Members of the forum... I see where some of you were wondering where I have been given all of the debate and input concerning the announced partnership between the TPWD and Dr Gary Schwarz of the La Perla Ranch, on the Jalisco Lake Project. I�ve been short on time as of late GregMKJr, I guess us "washed up" ball players have to find other things to do after 7 surgeries, but luckily, I�ve always liked hunting and fishing better if truth be known.

I�ve been wanting to post my personal thoughts about the debate concerning TPWD stocking bass into Jalisco Lake that has been taking place on the forum for the past few weeks, but have been filming a football movie and trying to get everything done for the upcoming year of the Tecomate TV shows at the same time. I didn�t know what I was getting myself into! Anyway, the director of this new movie wrote �Hoosiers� and �Rudy�, two of my favorite movies of all time. I don�t completely know what to expect, but I do know that the football was realistic enough that I came home bumped and bruised many nights. The movie is about Freddie Steinmark and the 1969 UT National Championship team. Freddie was a defensive back for the a Longhorns who played for the Horns in the year of the Big Shootout between Texas and Arkansas in 1969. He played most of the year with bone cancer in his leg and didn�t want to take a chance on missing the season to see a Doctor. He had his leg amputated after they were declared National Champions and didn�t live long afterwards. I�m playing Cotton Speyrer, who was an All-American WR on that team. It�s called �My All American� and if they decide to put it out this year it will probably be in theatres early Jan before the National Championship game.

Anyway, I absolutely understand the initial skepticism that some had on this project. I will admit, that like many of you, I have had my doubts about how much the Sharelunker Program was helping us, especially in light of the declining weights over the past 7 years or so. Not that I think Sharelunker is necessarily to blame for a lot of our Lakes going downhill � the main downside that I see in it is the added pressure lakes get when a ShareLunker (or several) are caught. In my opinion, the two biggest factors that have led to a decline in our lakes are the degradation/aging of them and pressure due to internet (I�m convinced that this effect is greater when a SAL is caught but this isn't going to change). The degradation of the lakes has a huge effect on forage. A lot of the underwater forest that used to be Lake Fork is now slowly decaying. I really believed Lake Austin was our best chance for a Lake not to be affected by aging. LA had a ton of hydrilla and is constant level (other than years past when they lower it for a period of time). I saw first hand how that lake exploded with the grass�. Now with the carp having been put in and Hydrilla eaten to nothing� I think we will soon see a decline there as well.
Let me say this though� How cool is it that we have a State that would even try something like the SAL program in order to help bass fishing in our Lakes? I love the thinking.

Having personally seen Jalisco and La Perla and the blood, sweat, and tears that Gary poured into both Lake projects (it�s hard to fully understand until you�ve seen it)� I believe 100% that the best investment TPWD could have ever made is to put Sharelunker fry into Jalisco Lake. The first fish Gary donates to the program could easily provide our public lakes with many times the amount of fry that TPWD put into Jalisco. If I had to guess� I think that will happen this year-- and from a Lake that TPWD had no involvement or INVESTMENT in creating. There is a reason why the editor of Bassmaster Magazine said that the La Perla bass projects were the biggest bass project to date in the history of the world. I can promise you that what Gary has done has come at a huge personal sacrifice. Gary has already said he will turn in bass to the SAL program and he didn�t buy the SAL fry that were stocked in Jalisco. And why would he? He�s not the one who will benefit from them� at least not for a looooong time.

To be truthful, Dr. Schwarz doesn�t need the SAL program. By that I mean he didn�t need them to give him fry from a SAL that didn�t come from La Perla. They shocked up a 14 lb bass in a survey at La Perla last fall that TPWD didn�t take because it wasn�t caught. I feel sure that we broke off a few SAL�s during SAL season this year. Gary definitely understands that he could have waited until SAL season coming up and in all likelihood he�d catch one out of La Perla to turn in. He caught a 12-6 four days ago. We caught several other 12�s this year � 2 in one day on a TV show and didn�t fish it hard at all. I probably fished 4-5 times� all during the middle of the day.
If he had waited and been able to turn in a SAL from La Perla this fall he would have received many more fingerlings from the La Perla SAL than what TPWD just put in to Jalisco. AND with absolutely NO TIES to or restrictions from TPWD. He could do whatever he wanted with it whenever he wanted from the word GO. It would all be the Gary Schwarz project. Think about this�. He signed a 15 year contract that gives him no control over his own Lake that he has a HUGE investment in in order to help TPWD and the Sharelunker program. Not only will most people on this forum never fish Jalisco� Gary Schwarz can�t even fish his own lake for 15 years unless TPWD invites him! Who would make that kind of a sacrifice and investment and hand it to TPWD to help bass fishing in Texas? Not me. Not anyone I know of. It�s hard for me to criticize that.
As mentioned, if and when a SAL is turned in from La Perla Lake this fall or in the next couple years and spawns� TPWD will get many times the amount of fingerlings that they put in to private Jalisco�.. to put into PUBLIC Lakes! So� to answer the question of why were Sharelunker fingerlings put into a Private Lake? Because TPWD saw the opportunity to take advantage of something that�s already been funded and built, that is truly incredible� which Gary has basically donated to TPWD in order to grow other SAL�s to enter into the program. PLUS, they�ll get SAL�s from La Perla Lake as a bonus. Thank goodness Allen Forshage recognized that the cost/benefit ratio made it a no brainer from their end. If anybody is a loser on this deal it's Schwarz. If anybody else had built what Gary did TPWD would probably invest SAL fry with them too. I think they�d be stupid not to. With several large forage ponds (that can be drained into the lake) that make up 50% of the acreage of the entire lake, the nutrition (prawns included) they will get at Jalisco is obviously far superior to anything they could get in a public lake situation. Plus, they�ll manage the Lake to make sure it�s not overpopulated. What this creates is an incredible opportunity to grow several more Sharelunkers that can be donated to the program... and provides an opportunity to release the resulting SAL fry into PUBLIC lakes in amounts that wouldn�t have been possible otherwise.

