07-24-2004, 03:59 AM
[font "Arial"]The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is inviting area bow fishers to help control the grass carp population in Caney Lake, and they can win cash prizes while doing it. The Caney Lake Carp Rodeo will take place July 23 and 24 and will offer a guaranteed prize purse of $3000. LDWF and the Jackson Parish Watershed District are organizing the rodeo to help control the population of carp in the popular waterbody. [/font]
Carp were introduced into Caney Lake to help alleviate the problem of hydrilla. The invasive plant species threatened to cover the lake and inhibit recreational activities. LDWF stocked the lake with sterile grass carp to remove the vegetation. The carp worked so well that some need to be removed to allow a healthy coverage of vegetation to grow back.
LDWF Biologist Supervisor Mike Wood said the department has put in many man-hours to harvest the carp out of the lake. The idea of the rodeo came about when he was searching for an alternate way to remove the carp without hurting other species of fish.
"Inviting the bow fishermen to help harvest the carp is a win-win situation for all involved," said Wood. "The carp are removed from the lake which allows it to maintain its balance of cover and open water, which is beneficial to the trophy bass that the lake is known for. The bow fishers get to practice their sport and possibly earn prize money for their effort. And LDWF and the Jackson Parish Watershed District get enthusiastic volunteers to help control and manage this important lake."
The rodeo will be held Friday and Saturday night. There is a $25.00 entry fee for each team (up to three fishers per team), each night. Registration begins Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Caney Lake Spillway. Interested fishermen may contact Tommy Chatham at (318)246-5297 for more details.
For more information, contact Mike Wood at 318/343-4045 [url "mailto:mwood@wlf.louisiana.gov"]mwood@wlf.louisiana.gov
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Carp were introduced into Caney Lake to help alleviate the problem of hydrilla. The invasive plant species threatened to cover the lake and inhibit recreational activities. LDWF stocked the lake with sterile grass carp to remove the vegetation. The carp worked so well that some need to be removed to allow a healthy coverage of vegetation to grow back.
LDWF Biologist Supervisor Mike Wood said the department has put in many man-hours to harvest the carp out of the lake. The idea of the rodeo came about when he was searching for an alternate way to remove the carp without hurting other species of fish.
"Inviting the bow fishermen to help harvest the carp is a win-win situation for all involved," said Wood. "The carp are removed from the lake which allows it to maintain its balance of cover and open water, which is beneficial to the trophy bass that the lake is known for. The bow fishers get to practice their sport and possibly earn prize money for their effort. And LDWF and the Jackson Parish Watershed District get enthusiastic volunteers to help control and manage this important lake."
The rodeo will be held Friday and Saturday night. There is a $25.00 entry fee for each team (up to three fishers per team), each night. Registration begins Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Caney Lake Spillway. Interested fishermen may contact Tommy Chatham at (318)246-5297 for more details.
For more information, contact Mike Wood at 318/343-4045 [url "mailto:mwood@wlf.louisiana.gov"]mwood@wlf.louisiana.gov
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