Was that what I saw in Duck Call Cove?
Never saw it before.
Didn't see any bass in there either.

Hank, I have not seen what you are talking about but water hyacinth is a free floating plant like Giant Salvania. If you check there again, if you can pick it up without it being attached to structure or the bottom it will mostlikely be water hyacinth. The bad thing is, where ever Water Hyacinth can grow, Giant Salvania can flourish. If you would like to see a photo of Water Hyacinth or Giant Salvinia, PM me with your e-mail address and I will get you photos of both which are growing very well in Lake Caddo.

Yep, that is what you saw. It is in several places on the lake. There is some just outside our HOA boat ramp. I pull a little out every year to stock my water garden.

I thought that the winter freezes up here would kill the hyacinth.

It just goes dormant apparantly. It has come back in the same location here for the last 3 years.

Water Hyacinth is almost as durable as Giant Salvinia molesta. If you want information about Giant Salvinia go to the web site shown below. Lake Caddo is full of Water Hyacinth and is becomming infested with the Salvania. The web site has an informative article. It was posted in Septembe of this year.

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1059394/a_grassroots_effort_to_fight_giant_weed/index.html

http://www.ntwgs.org/articles/illegalAquatics.html

As fishermen - we must be the eyes for TPWD and notify them of any areas of Water Hyacinth - provide GPS coordinates if possible, as posted earlier - these invasive plants are a threat to our fisheries. Anyone with these plants in a "Water Garden" could find themselves in serious legal trouble.

Our Club removed by hand Water Hyacinth from Lake Quitman several years ago. These plants if pulled far enough from the shore and left to dry out will die.

Thanks,
Bill Maggs
NE Texas Bass Federation Nation Conservation Director
Denton County Bass Club Conservation Director

Bill, I sometimes wonder if people realize the seriousness of the Water Hyacinth and the Giant Salvania. I live on a 4000 acre lake in East Texas, which is private for shareholders. We have already installed containment barriers at all of our boat ramps to help prevent contamination. Every fisherman needs to be involved in the preventative measures for these invasive plants that kill all aquatic life in the water by oxygen depletion and blocking sunlight.

It is a mess. I lived in Orlando for 9 years and fished the lakes in and around there extensively and I can attest to the fact that it is really a pain in the behind.

At times we had to fight our way thru 100 yards or so of hyacinth just to get down the canal to a lake we wanted to fish.

The wind would blow it from one side of the lake to the other and it would be so thick you could only fish the edges.

The fish seemed to love it and so did the snakes.

TP&W is very aware of Hyacinth. Lake Fork has had it for years with no trouble. As a matter of fact, the reason they do not kill it is due to its ability to hide the bass that are stocked in the lake every year from being eaten. Also, it is a home for crawfish etc. also. So a little is actually great for the lake from what I understand and if it spreads a little, seems like it would provide some good cover for some big bass too!

Please read this entire new report...

Biologists, reservoir manager say Lake Fork in great shape
From Staff Reports
Oct 26, 2007 - Thanks in part to a long drink from spring and summer rains this year, Lake Fork is in excellent shape and should be able to withstand planned withdrawals of water by the city of Dallas beginning in 2009.

At an annual meeting this week at A.J.'s Fish House, Sabine River Authority Regional Manager Danny Choate said the lake is the highest it has ever been in October.

He also said if the area receives its average annual rainfall of 44 inches, the impact on the lake level won't be significant when water starts being pumped to the Metroplex in two years.

�The amount of water Dallas can pump in a calendar year is 131,860 acre-feet, which would lower the lake level approximately 5 feet if there were no inflow from rainfall during the year,� he said. �That is less than the amount lost annually to evaporation, which is about 6.5 feet.�

Choate also addressed a rumor that just filling the pipeline between Lake Fork and Lake Tawakoni would drop the lake level by 5 feet. He said that most of the pipeline has already been filled and pressure tested with water from Lake Tawakoni.

�We are very aware of the value of this lake, not only to this community but to the nation, as the best bass fishing lake in the country, and we intend to do all we can to maintain it,� Choate said.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department fisheries biologists reported to the crowd of about 50 that the largemouth bass fishery in the lake remains the best in the nation. TPWD surveys show the catch rate of largemouth bass weighing 7 pounds and more has remained steady for the past several years. Biologists expect good reproduction and growth with the high water levels.

TPWD biologists also presented information on how to recognize both native and invasive exotic aquatic plants and asked for help in keeping plants such as water hyacinth and giant salvinia from becoming a problem on Lake Fork. Suspected infestations should be reported to TPWD Aquatic Habitat Biologist Howard Elder at 409-384-9965 , or by e-mail at howard.elder@tpwd.state.tx.us

Also speaking at the meeting was Lenny Francoeur of Rogers, Ark., an event manager for Octagon Worldwide, Inc., which handled the Toyota Texas Bass Classic held at Lake Fork in April.

Also speaking at the meeting was Lenny Francoeur of Rogers, Arkansas, an event manager for Octagon Worldwide, Inc., which handled the Toyota Texas Bass Classic held at Lake Fork in April. Tournament officials announced in September that hte tournament would return to Lake Fork in 2008 and is scheduled for April 18-20.

The tournament features 100 professional anglers grouped in teams of four, with the winning team sharing a $250,000 top prize. TPWD also receives a $250,000 donation to benefit its youth fishing and outreach programs.

