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Posts posted by TXMulti-Species
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Your name: Finley Miller
Your CAG forum name: TXMulti-Species
Your state or province of residence: Texas
The state or province of your FFF 2019 fishing venue, if it differs from your residence: TexasI've got a new venue picked out and can't wait to see what comes out of the depths!
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9 hours ago, (CT) Savayman said:
Thanks to former Steve Clow, a former State Chair, CT allows potential record carp to be weighed on Certified Scales at the place of capture in the presence of an independent witness. So no need to kill or transport a fish.
Roland said he did not want to claim a record but as everyone can see it is a magnificent fish and a dream capture.
Didn't know that, great to see that CAG is doing amazing work all over the place!
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Huge congrats to Roland Olah! As for not pursuing the record, there can be multiple reasons. Some states require you to weigh the fish only at certified weigh stations, you can't use your own. There's a huge chance of the fish not making it so it's not worth the risk. Records also draw the attention of bowfishermen. Personally I wouldn't submit any records for that very reason.
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If you want to get whole boilies out in the same method as "the method" then I'd definitely look into using PVA. You can put whole/halved/crushed boilies in the different varieties of PVA and once it dissolves the boilies will be right around your hookbait just as if you had used packbait. Like others have said, you can always crush some up to add to your pack, but I personally prefer not to and keep my packbaits fairly consistent, typically using just one "base" ingredient such as rice, oats, or grits. Lots of people use the mix you mentioned and it works wonders but don't be afraid to explore and use different baits! There are tons of tutorials on YouTube and a quick walk down the aisle at your local supermarket can give you loads of ideas. Tight lines!
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Welcome to the sport, and the forum! Jealous that you have such large fish so close by. There's definitely a peace when carp fishing, unless you're really in on them - then it's the busiest you'll likely ever be!
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23 hours ago, AugustW said:
Today was amazing! Landed 5 carp in total, 2 at 10+lbs, 2 in the 5-7lb range and a little 1-2lber to end the night. Kev got home and I was hanging out having a beer while he made a few casts, it was already really dark out and all of the sudden his drag starts screaming! 5 minutes later and I was netting a GORGEOUS 10+lb mirror for him! we didn’t even know they were in here as we’ve only seen commons, needless to say I’ve already got a big bag of pack bait mixed up and tomorrow should be rather eventful. Follow the adventure at @wa_carp_angler on instagram at least till I figure out a good way to resize my pics and then I’ll post them here also
Congrats guys! Looking forward to seeing the photos!
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Lol, welcome to the carpy side! Your tackle and PB addiction is already starting I see. I bought 3 Sonik S3's on sale and have only good things to say so far, but then again I've never used anything else. I got mine in 12' 3.25TC but I'll definitely be getting them longer and a bit beefier next time just for the added distance. I also have a Sonik net which has held up to the abuses I've put it through.
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Super long post? This post is tiny compared to some of mine...
I prefer to fish in deeper pockets simply because that's where the buffalo roam, but I don't think there are any of those beauties up in Washington! You've got a couple options on your hands:
1. Fish at the greater depth. 25-30ft isn't too deep for carp and I've had plenty from those depths.
2. Clear out the weed manually, and fish the shallower parts. The easiest way to accomplish this is to get one of those metal garden rakes, not the ones for leaves, and attach a sturdy rope to the end of it. Throw it out and drag it along the bottom, clearing the weed bit by bit. You won't have to do this often, but it's certainly a chore when you do.
3. Use the fish to clear out the weed, and fish the shallower parts. One of the easiest ways to clear weed is by not doing it at all! Chum an area over the course of a week or two with a ton of bait. Small particles work best for this as the fish will have to search around for some time, deer corn is one of the cheapest options. Just make sure to boil till soft.
4. Fish in the margins. Just because the water is a foot or two deep doesn't mean you can't get a nice carp there! I've had lots of fish just dropping a bait into the margins.
As for the best option to get carp to start frequenting an area, it's got to be baiting it. It can seem impossible with the massive amount of fish we have over here, but consistent baiting is key. Try to bait at least every other day if not every day. Doing it at the same time is also best, but any amount of bait in the water at any time will attract more fish than none.
