I agree but that's a tough sell on many fronts. Hydrilla is considered an invasive exotic and is federally regulated under the 'Noxious Weed program'. It amazes me with the technology and time biologists have had to study it (1st found introduced in the U.S. in the 50's) that we cannot control it any better than utilizing another exotic species to do it for us.

There is no reasoning with The Grass Killer, Richard Ott. A few of us as fishermen took part in a mock "stakeholders" meeting he called at Lake Tyler a few years ago. We agreed that certain sections of the lake should be treated while others, such as around Stake Island and near Highway 64, don't have boat docks and should be left for fishermen.

I knew as soon as he introduced a couple of the guys who destroyed Conroe and said they would be assisting with the treatment plan that we were screwed. The assassins had been brought in and the hit was already ordered.

What we got was a massive shock treatment with Aquathol K that killed every bit of vegetation in the lake. Of course when TP&WD came to our bass club meeting the representative claimed that heavy rain washed all the grass over the spillway. Apparently it never rained hard in East Texas before then. Rayburn, Martin Creek, Jacksonville, Cypress Springs...nope, never had deluges and water going over spillways.

How old is that guy, anyway? Does he ever plan to retire?

Rick retired at the end of August 2019.

I think the time of adding large numbers of carp to Texas lakes are over. They have figured out that they completely underestimated the effectiveness of those supposedly sterile giants. The problem is the damage has already been done and now we just have to hope the grass finds its way back. I know the biologist for our lake fully believes the hydrilla can and will come back in due time. I sure hope he's right.

texas lakes weren't built for fishing, be glad they do what they do.

I think one way to possibly slow the spraying would be to get it out to the masses what chemicals are being sprayed in our drinking water.

Purtis Creek is a campground... not much fun to camp at a lake you can’t even bank fish on because the first 20 yards of shore is matted hydrilla. I loved fishing it too, but it’s not all about just you and I.

I still return once a year, just hoping to witness some return of the vegetation; but, all I see is the sad sight of scattered, struggling, little wire fenced in pods of planted grass and the lazy swishing back and forth of grass carp dorsal fins.

The "native vegetation" plantings inside little fences are a joke. I'm glad they made a few clubs and gardeners feel good when they planted them, but they have accomplished virtually nothing other than giving fishermen a target to practice their casting.

I grew up on lake Weatherford - we had plenty of grass and plenty of fish. The city had these boats with what looked like a big chainsaw blade on the front and would cut up all the grass around the docks so you could swim and such. We would get rakes and clean all the floating grass up and wheel barrel it up to the road and the city would pick up the piles. We caught fish all day long out of the grass around the lake. More grass more fish ! Then the grass carp were put in - now we have what we have . This happened all over the state . Look up the stockings over the years - mostly fry that get all ate up by the perch. I talked to people in TPW over the years and was told a multitude of excuses on that one - from cost to grow them bigger to cannibalism ? I guess reducing costs of TPW and feeding the little fish are not good ideas ? Ever been to a state park ? 15 people doing 5 peoples jobs ? There little building will be full of people on the payroll - doing what i don't have a clue ? Remember when they had to ask for private funds to finish the hatchery in Athens ? Remember when they said Fork had to many small fish in it and we had to ( kill ) them if we caught one ? Remember the tournaments there where we all contributed to move the fish to other lakes and it didn't cost them anything but a biologist to look at the fish in the tank ? And then they stopped us from doing it ? TPW are as bad as the federal government - spend our money like it's there own. Why don't we do something about it and not just talk about it ? We get enough people together i will get my attorney to write a letter to TPW stating our concerns ( all of them ) . Im afraid of the day where rich people get to hunt and fish and us working folks just get to do that - work .

Lake Bastrop has a boat for harvesting grass, at least it did the last time I was there. The rest of the hydrilla and eel grass are left alone. Amazingly enough it also has one of the highest catch rates in the state.

Fayette County used to have the highest rate. Now, from what I hear, a lot of the grass is gone and formerly beautiful, clear water is murky. Cypress Springs used to be a beautiful lake with clear water and fantastic fishing. Now? The people who control the lake killed all the hydrilla and probably wonder where their beautiful clear water went.

And so it goes on...and on...and on...all over the state.

You Texas Boys don't know when you have it good
TPWL has done a great job all over the state when it comes to fishing for bass. Bass don't stop being in a lake because there is no grass. They relate to different types of structure They still bite in stained or muddy water. They still spawn in shallow water. Just go fishing and adjust. I come to Fork six to eight times a year. Love catching those five pound and up toads. No way to do that in Louisiana ! Thumbs up to TPWL for the job they do for the bass fishermen of our whole country. Stay Safe!

it's not just Texas,they have ruined the fishing in every lake they have sprayed all over the country....grass provides cover in an aging reservoir and killing the grass is no different than cutting the trees down and wondering why the wildlife population ceases to exist....you point this out to most (not all) fisheries biologists and they use as an example some obscure shallow pond in florida that was choked with hydrilla and fish died...makes you wonder just how much the chemical companies have legitimately bribed our fishery biologists and legislators with grants,scholarships and campaign contributions......

while we are on the subject,why doesn't every states DNR raise hell with the federal wildlife dept. over the devastation that cormorants bring to every lake?...

Next time you come to Texas make sure and fish Purtis Creek and Lake Austin and then get back with us. These lakes were producing 40 pound bags before the grass was killed. Be lucky to catch 12 pounds now.