Another thing to consider is the incredible advantage the SAL fry TPWD stocked in Jalisco will have as far as survival rates. I have no doubt that the fingerlings that came from Frank Kirk's SAL stocked in Jalisco will have the highest survival rate of any SAL stocking in history. They have 0 predators at this point. It�s them and 15 times the standard stocking rate of fathead minnows. And who do you think paid for all those fathead minnows? Not the state� not Toyota�..the same person who funded everything else on this deal. They will be stocking on a timeline with bluegill and shad when the fingerlings grow to appropriate size so they aren�t vulnerable to predation. Another note...Let�s say a SAL is caught from Jalisco in year 6 or 7 when TPWD test fishes it and they take it to Athens. When the �home lake� percentage of fry go back to Jalisco they can be initially stocked into one of the 15 acre forage ponds above the lake to be grown with fathead minnows and released when they are close to a pound. Therefore they won�t be nearly as vulnerable to predation from adult bass already in the lake and will again have exponentially higher survival rates. The same is true for any SAL from Jalisco in the 15 years that TPWD controls it� and I wonder who will be the first person to help TPWD after those 15 years are up? I know where my bet is.

These are just my thoughts... although I do have the added perspective of having seen what�s going on at La Perla� and I also know Gary Schwarz�s heart for people, our state and our fisheries. I personally see a lot of potential benefits with what�s going on at La Perla� and as a bass fisherman on public lakes in Texas� TPWD stocking SAL fry into Jalisco might end up benefiting you more than you think.

Jordan,
Excellent read. Exciting stuff,
The future looks awesome for SAL.
Thanks again.

Excellent read. Congrats on the movie. Hook'em!!

Mr. Shipley, my comment on "washed up" was an ignorant uncalled for comment. You accomplished much more during your career than most can only dream of. Good luck hunting and fishing and whatever your future career may bring.

You have been reading and listening to some sound lake management strategies.

Please explain to us how stocking a private lake and feeding these bass under a controlled environment is going to benefit our public waters? Remember, TP&W has been trying this experiment for many years. The only difference is the location and feeding program. Maybe just explain how to replicate what Mr Schwarz is doing with his private lakes to get the same result in public waters? The only thing it will benefit is Mr Schwarz.

Here is another good read.

http://www.tackleandrods.com/lake/flash.htm

Jordan,
You also mention Mr Schwarz is willing to donate a future SAL from La Perla to TP&W for spawning purposes. What if that fish dies? It has happened numerous times before regardless of how well this fish care has been. What would be the monetary loss on his investment? Just something for him to ponder.

Well, all this is wonderful except for the fact that NONE of what happens at this private lake will be transferable to a large public impoundment. Every SAL to date has been a pure Florida stocked by the state and that is no different than what is in the new experiment. Many say that some genetic breakthrough will be made, what's that going to be, a fish that learns to thrive with few predators/competition and an abundance of food? Again NONE of this will be transferable.

It's great that the Dr. has given up his lake for some propose but what is that. My guess is he wants to grow the biggest bass in the state and possibly the world. Again, how does this help Texas? The butt kissing is at a max level and with no real apparent gain for the SAL program or the state. Now as I said in another thread I would watch this and hope that some good either practical or genetic comes from it, but not holding my breath.

Sure are a lot of people that are gonna be taking back what they said from the last thread...

Sucks that 98% of us will never fish one of those lakes

chet I can think of one possibility right of the top of my head, food sources for maximized growth. I doubt seriously we have any prawns here in fork, do not know if they would be a good or bad thing here either but if it is found that a hybrid bass can grow to substantial size consuming them would it not be a benefit to all lakes if prawns were introduced (provided they are not harmful in any way). I use that as an example

it amazes me that so many are so po'd over 7,000 fry being stocked in a lake that NO ONE can fish for 15 yrs. unless tpwd invites them.
y'all need to get the hell over it and realize there just might be some good come from this, not everything is some conspiracy from the govt. to screw us (although most things lately seem to be).

["Well, all this is wonderful except for the fact that NONE of what happens at this private lake will be transferable to a large public impoundment."]
Again, that's exactly the point... and it's the reason TWPD stocked Jalisco! You could never replicate the potential success rate that Jalisco will have for growing SAL sized fish in public waters, and I don't think any one else will do it in private waters. If you're still thinking in terms of replicating what Doc is doing with Jalisco in public waters you've way missed the point of my post. Per your above comment... the one thing that is absolutely transferable to a large public impoundment is a big portion of SAL fingerlings from both La Perla Lake and Jalisco when SAL's are turned in.

Thanks Jordan! I was anticipating your response to what some on here have turned into a controversy for NO apparent rational reason.

Again, this study can not be replicated in N. Texas due to the temperatures of the water and the mortality rate of the prawn, area specific, which is why La Perla and Jalisco are so valuable for the research TFF!

So is the point of this to capture MORE (total)each year fingerlings from SAL fish? Or are these fingerlings coming from these private waters going to be of substantial higher biological quality for some reason? I don't think feeding them more changes their genetics??? I could be wrong...As soon as you release these fingerlings into public waters they go back to the current food sources we have now and I wouldn't expect them to do any better than the fish we currently have. Thinking long term, how is this a long term sustainable to our public fisheries? I'm sorry if these are ignorant questions.

Why'd you name it Jalisco?