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14 hours ago, (TN) Cannonball said:
Nice mirror. Just think how big it will be later this year. Seems like you have a good recipe for packbait. Many of us experiment so we don't condition the fish to ignore the usual flavors.
+1
Great work! I use a different flavor (sometimes an entirely different packbait) every time I fish for that very reason.
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6 hours ago, (TN) Cannonball said:
Once a snapping turtle latches on, it won't let go. I have always been told you have to crush their jaws to get loose. Any other experiences or ideas?
I don't have any experience, but this guy does!
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Just watch out for those claws! Some good gloves can help if you're worried about it, but I've never been scratched by 'em. Bullheads are pretty much everywhere, and when you catch one, there's usually a swarm of them waiting for you to throw something else out to eat. They're very hardy just like carp, so in bad water they're the only things that are gonna be there besides carp, turtles, gar, bowfin, etc.
Kinda jealous of your mirrors tbh, I've still yet to get one of my own!
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Those are some beautiful brutes! Great job! The "tongue" or "growth" that you're seeing is their palatal organ, which they use to separate out food particles from non-food particles. It's very hard to just catch carp as you found out with your turtles and brown bullhead. On the turtles, it's fine to drag them out of the water using their tail as their weight will still be supported somewhat by the water/ground, but when picking them up make sure to do it from the sides of the back of the shell. If you pick 'em up by their tail, you can actually break their tail and injure the animal. Everything out there deserves our respect, no matter how much of a "nuisance." Tight lines!
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7 hours ago, RedRiverJay said:
Many thanks for posting that. It points out a contradiction in ND fishing regulations.
No problem, anything if it'll save a couple golden beauties.
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20 hours ago, SoCalCarper said:
great bunch of fish excellent angling
Thanks! It's a doozy just getting to the bottom of the page
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Great stuff, just wish it was longer!
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(This post is copy-pasted from the TFF for convenience sake. As such, it includes some species other than carp/buffalo. If necessary, I will delete those for future posts or post under the other species forum.)It's been quite some time since I posted on here, not for lack of fishing but rather because of an abundance of it. Apparently I've been hitting the banks so hard that I've already worn down my new carp rods, and two of them are about to get repaired. On my last outing I broke the rod tips one after the other, not quite sure why. In the meantime I suppose I'll share all of my captures with you guys, just be ready for a long post!
Trip 1: New Pond w/ Damon & Catmandon
Was contacted by a member of the forum to meet up to do some carp fishing, something I couldn't pass up. Decided to take my friend along as well, as he was about to leave to CT and hadn't been fishing with me for a while. The original intention of the trip was to show Catmandon and his friend a couple of things and while I was able to share lots of information the fish just weren't having it and I ended up getting skunked. It had been a long time coming as I've had more than my share of luck on the bank, but Catmandon and Damon did end up landing a couple! All fish caught were released to fight another day.
The first fish of the day went to Catmandon. He didn't think this fish was picture worthy, and actually caught another one that was a little bigger @13lb 12oz later in the day that I wasn't able to get a picture of before he released it saying something along the lines of "another small one." At least he caught some!
Damon's first ever black bullhead. He was a little anxious after I told him that it was poisonous!
First carp of the day for him, just a little guy.
Last fish of the trip, it was horribly slow but we all had a good time. 10lb 2oz.
Trip 2: Another skunk session for me...
