Looks like Pat Cleburne is going to get a stocking of Hybrid Striped Bass next Spring. I don't fish there that often, but I wouldn't mind a chance at some Hybrid Stripers close to home. But...how will this affect the other game fish in the lake? Is this a good thing or a bad thing for the lake? Thank you for the comments.

I really like catching hybrids and I really like fishing Pat Cleburne. That being said, I don't think the lake is big enough to support the hybrids along with the other game fish. Another thing is that with hybrids, it could bring guides to the lake and I don't think it could handle much guide traffic. NOT BASHING GUIDES! I use them frequently, but, I just think the lake is too small. I really hope I am wrong about all of this.

if this is true it would not be a good thing.

http://www.cleburnetimesreview.com/news/...32089a74c9.html

Cleburne Water Utility Superintendent Steve Hill said a fish and game warden contacted him several months ago to do a study of the lake. "They wanted to evaluate Lake Pat to see what can be done to make it a better sport lake,� he said. �We came up with putting in these habitats and in the spring we will stock the lake with hybrid striped bass which, in a couple years, will be keepable and legal.�

Not knowledgeable enough to know why, but why would it not be a good thing? (Which species would it impact?)

Because at one time the largemouth bass fishing was excellent on Pat,then came the droughts and heat and you could fish all over the lake and never get a bite.It seems it has really started to come back in the last few months with some extremely nice fish being caught.I would prefer to not see another game fish species stocked in the lake that would compete with largemouth for space and food.I would much rather see the lake stocked with Florida strain largemouth.

To each their own, I prefer the striped variety. I fish a couple of lakes about the same size as Pat Cleburne that have had Hybrids stocked for many years. The lakes are still full of nice crappie, channel, blue and flathead cats and largemouths, and there is a ton of bluegill and shad to boot. These lakes were also affected by drought, and show a lot of promise now.

Re: Pat Cleb catfish. I've talked to the GW's about Pat Cleb, the blue cats are just about all gone, same as the Flats. But the channel cats are doing very well.

They keep the other game fish up in more shallow water if I'm not mistaken.

Will be nice to have some hybrids closer to home.

Generally speaking hybrid stripers don't directly compete with largemouth bass nor do they reproduce. Hybrid stripers spend most of their lives in open water chasing shad and growing quickly compared to other fish. Since hybrids don't reproduce (effectively) any stocking of them will play out over a 5 to 10 year cycle.



TPWD has only raised & stocked Florida strain LM bass for the last 20 plus years with the exception of Guadalupe bass in the effort to reestablish those unique bass genetics into their native streams and rivers.

I suspect TPWD won't stock very many hybrids in that small of a lake nor will it be stocked repeatedly. If the hatchery has a good year and has an excess of fish the TPWD will stock some "less than favorable" lakes to enhance the fishing. If they do stock it is nothing to worry about.

+1

If they are coming from PK hatchery stop at Granbury where they will have more room to growand save me gas money. Also any small mouth thet have would be nice.

Procter is a fairly small lake and has had them for years,there are alot of club tournements there also i have done fairly good , havent been there in years.but that beeing said i dont know if it would hurt Pat or not.

I am all for it!!!!!!
Lake pat has the largest shad population of any lake I have ever scene.
The biggest problem I see is it already gets crowded on the water and really only one ramp,,,
Lots of skiers and jet fleas.

Then again one good rain and they will all be in Whitney

If they could be trained to eat black bass and leave the crappie and channel cats alone then it would be a wonderful thing

It can be a pain dealing with all of the pleasure boaters and jet skis on Cleburne. If they would expand the ramp down by the damn, that might help some congestion by the golf course. The west side boat ramp is still open but that's a long way around there!

There always talking about fixing ramps for the past few years,they were going to do the ramp by the dam nothing has been done .seems as tho golf course comes first

Its not a good thing if your a green fish guy, I know the bass fisherman at lake waco kicked and screamed when tpwd said they would stock them.

150k striper fry are in now, its done. As well as Belton and 700k in Whitney

Good, that will be a new to me lake to fish in three years.

They will be fun and will thrive with a good shad population. I think it will be a bonus. They will feed on the shad in open water and when caught will be eaten not returned most likely. Parks and Wildlife monitors water capacity,stocking rates. The biologists know what they are doing.

TPWD stocked the hybrids in Cleburne last Thursday. My son met them at the ramp when he was launching and asked what they were doing. He asked the guy if they were concerned that they would eat everything in the lake and he said we don't "think" so. Personally I think it's a bad move for such a small lake.

I enjoy fishing there because it's so close to home, but I will agree with those who commented about the ramp situation. It is a horrible setup mainly because it's blocked in by rock points on both sides which creates a lot of congestion both launching and loading.

I often find Cleburne a difficult bass lake but not because of lack of forage. That lake has more shad than any lake I know of. I agree that the state should really be careful introducing competing species but I bet there is "plenty shad for everyone". Also hybrids are sterile so is it doesn't work they can just stop. I would question the statement above that the "biologist know what they are doing". Same ones that planted grass carp in Austin, Conroe....? (Sorry, couldn't help it):-)