The Toyota Texas Bass Classic is unique in its "catch and release" format. All fish caught above 14 inches are weighed in the boat by an independent observer, then returned to the lake immediately. This promotes a higher survival rate for the fish by avoiding the stress of holding the catches in live wells for long periods of time. Contestants will be allowed to keep one fish larger than 24 inches, which will be weighed at the lake-side weigh-in scales, then turned over to TPWD for proper handling and release back to the lake.

Francoeur said at Tuesday night's meeting that he would like to see the event remain at Lake Fork rather than move to other locations in Texas, but that community involvement and support for the tournament would be the key to making that happen.

From Staff Reports

Thanks in part to a long drink from spring and summer rains this year, Lake Fork is in excellent shape and should be able to withstand planned withdrawals of water by the city of Dallas beginning in 2009.

At an annual meeting this week at A.J.'s Fish House, Sabine River Authority Regional Manager Danny Choate said the lake is the highest it has ever been in October.

He also said if the area receives its average annual rainfall of 44 inches, the impact on the lake level won't be significant when water starts being pumped to the Metroplex in two years.

�The amount of water Dallas can pump in a calendar year is 131,860 acre-feet, which would lower the lake level approximately 5 feet if there were no inflow from rainfall during the year,� he said. �That is less than the amount lost annually to evaporation, which is about 6.5 feet.�

Choate also addressed a rumor that just filling the pipeline between Lake Fork and Lake Tawakoni would drop the lake level by 5 feet. He said that most of the pipeline has already been filled and pressure tested with water from Lake Tawakoni.

�We are very aware of the value of this lake, not only to this community but to the nation, as the best bass fishing lake in the country, and we intend to do all we can to maintain it,� Choate said.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department fisheries biologists reported to the crowd of about 50 that the largemouth bass fishery in the lake remains the best in the nation. TPWD surveys show the catch rate of largemouth bass weighing 7 pounds and more has remained steady for the past several years. Biologists expect good reproduction and growth with the high water levels.

TPWD biologists also presented information on how to recognize both native and invasive exotic aquatic plants and asked for help in keeping plants such as water hyacinth and giant salvinia from becoming a problem on Lake Fork. Suspected infestations should be reported to TPWD Aquatic Habitat Biologist Howard Elder at 409-384-9965 , or by e-mail at howard.elder@tpwd.state.tx.us

Also speaking at the meeting was Lenny Francoeur of Rogers, Ark., an event manager for Octagon Worldwide, Inc., which handled the Toyota Texas Bass Classic held at Lake Fork in April.

Also speaking at the meeting was Lenny Francoeur of Rogers, Arkansas, an event manager for Octagon Worldwide, Inc., which handled the Toyota Texas Bass Classic held at Lake Fork in April. Tournament officials announced in September that hte tournament would return to Lake Fork in 2008 and is scheduled for April 18-20.

The tournament features 100 professional anglers grouped in teams of four, with the winning team sharing a $250,000 top prize. TPWD also receives a $250,000 donation to benefit its youth fishing and outreach programs.

The Toyota Texas Bass Classic is unique in its "catch and release" format. All fish caught above 14 inches are weighed in the boat by an independent observer, then returned to the lake immediately. This promotes a higher survival rate for the fish by avoiding the stress of holding the catches in live wells for long periods of time. Contestants will be allowed to keep one fish larger than 24 inches, which will be weighed at the lake-side weigh-in scales, then turned over to TPWD for proper handling and release back to the lake.

Francoeur said at Tuesday night's meeting that he would like to see the event remain at Lake Fork rather than move to other locations in Texas, but that community involvement and support for the tournament would be the key to making that happen.

Clint,
Water hyacinth is almost as bad as Giant Salvinia. It is classified as an invasive plant. I have provided a link at the bottom for you and others to check out. This plant does not contribute to better fishing, as a matter of fact, it creates fishing problems. You will see what I am talking about when you check out the link.

http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/hyacin2.html

I understand that G.S. is an invasive plant. All I am saying is that we have had it on Lake Fork for many years and it has not caused a problem here (yet of course and I pray it don't).
I also know how many people get all worked up over Hydrilla being in their lakes and how they cannot ride jet skis, in fear of falling off and having grass around their legs. But, as we know hydrilla is very good for fishing and habitat. I also hate to see hundreds of gallons of chemicals dumped into a lake, just to kill a plant that isn't causing a problem.
Check out the site below. It makes hydrilla out to be worse than G.S.


http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/weeds/hydrilla.html

Killing the hydrilla would set Lake Fork back years.

I can assure you that TPWD has no intention of treating lake Fork for Hydrilla. Water Hyasinth, if allowed to get out of control will cause problems and should be delt with before it does so. It can completely cover entire coves easily within a few months if conditions are right. Lake Livingston is a great example of this. Choke Canyon has been treated this year as they were strting to get out of control.

An interesting fact: I receive all treatment proposals submitted by anyone seeking a permit to treat aquatic herbicide in the State of Texas. Lake Fork actually has more treatment proposals submitted each year than any other Lake in Texas. They are submitted by homeowners usually looking to treat alligater weed and others that border their shoreline property. The treatment method is usually hand held sprayers. In the big picture, this probably does not do much to harm overall habitat, but if Lake Fork became significantly developed, and all the homeowners were doing this, it would be detrimental. I would hope that anyone moving to Fork would have some concept of the relationship between habitat and good fishing as they are probably fishermen themselves.