Took the longest trip I've ever taken to go fishing only to find out that the place I'd chosen had no public bank access outside of a small, crappy area. Knew I was incredibly unlikely to land anything but went ahead and fished for 16 straight hours anyway as I didn't want to waste the gas. The only thing I hooked all day was what was undoubtedly my PB turtle, easily 40-50lbs. He buried himself in the mud about 15ft off the bank and I wasn't going to risk losing anything to go in and try to pull him out. Had a really good conversation with a TPWD technician while I was there, learned quite a few things from him and if I'd only had a run I'd have let him take it as he was a bowfisherman and I was sure I could convert him to rod and reel. If only I was able to get to one of the spots I'd planned to hit maybe I'd have landed one of the giants I knew lurked there...Trip 3: Memorial Day with the Family
Took Mom & Dad out to a local lake as we all had Memorial Day off, wasn't expecting anything big as the lake isn't known for producing anything giant, but figured I'd give it a go as I'd never been and just catching some would be a blast. I soon learned that if I'm ever going to fish on a holiday that I need to go somewhere more remote as the banks were lined with anglers and the water was filled with boats. Although I will say that it's certainly interesting when everyone around you is casting and casting and pulling up nada while you're having trouble keeping more than one rod in the water. We actually attracted a crowd, I guess they figured watching someone catch is more fun than not catching anything! This was one of the rare occasions where not all of my fish were released, as I gave away every one that was under 10lbs (almost every fish) to whoever would take them on the bank, and there were no shortage of spectators willing to take at least something home for the table. I figure if I do this every time I fish these small fish waters maybe I'll make a dent in the dink population!
First fish of the day, just a little guy. Got a new rubber net after my dad broke the old one trying to land a 24lber in it. From now on, this net will only see fish 10lbs or less.
My parents went for a bathroom break and left me watching 7 rods by myself. I had four hits at once and only two hands! These were the only two I was able to get in and one of them had to be handlined as my mom had crossed over two of my dad's lines and made a huge mess.
First buffalo of the day, this is the only fish that went back in the water the whole trip.
Another little guy for me, this lake is filled with 'em!
Baby buff for my dad. This is his smallest one yet!
Slightly bigger but still less than 10lbs
I don't think my dad likes catching these little ones, just look at that face!
Still not beating that 10lb barrier, to the table it went.
Doubled up! I wonder if the fish are smaller because of how trashy the place is, we took a big trashbag and filled it when we left.
Mom finally got her first fish! It's been such a breeze to get a picture now that she's not afraid of the fish anymore.
Second one for my mom, another little guy. Perfect eating size!
My dad's smallest ghost carp to date, and the only one of this trip.
We just couldn't seem to break the 10lb threshold!
Parents got a nice carp/buff double.
OK, so she was a little grossed out by this one but only because it had (presumably) been sliced up by some boats previously. Poor guy, but he didn't have to worry about recovering as he went on to someone's table!
Trip 3: Finally Living up to my Name (Multi-Species)
Went down to the river in an attempt to maybe get some carp/buffalo and brought along an ultralight just in case. I was having so much fun with the ultralight that I actually missed two runs on my carp setup, and even briefly kept some of the rods out of the water so I didn't have to worry about them going off! I was fishing my carp rods above the spillway in a deep pocket of the river, and using my ultralight below in the small pools as the river was drying up. All fish caught were released above the spillway so they weren't left to dry up and die.
First fish of the day, a decent White Bass! This was my second one ever as I've been way too occupied with carp to give anything else a thought.
This one was a little bigger, they definitely put up a tussle on the UL!
NEW SPECIES! After trying several times and seeing my friends/family catch the drum that I've been after I land my first Freshwater Drum! Not a huge one, but a ton of fun.
Yet another drum, I had finally found 'em!
They must've been in the small pools thick, 'cause they were hungry.
Last White Bass of the day
Another Drum, it was starting to get really hot (this was the first 100+ day of the year), and it seemed like all the other fish shut down. I'd heard that drum will bite when nothing else will and it was definitely ringing true this day!
Finally was able to put down the ultralight long enough to nab something on my carp gear. Love these fish but was having too much fun vertical jigging off the spillway.
These drum were helping me make up for all those other times I didn't catch them! Started splashing water on the bank for 'em as it had gotten so hot.
Fourth species of the day!
These fish are so cool, can't seem to understand why they're looked down on and Red Drum are so prized.
My first ever catfish on a lure! Was psyched after I realized what he was. I actually got one that was even bigger than him on the bank as well, but he flopped around and slid back into the water before I could get a photo. The second one jumped about a foot out of the water during the fight, it was unreal!
