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 30 45000 Electrofishing catch (bass) per 15 min sample Adults Effort 40000 25 35000 Angler effort for bass 20 30000 25000 15 20000 10 15000 10000 5 5000 0 0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
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”) 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 overfishing and increase yield • They may harvest a lower number of crappie but higher pounds in fillets
Griffin Crappie Harvest • High compliance 10” • Size at harvest • Age at harvest
Angler Satisfaction • Prior to the regulation, high support of 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 of 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
Artif ific icial l Fis ish Attractors Lake Harris is, , Lake Grif iffin, , and Lake Dora Enhance Fisheries Habitat
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
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