While fishing Banks this weekend, Chad and I were discussing the upcoming drawdown starting August 2011. The reason for the drawdown is for dam repairs and other maintenance that occurs every 10-15 years. I am curious to hear what kind of effect you guys think this will have on a Banks Lake bass fishery that seems to be already sub-par for quality fish.
My thoughts are that the Smallmouth will likely move out and not be effected seriously, however, my concern comes when thinking about what will happen to the largemouth. Some of the highest populations of largemouth in the lake are obviously in the bays and the punchbowl, which will be high and dry by a longshot with the draw down.
My biggest questions are:
I am also really curious to know what the effects of the drawdown were last time that did it and if any efforts were taken to plant artificial structure, etc...
To end my long ramble, maybe this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Maybe a decrease in overall fish population would be a good thing for a lake that is notorious for stunted fish. Despite being a very large lake, I think there is a limited amount of good habitat which could result in over population. Maybe a fresh start with a clear effort to increase habitat on the lake with artificial structure planted in the normal areas would be a good thing. Maybe as the largest community of bass fishermen in the state, we could play a huge part in bringing the fishery back? Thoughts?
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Posted by Tom Melowitz on September 7, 2019 at 2:45pm
Posted by Eric Urstad on April 3, 2019 at 7:38pm
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