Friday, December 21, 2018

LDWF stocked over 8 million fish in 2018

Speaking of stockings, the LDWF Inland Fisheries Hatchery - in cooperation with the Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery, Shreveport's Cross Lake Fish Hatchery, and LDWF's Rockefeller Refuge - stocked over 8 million fish into 59 waterbodies across the state this past year.

Gamefish species included: over 7 million Florida-strain largemouth bass, 412,000 bluegill, 117,000 redear, 58,000 northern-strain largemouth, 42,000 striped bass, 27,000 channel catfish, and 15,000 black crappie. Other species stocked included triploid grass carp, threadfin shad, and golden shiner.

Most of the stockings take place in spring and fall, when fingerlings are large enough to be handled and water temperatures are conducive to growth and survival.

While our native northern-strain largemouth are capable of reproducing adequately, biologists stock with large numbers of Florida-strain in hopes there will be sufficient cross-breeding. These hybrid offspring grow much faster and larger than either Floridas or Northerns, and make up almost all of the 10+ pound bass caught in Toledo Bend, Caney Lake and other state waters each year.