May 2013 Newsletter Robby Limerick - - Lake Manager LAKE LU Fishing Newsletter
January March May July September November Inches of Rainfall Three year Rainfall Comparison 12 10 2013 Monthly Rainfall 8 6 4 2012 Monthly Rainfall 2011 Monthly Rainfall 2 0 May 2013 Fish Report Number of Anglers Number of Pounds of Number of Pounds of Bass Bass Bream Bream Monthly 286 0 0 2,517 1,066.75 Previous 560 0 0 1,882 813.25 Calendar YTD 846 0 0 4,399 1,880 lb/bass Average lb/acre Average lb/bream lb/acre Average
January March May July September November Number of Anglers per month Average 0 0 0.42 37.60 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Three year Monthly Angler Attendance Comparison 2013 Angler Attendance 2012 Angler Attendance 2011 Angler Attendance
January March May July September November Number of Bream caught Temperature º F 2013 Lake LU Water Temperature Comparison 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 2013 Water Temperature 2012 Water Temperature Three year Bream Harvest Comparison 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 2013 Number of Bream Harvested 2012 Number of Bream Harvested 2011 Number of Bream Harvested Monthly Harvest Comparison Month Number of Number of Pounds of Number of Pounds of Anglers Bass Bass Bream Bream May 2013 286 0 0 2,517 1,066.75
May 2012 223 370 228.25 475 204 May 2011 288 220 153 2,138 962.50 Calendar Year-to-Date Year Number of Anglers Number of Bass Pounds of Bass Number of Bream 2013 846 0 0 4,399 2012 1,197 2,597 2,068.75 3,320 2011 1,386 2,340 1,609.25 6,001 P Fish Averages (Year-to-Date) lb/bass Average lb/acre lb/bream lb/acre Month/Year Average Average Average May 2013 0 0 0.42 37.60 May 2012 0.80 41.37 0.47 31.71 May 2011 0.68 32.18 0.46 55.87
Lake Conditions We got 3.5 inches of rain for March 2013. It seems to be fairly average according to the past three years. I expect much more rainfall as the heat and humidity increases. We have 26 inches of visibility on a Secchi Disc and I am going to try to maintain a wider photic zone in order to increase dissolved oxygen production. Increased visibility will also result in increased shiner predation by the hungry bass. The water temperature is 81ºF.
Bass Fishing BASS HARVEST IS CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. NO BASS OF ANY SIZE MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE WATERS OF LAKE LU. BASS ANGLERS MAY CATCH AND RELEASE BASS WITH BARBLESS HOOKS ONLY. BARBLESS HOOKS ARE SIMPLY HOOKS THAT HAVE HAD THE BARB TURNED DOWN WITH A SET OF PLIERS. Last month we had Heath Haley and Jim Piper come down from District 3 Fisheries to conduct an electro-shock survey of the lake. Below is a photo of some of the bass that we shocked up in one location. This location will now and forever be named, Heath s Honey Hole. We shocked up so many bass that Tim and I could not keep up with them with the dip nets! Last year at this time we had 2,597 bass caught out of the lake. We should expect at least that many MORE bass in the lake this year. One thing is for certain, we have a dynamic bass population in the lake!
(Left) Tim Truelove, Assistant Lake Manager at Lake LU. (Center) Heath Haley, District 3 Fisheries Biologist. (Right) Jim Piper, Biologist Aide. We brought up about 20 bass in the 3 to 6 pound range that day from one fish attractor. Good times, good times. The fun part is catching the fish. The real backbreaking work begins when you pull the shock boat over to a shade tree and start working up the raw data. Below is a photo of the working side of a fish shock.
Above is a photo of the hard work that goes into gathering fish data. Each fish is weighed, measured and recorded for future laboratory analysis and then the fish is returned back to the lake. Here Heath is measuring fish total length while Jim records the number. This data is absolutely crucial to determining our best management practices.