Is it normal for a drum's skin to feel rough? All of them that I caught that day felt rough to the touch.
Last drum of the day, that makes 8!
Trip 4: Ol' Faithful w/ my Parents
Went out to my favorite lake and took my parents along for the ride. I had prepared quite a bit for this trip, hand-rolling approx. 25lbs of boilies to throw in the water for 3 days prior to fishing (along with some other goodies). They must've liked them as we tore 'em up! We didn't land anything huge but lots of nice fish saw the mat, including a few PBs! All of the fish were caught using boilies and tigernuts, with either a rice/ketchup packbait (beginning of the day), and when we ran out of that a grits/chili packbait. All fish were released to fight another day!
This was the dough for the boilies I made - wheat flour, masa, powdered milk, yeast, whole eggs (carp love the crunch!), chili powder and tuna. It was a pain in the *** to knead the dough and roll all the little balls, there's definitely some boilie rolling tables in my future.
First fish of the day, a baby Channel cat. We actually saw a huge army of these guys as far as the eye could see in front of us feeding on something at the surface of the water. It was insane!
Technically this was the first fish of the day as my mom's rod got hit a few minutes before my dad's, but it was just so small she couldn't tell she had anything on.
Mom with the first carp of the day!
Decent Channel for my dad.
Good eater for Mom!
First of many doubles! My dad with an 8lb Ghostie and me with a 14lb Buff!
Mom with another decent carp.
Second double, this time my dad had the bigger fish with a 16lb 6oz Smallmouth Buffalo. Pay attention to the red tent-thing in the background.
Dad with a 13lb 9oz Common.
Finally joined the catfish club with this fatty, guess he had been enjoying my special boilies!
Dad with another carp, not quite big enough to justify weighing.
I had brought the ultralight again but I definitely didn't need it with all the action we were getting. I'd go to pick it up and get a run!
She was having some difficulty holding this one. Mom with her new PB buff @16lb 10oz.
It's always somewhat disappointing to get a catfish, they just can't seem to compete with the size and strength of the carp/buffalo. Looking forward to nailing a giant while carp fishing!
Another little guy for Dad
Sneaking in some casts in between all the action and landed my first drum at this lake! The drum luck must've followed me from the river
Dad with a ghostly white 16lb buff
Second catfish of the day for me, just a lil guy.
My mom had elected to only use one rod for the day so she was our designated net/camera person, but she still managed to land a few!
The most weight I've ever had on the mat at once! A really nice Smallmouth Buffalo triple, my dad landed a 12lb 10z and I had a 19lb 10oz and a 19lb 13oz at the same time!
My dad caught this 9lb 12oz fish that was missing an eye
8lb 13oz carp for my dad
Dad with a smaller carp and me with the biggest fish of the day, a 20lb 1oz Smallmouth Buffalo. The red tent is suspiciously absent... That's because the wind was blowing pretty hard and sent it careening straight into the water. We tried to jump in to save it, but all the water made it way too heavy. At least I've got some structure to fish next time, I guess.
Mom with her final fish of the trip, a 10lb 9oz Common Carp
Second triple of the day! This time, it was all carp. My dad had the smallest of the three and I had the bigger two, the biggest being 12lb 12oz. Unfortunately, my mom didn't get the fish in the mat in the second photo but I promise it's there.
Dad with another decent one
Final fish of the trip, it was starting to get pretty hot and we decided we'd call it quits. This one ran 13lb 10oz.
Trip 5: Back to ol' Faithful
I wasn't quite finished when my family and I packed up the other day, so I came back to finish what I'd started. I'd extended an invite to Catmandon to try and actually show him that I can catch some fish, but he couldn't make it due to fish due to family obligations. All fish were caught on boilies/tigernuts with a grits and snowcone flavoring packbait and were released to fight another day!
First fish of the trip, a decent common.
A little smaller, but I'll definitely take him!
I hated not having a rubber net, as these little fish's spines get caught up in my "carp-safe" net. It's only really safe for the big ones and buffalo as they don't have any spines.
