When asked about the biggest opportunity he sees ahead for Louisiana’s freshwater fishing, retired biologist Mike Wood didn’t hesitate.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that we are moving in the right direction to increase opportunities with smaller water bodies and more shoreline angling opportunities,” Wood said. “I don’t think we are moving fast enough, but it is important to developing future anglers. We need more places where kids can fish and single moms can bring kids fishing.
“It’s hard to justify the enormous expense of big boats and tons of equipment for most people today. If we want to grow fishing, it will have to be with smaller-scale opportunities where people can actually catch fish.”
The biggest challenge was an easy answer, too.
“One of the big problems we have is that we have much of the same types of habitat and climate that they do in areas of China and South America, where a lot of exotic plants and fish species come from,” Wood said. “That means they can thrive here, too, and that’s not a good thing.”
The two worst exotics are silver carp, which can over-populate a body of water to the point that it cannot even support sports fish, and giant salvina.
“It’s scary what this can become,” Wood said of giant salvinia. “If we don’t get it under control, it can take over. And anglers going from lake to lake can take it to lakes on their trailers and boat motors that have never seen it before.
“Drawdowns can control it temporarily (and) it won’t tolerate cold temperatures.
“An example is Lake Bistineau: We can draw it down and almost make (giant salvinia) disappear, but then in August, there are 6,000 acres of it again.”
Some strains of weevils that will eat the plant are being developed, but they are not a solution at this point because of the proliferation of salvinia.
“The biggest problem is (giant salvinia) can completely take over shallow-water areas of lakes like Caney, Claiborne, D’Arbonne, Bistineau and Cross,” Wood said. “And even in deeper areas, big 20- to 30-acres of floating mats can go with the flow even down into deeper areas of the lakes.
“It’s something we can’t ignore.”
