So, in the epic stories I did on how Texas lakes are stocked by TPWD, and conversations on the side, it was made clear a lake is not considered for a new species unless there is essentially a "demand" for it from the public. There was no mention of species competition or any other habitat conflicts when I raised Ray Roberts as a lake that could use hybrid bass. The main emphasis from TPWD was on how difficult it has been to generate the stocker hybrids to stock the lakes that already have these fish. So, I am guessing there are opinions about this idea here? Scientifically, what are those opinions? Has anyone else requested this stocking of Lake Ray Roberts with hybrids recently? How did you make that request?


HERE IS WHERE MY STORY GETS A RESPONSE FROM TPWD
https://texasflycaster.com/tpwd-responds-to-stocking-series/
https://texasflycaster.com/tpwd-response-to-story-continues/

And I go into my own take on why and how they stock in stories leading up to these - if you just LOVE reading!

Thud. The sound of dropping like a rock.

No thanks, there's plenty in Lewisville.

I would be for it...I love fishing Ray Roberts given the lower number of wake boats, and boat traffic in general. And despite the nearly 7 million hybrids stocked in Lewisville in the last 10 years it very rarely fishes as well as other Hybrid lakes. Sign me up!

We have been successful but it takes a lot of effort. We lobbied for stocking hybrids in Lake Livingston for over 15 years and last year was the first year. There was a combination of state and private stocking efforts. TPWD gave up on harvesting brood striper from the Livingston tail race and that triggered approval to hybrid stocking. Livingston will be one of the best hybrid fisheries in the state in three years. It has just as much if not more baitfish than Tawak and RC.

Lake Conroe was taken off the list for a couple years and then re introduced due to efforts from this forum's users.

It seems like there has been much more consistent production of hybrids over the past 3 or 4 years. The guys seem to have it figured out.

Bass guys generally don't like hybrids stocked into tradition "bass" type lakes. However, they are stocked in Palestine and Conroe... That might be the battle you face on Ray Roberts.

I am thrilled to see them in Lake Livingston. The hybrids should hold up to the shallow warm water and flooded mud outs better than the striper have.

I'd love to see hybrids in Ray Bob. I know of a few that have actually been caught above the dam in the main lake. We suspect they came from Kiowa when it has flooded. Ray Bob would make an excellent hybrid or striper lake in my opinion. There is a ton of structure.

We need bow fisherman to kill carp and gar long before anything else that eats bait fish is added.

It might be better suited for pure strain striper, but what do I know. Seems smallmouth would do well there too but seems to not be any push to stock them.

Hybrids, Stripers, Smallmouth and heck even more Largemouth.

Never has been a heavily stocked lake by comparison to other lakes its size and doesn't seem to have very good spawning years.

Several years with no stockings at all, surprised they have the Classic back there again this year.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/action/stock_bywater.php?WB_code=0622

Stocking LMB is not really how you get a good LMB fishery. Recruitment is not an issue at 95% of our Texas lakes.

Habitat and forage are way more important than backing up a truck and dumping 170k one inch baby bass into a lake... those little jokers having a 0.05% survival rate to adulthood. You are really just trying to make a long play on influencing genetics. You are not going to be catching those fish and experience better fishing because there are now just so many more bass in the lake that were stocked... does not work that way.

Adding stripers or anything with stripes on it is just more pressure on forage. Now they do not tend to feed in the same places and in the same manner as the bass do and add a fun fishery, points taken, but if 10lb lmb is what you want to see more of, I would suggest adding striped fish is not a step toward that, I would argue its a step away from that.

I would also add gar are not eating healthy LMB. Its just not a thing. A large stomach content survey was done on Texoma on Alligator gar. 138 gar stomachs were pumped and not a one had a LMB or SMB in it. Gizzard shad, common carp, river carpsucker and buffalo made up 74% of what they found. The only game fish found were channel cats, white bass and striper and those were very rare, in total accounting for less than 2% of what they found in those fish. Matter of fact the Alligator gar ate more long nose gar than they ate game fish. How do you like that?

So shooting gar with arrows, not going to improve fishing unless you like carp and buffalo.

I agree with Dan. Bait fish…food…. Is the key. The lakes with the biggest and healthiest fish constantly have big balls of bait fish on my screen. I also think that different feeder creeks or rivers that run into our lakes contain shad with more or less protein depending upon the feeders that come in.

Long nose gar eat baitfish and are prolific in Roberts. Literally tons of Carp are in the spawning areas tearing them up in the spring. My point was the rough fish need to be reduced and the forage fish population increased before more competition for forage fish is introduced to the lake.

I disagree to a great extent. Having caught and surveyed myself the contents of large gars stomachs the majority had white bass, a lot of them. I have found brim, small bass and small carp. Saying a large predator won't eat certain fish varieties is junk science. They are only trying to get the hate off of gar for some reason. In my opinion removing carp would greatly improve any ecosystem.

Do you have any suggestions on how to improve the lake if stocking is not the answer ? or do we just accept the fact it is a below average fishery now with lots of rough fish (carp, buffalo, gar)

It will be interesting to see the results from the Classic. Maybe the pros will whack them good in March.

Habitat. Habitat. Habitat.

After that you limit competition to the degree you can. If the goal is bigger bass, remove all smaller bass.... dont worry, there are plenty to take their place. Us being so married to C&R of bass along with loss of habitat are the biggest things that have negatively influenced lakes in North Texas as well as around the country.

I am for getting rid of SAL program and starting the SAH program... Share A Hydrilla.