bass fishery
• Hybrid fishery - survey
• Lights at Hickory Point

Lake Harris Vegetation Maps

Multiple research studies have shown a correlation between expansion

• f submersed plants (often hydrilla) and Largemouth Bass production*

Lake Harris Monitoring

• Electrofishing catch rates of

adult and age-1 bass were the highest on the chain in 2018

• Creel survey results indicate

Lake Harris is a premier bass fishery with over 70,000 angler hours and 0.55 bass per hour

Lake Dora

• Aquatic vegetation
• Bass population
• Crappie fishery
• Trophy Bass study
• Fish attractors

Dora Bass Population

• Catch rates of

adults similar to Harris and Griffin

• By far, highest

catch rates of bass >16” on the chain

• One of the best

trophy bass lakes

Trophy Bass Telemetry at Lake Dora

• Trophy bass important component of

fishery

• Rarely collected by our gear
• Objective to assess movement, home

range, habitat use, and mortality.

• High mortality during the summer

months

Fish Attractor Project at Lake Dora

Lake Apopka

• Aquatic vegetation
• Planting
• Sportfish populations
• Bass stocking
• Camera creel survey

Lake Apopka

Lake Apopka Stocking

• In 2016 and 2017 over a 1 million Largemouth

Bass were stocked into Lake Apopka

• Initial stocking mortality was estimated low

due to 0% mortality of 104 fish stocked into 6 containment cages.

• During the Spring 2018 sample, 109

Largemouth Bass ranging from 126 to 384 mm were fin clipped for genetic analysis, results are currently not available

• Game camera creel estimates effort to be

6,058 hours of total angling effort which is not significantly different from 2012

• Angler Expenditures in State $4.4 billion
• Anglers averaged 17.2 days per year fishing

in Florida, for a total of 46.3 million days of quality outdoor recreation.

• Of those, 24.4 million days were spent in

fresh water by 1.4 million anglers and, 23.1 million days were spent in saltwater by 2.0 million anglers.

• A total of 339 tournament days took place on

the HCOL with 11,268 participating anglers in 17-18

New Bass Regulation

Enhance Fisheries Habitat

Artif ific icial l Fis ish Attractors Lake Harris is, , Lake Grif iffin, , and Lake Dora

Lake Harris Sunshine Bass Survey

• Sunshine Bass are stocked into Lake Harris

each year

• Results of this survey show:
• Anglers like to catch Sunshines though

they rarely target them

• They desire that FWC continue to stock

them

• Some are concerned on their impact to

native fish

• More education on our stocking

programs, techniques to catch them, and general awareness is needed to grow the fishery

Increase Communication with Stakeholders

• Gather input on invasive plant

management

• Communicate about timing of treatments

and how input was used

• Hold regular opportunities for increased

dialogue

Acknowledgements

Brandon Thompson Fish and Wildlife Research Institute 352-800-5008