Guess they're all little today?
Finally landed a decent fish, a 17lb 6oz buff! This one helped me find a new snag, and after giving him a couple quick jerks I freed him and netted him before he could power back into it.
Catmandon stopped by briefly to see how I was doing and got to witness his first Ghost carp, he went on to catch a couple of his own the next day at the same spot as I'd thrown all my leftover bait in the water for him.
Another ghostly buffalo! This one is my smallest out of this lake so far at 13lb 12oz.
Beat my biggest for the other day but not by much with this 20lb 10oz beauty!
Doubled up! Just look at that tiny mouth!
Last fish before I called it quits. Action wasn't quite as hot as last time but it was definitely fun.
Trip 6 & 7: Florida Fishin'
Took a family vacation to Destin and booked a fishing charter. Unfortunately, we were after food fish and not sport fish, so when I told the captain that I expected to beat my freshwater PB (28lb 12oz), he told me that it'd be real special if we did, but not impossible. Those saltwater fish really pull, though!
Me with my (frozen) King Mackerel and the rest of our catch behind. We caught a good deal of Red Snapper, a Mangrove Snapper, a Gray Triggerfish, and 3 King Mackerel. Nothing huge, but still a blast. Next time, we're definitely going to go after some sport fish!
I just had to one-up the fishing charter guys so later that night I went stalking the golf course ponds (we were staying at a place where the apartments are on a golf course), tossing in bread ever so often and basically just feeding the turtles. I was down to my last three pieces and the last pond where I figured I'd just toss it all in and call it a night. After seeing a couple of turtles I heard something weird and saw something a little different. I waited patiently until I noticed it again, and it was definitely the Grassie I'd been waiting for! I pinched some bread around a freelined hook and waited until I saw him again before lowering it right in front of his face. Seeing him gulp down that bread and then setting the hook was so much more exhilarating than catching the fish on the charter even though it cost practically nothing in comparison. Didn't have a scale, mat, or anything on me as I wasn't prepared to catch a carp on the trip but he must've been around 20lbs. Snapped a pic as quickly as possible and released him to try and make up for my lack of preparedness. Won't count him towards my species list just yet, I need to land one here in Texas!
Sight-fished this bullhead at the same pond, they were swarming on my bread!
Trip 8: Back at the Spillway with my Sister
Took another trip to the spillway, this time without all my carp gear weighing me down in an effort to catch a couple more of the fish trapped in the small pools. We were each armed with an ultralight and a variety of small lures.
Another White Bass at the start of the trip for me!
Another new species! This thing fought so hard on my ultralight, can't believe I was able to nab him with a crappie jig and 4lb test. 35in long Alligator Gar.
Second White Bass of the day.
My second ever Warmouth and the smallest one I've ever seen!
My sister with her first fish of the day, she kept missing a ton of bites or losing them right at the bank because she wasn't setting the hook hard enough.
She was able to land this solid bass, though! 2lb 1oz, bigger than my PB
Got a little Spot
Last fish of the day, a baby catfishTrip 9: Spillway, Round 3
I can't get enough of this place!
First fish of the day, a decent Channel Cat on a lure
My biggest catfish caught on a lure so far, 3lb 11oz. He took that tiny crankbait you see in front of him.
PB Freshwater Drum! 3lb 2oz. Still not large by any means but I'm getting there.
3rd species of the day, little White Bass
This little guy really wanted the bait, choked on it and started bleeding a little. Swam off fine, though.
Trip 10: Walking a Little Creek in Carrollton
Saw a little creek while driving, stopped and grabbed my UL to see what I could find. Very weedy, but I did manage to land a couple!
I only ever catch dinks. They're still fun, though!
Good size Green Sunfish
Another big Greenie
Last one of the short walkTrip 11: Redemption w/ Catmandon
Seeing as how I blanked the only time I've fished with the guy, I needed to get some fish on the mat while fishing with him. So I prebaited heavily, 25-30lbs of bait a day for 3 days prior. I was not going home without at least banking something. The place we fished was surprisingly deep, capping out at around 35-40ft just a toss from the bank, so we were hoping there were some giants present. All my fish were caught on boilies/tigernuts with a grits and snowcone flavoring packbait, and all fish were released to fight another day!