Above is a nice 6.5 pound bass caught by William Vogeler from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Bream Fishing It s been an amazing month at Lake LU concerning the bluegill harvest. It s just May and I m already sick of weighing fish! We have had 4,399 bream caught at Lake LU since Jan. 1! When we were shocking the lake, we gathered nice numbers of bluegill from out of the cedar treetops that I have been putting in the lake as fish attractors. I have tried to tell the bream anglers that within these treetops lie the secrets to pan fish angling success at Lake LU. I have told them that the closer they fish to these trees that their success will increase likewise. Some anglers are taking 20 foot long fiberglass poles and gently laying their bait right into the open holes in these tree tops and they are pulling out COOLERS of slab bluegill. All anglers love their lake again!
Above is a slab 1.5 pound shell cracker that was caught by Ryan Harris.
There are so many bream in the lake that they are hitting bass lures. I believe that this is a photo that Mark Grant took of a bluegill he caught on an X-rap.
Above are some even larger shell crackers caught by some unknown angler. I have to say that the shell cracker population at the lake is the best that I have seen in 15 years.
Daniel Smith is out of school for the summer and is visiting the lake regularly.
Above is a tailgate covered in bream, many of them shell crackers, caught by Mrs. Gloria Clark.
Additional Lake Information Heath Haley, District 3 Fisheries Biologist, will be at Lake LU on Thursday June 13, 2013 to conduct the June seine survey. Heath and Jay will use the data from this survey to determine when the bass harvest will reopen at Lake LU. I would not expect an open harvest to resume on largemouth bass until after the beginning of July. They will be examining the number of bass and bream fry (babies) to determine to what level the shiners are eating them. Over predation by the shiners will result in a general decline in bass and bream numbers years into the future. Hopefully they will find sufficient numbers of fry to reopen the bass harvest. Saturday, June 8, 2013 is Alabama No License Day. No fishing license requirements for Alabama residents and non-
residents. All lake fees and boat rental fees still apply. For this one day an Alabama freshwater fishing license is not required. Nature Trails
The boys and I were inspecting the trails on Memorial Day Monday when we came upon these guys just sitting in chairs in the shade (at least that was their story). I asked them if they had been fishing and they said no. I glanced over to the right of the ATV and saw where they had slung their fishing poles up in the weeds trying to hide the evidence. After receiving a lengthy lecture worthy of making Dr. John McCall proud, they said that they would come back on a Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday and obtain a legal fishing permit. They were hesitant for me to take their picture! (Jeremy Fisher (orange shirt) and Austin Mesey (blue shirt) BUSTED!
I do not want to even think of how this got into the lake. It s a mattress.
Rob s Famous Fish Attractors!!!
Forest Trail before mowing.
Forest Trail after mowing. Now maybe hikers can spot Mr. No Shoulders before he spots them. Here we have the Limerick Corporation s Mark II Turtle Trap.
I put the trap on the beach to help capture turtles. It s a live trap of my own design. All turtles captured will be released unharmed downstream below the dam of Lake LU. Many bream anglers have been complaining that there are too many turtles in the lake. Years ago I made one and it helped remove about 400 turtles from the lake. I ll keep up with the numbers and see how many this trap removes.
The prairie restoration is entering its prime blooming period from now until about the end of June. Now is the time to go hiking the prairie trail.
I used the mower to trim the grass around the cannas at Tartt Field. They are beginning to bloom as well.
If anyone wants any advice on fishing Lake LU, please call me at 1-205-652-9266 or e-mail me at lrr@uwa.edu. Feel free to visit Lake LU s website at www.lakelu.uwa.edu Thank you, Robby Limerick Lake Manager Lake LU lrr@uwa.edu 1-205-652-9266 Alabama Flag -- hypeandfail.blogspot.com American Flag --independentrealist.blogspot.com American Bald Eagle alejandrosportfolio.freeiz.com Great Blue Heron -- flickriver.com All other photos by R.Limerick unless otherwise noted.