Fish
Stocking Continues in New Orleans
Posted:
3/25/04
The bass population
in New Orleans area waters is growing thanks to the stocking
efforts of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
(LDWF) Inland Fisheries Division assisted by the Sea Grant
Extension Agents Mark Schexnayder and “Rusty”
Gaude of the LSU AgCenter. On March 16, 154 bass, averaging
2.9 pounds each, were moved to their new homes in City Park,
Bayou St. John and Lafreniere Park. These fish will help improve
the bass fishing in these waters by introducing a strain of
fish with the potential to grow faster and to a larger size
than the Northern strain of largemouth bass found in these
waters.
All of the introduced
fish were six years old, Florida-strain bass that had been
used as brood stock at LDWF’s Booker Fowler Fish Hatchery.
All had successfully spawned five times and are expected to
produce secondary spawns this year in their new homes. These
fish are proven producers of strong bass, as their previous
spawns are continuing to be used at the facility. Introducing
these fish into the city’s waters will help local anglers
land lunkers.
All of the stocked
fish were tagged and assigned a five-digit number. To help
LDWF learn more about these fish in their new habitats, anglers
who catch the stocked fish should report these numbers to
park managers. Interestingly, 26 of the stocked fish were
caught on Saturday, March 21, at the 59th annual Big Bass
fishing tournament at New Orleans City Park, according to
Schexnayder. All of these fish were returned alive to the
lagoons. Tagged fish are already being reported from Bayou
St. John and Lafreniere Park.
This event was
the latest effort by LDWF and its Sea Grant and LSU AgCenter
partners to improve fishing in New Orleans area waters. On
February 3, 108 five-pound (average) channel catfish were
stocked in urban waters in the city. Last year, over 2,500
Florida largemouth bass fingerlings and over 161,000 bluegills
were stocked for catching as well as to improve the food stock
for the bass and larger blue catfish.
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