As a note, I will be censoring photos or taking them in places that aren't distinguishable, as I've noticed a couple people visiting my spots and taking home large fish. They're well within their right, but I'm certainly not going to donate good spots to people taking home the bigguns.
First fish of the day for me, a nice sized Channel Cat
Catmandon with the first carp! This one had some bruising on his gill plate, maybe they're still spawning as it's so deep?
My first carp of the day, not too shabby!
Another carp for Catmandon, this one had some bruising as well.
Doubled up (sort of). Had left mine in the net to rebait and Donovan hooked into one.
A nice dark carp for me
Decent one for Catmandon
Just a little guy for me, at this point we were wondering if there were any buffalo here because they're generally a deep water fish. All we could do was rebait and cast out to see.
Nothing big just yet, but another one in the bag for Catmandon
Donovan got a run on one of his rods and shortly after another one of his took off so I grabbed it. Ended up netting the buffalo we'd been talking about earlier! His was the bigger one at 15lb 7oz.
Beautiful dark carp for Catmandon
Got my first (official) buff on the board. I suppose I caught that other one, but it wasn't on my rod!
Doubled up (actually this time!) Donovan with the small carp and me with a 15lb 7oz buff that tied us for the biggest of the day.
Catmandon lands a decent Blue
And a fat Channel right after, now he just needs a Flathead for the trifecta...
We knew there had to be some nice ones here! This 26lb 1oz beauty finished off the day for us, it was about 103 degrees outside and with no real shade to speak of we decided to pack it up._________________________
New to angling. Catch and release. The dream - to catch at least one of every species in our great state (if I can manage to resist carp)!
https://txmultispecies.imgur.com/
PB Common - 20lb 6oz
PB Ghost - 13lb 9oz
PB Koi - 9lb
PB Smallmouth Buffalo - 28lb 12oz
"Take only memories, leave only footprints, kill only time." -
Nice captures! I'm more of a lake-man myself, flowing water is still a mystery to me.
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"After a fish is caught on hook and line, it is legal to return all fish to the water at the site of capture if done in no longer than the time needed to unhook, measure and/or photograph the fish immediately after being caught. Fish returned to the water should show no evidence of bleeding, be handled carefully, and not thrown or dropped. All fish released from bridges and wing walls (e.g. Garrison Dam Tailrace) must be done immediately after being placed in a fish basket/open container to ensure fish survival."
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Nice ones, if they aren't on the feed for you you could always try a baiting campaign. Seems to do the trick for me, even in the 100 degree Texas heat!
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Beautiful fish, congrats!
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Here's an old map I was able to find if you guys are interested in going to fish it. AFIK, there are no other maps of the lake. I've heard it's very weedy so take lots of tackle!
Edit: While this map is certainly nice, I did stumble upon a map that has much greater detail! https://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en#boating@11&key=ql|wDr_urQ
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6 hours ago, Dale Holmes said:
I filled out the questionnaire and voted to keep the lake at full level. Hope to fish for buffs there some day.
Thanks! Me too, I may have to make the trip pretty soon it seems!
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I'll definitely write up a petition as soon as I get back from Florida, not sure how much attention it will get but the lake has been through this before. Looks like control of the lake may go to Austin Water, which manages LBL, so we do definitely have a shot at another trophy carp regulated water. The only issue I take with LBL is that Smallmouth Buffalo aren't protected as well, but carp is certainly a start!
This is an old petition that I found from back in 2014 whenever they were discussing modifying the lake: https://www.change.org/p/sheryl-cole-save-lake-walter-e-long-decker-lake-from-austin-s-drought-response-plan#supporters
FFF 2020 - Register Here!
in FFF 2020
Posted
Your name: Finley Miller
Your CAG forum name: TXMulti-Species
The state or states in which you will be fishing: Texas ofc!
Good luck everyone ?