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Information on Fishing to Improve Fishing.
Fishing to Improving Fishing Fish to improve fishing! That sounds strange, but it is true. Several states have had to take off all bag limits to improve fishing in certain problem waters. Ichthyologists are finding that too little fishing is just as harmful as too much. Fish overrun their natural food supply unless their numbers are kept under control by heavy angling. When this occurs they become stunted, with little attrac tion for anglers. Bass and other spiny-rayed fish are especially prone to outproduce anglers in warm, shallow lakes and ponds which have an abundant initial supply of food. These waters, if they have been stocked recently, flare into production which makes fishing out of this world. But if angling pressure is not constant and heavy, the fish soon outrun their food supply. A few years ago, on water within a quarter mile of where this is written, I could sit on the bank of a local river any summer eve ning and catch twenty bullhead within two hours. These were good husky catfish, weighing from a pound and a half to two pounds. There was no limit on the amount that could have been taken, except the twenty-fish limit set by state game regulations. It was a nice river on which to spend an evening, and I spent many warm summer evenings there, taking my quota of bullhead. Then something happened to this fishing. There were fewer and fewer two-pound catfish taken. Instead, one caught eightand nine inch bullhead; a half pounder was tops. The gusto and abandon with which they used to bite was completely lacking. Casual obser vation would convince anyone, as I was convinced, that there were many less fish; and these were smaller, immature fish. Actually, though, there were many more. They had reached a place in their food cycle where they had overrun the supply. And while they were hungry and stunted, they were lethargic and less prone to forage actively. The population in this section doubled during the past decade, and so did the number of fishermen. Eventually, fishing pressure reduced the number of catfish in this river, bringing them within speaking distance of their food supply. With this increased fishing pressure, the size of the fish caught also increased. Once again, I can take two-pound bullheads from this river. It is fun to fish there now. Only recently I talked with game commission personnel on the problems of sport fishing. They told me that a majority of inquiries from anglers were about where to find good trout fishing. In the meantime, many lakes and rivers in the state have had to be thrown open to commercial netting to keep the bass and other spiny-rayed fish in balance with their food supply. It is an odd angling situation: fishermen looking for suitable fishing waters, and many problem waters suffering from a lack of anglers. This situation is caused to a great extent by the overemphasis which sporting magazines give to trout fishing. Maybe I have a less socially acceptable angling attitude, but to me black bass, crappie, yellow perch, or bullhead catfish offer plenty of thrilling fishing if you go after them with light tackle. Most of these fish are angled for in a misdirected way. They deserve much more consideration than they get. With half the attention one gives to trout fishing, they respond beautifully. And there is always the thought of their unlimited abundance to increase your pleasure. I am certainly not unmindful of the downright angling pleasure of fishing a trout stream when there is a hatch over the water. Such fishing needs to be preserved, and made to mean something special. In order to do this we must fish more of those problem waters where the spiny-rayed fish are so numerous. Trout fishing pressure will be eased and angling improved, and at the same time we will be doing our bit to keep these problem waters under control Try sometime fishing for spiny-rayed fish with your light, 3-ounce trout rod. You will be surprised at the fighting quality of these fish, at the wonderful angling which you have been missing. Another good method of fishing for them is with a light spinning outfit, which is also very good to use for bullhead. How do you go about finding water which is underfished? I am betting that such waters are within driving distance of your home, regardless of where you live. To find them, contact your state game commission. Ask them about lakes and ponds which they feel are not subject to enough fishing pressure. Inquire about waters on which they have had to increase bag limits, or do away with them entirely. These waters are much nearer to you than you think. One such lake, a small body of water gleaming like a jewel through a setting of willows, attracted my attention time after time as I drove by on my way to a nearby overfished trout stream. Eve nings, when I returned, there would be a golden haze through the willows as the sun touched the waters of this small lake. One day I walked down through the willows to the edge of the water, It looked beautiful. Bass water, I thought. I dropped my fly just at the edge of a bed of sago pond weed. There was a terrific explosion of brown water as a bass took my fly from the surface, coming clear of the water in a gill-shaking rattle. From the time I got the strike until I lost him, I never caught up with his efforts. I gave line just as he turned toward me after a tackle-breaking surge. I took line as he was turning away. I stood there, with the water lapping at the top of my boots, never sure just how it happened, looking at my slack line and trailing leader, the still agitated water a testament to a battle fought and lost. But there were other bass there, plenty of others. Here was a fish population which, within a very few seasons, would overrun its food supply unless more fishing pressure was applied to this lovely piece of water. In the interest of my own fishing, I induced other local anglers to give these bass a try with their fly rods. In consequence of my glowing reports, this water was fished much more heavily over the seasons. And it is still producing fine catches of heavy, fighting bass. It will continue to produce, too, just as long as it is heavily fished. This lake is typical of many such waters close to home, offering wonderful sport. When some angler complains about overcrowded rivers, of barren waters, he is not thinking of the bass and panfish. They are getting out of hand on many waters, and need more fishing to keep them in balance with their food supply. If you have never angled for them, I envy you your experience when you discover what wonderful fishing they are.
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