They kinda shed a tear when it dies out of areas lol

I, like you, know the value of hydrilla as it is related to fishing. I also know that there have been instances where hydrilla became a problem for Jet Skis, boating and fishing, 2 examples are Lake Tyler and Lake Caddo. However, Water Hyacinth and G.S. is well above hydrilla in problems. Last year, Toledo Bend had 184 acres of G.S. This year Toledo bend has well over 3,000 acres of G.S. Last year there was talk about G.S. being on Caddo and spraying was begun. This year, the Giant Salvinia is multiplying at a rate of 40 acres per month on Lake Caddo and there has not been any solution on how to stop it. I am sure my spelling is incorrect, but Lake Bisteanu in La. Is now completely covered with G.S. Currently there are 7 Lakes with G.S. infestation in Texas.

Add Water Hyacinth to the mix, as it is in Lake Caddo, and you have a mixture that will shut down a lake. The dead water that these plants cause, will shut down fishing completely and for years into the future.

All Lakes in Texas are in danger of getting G.S. and the TP&W is working hard to prevent it through education. The poison that is used to kill G.S. can not be used in lakes that are used for water consumption, such as Fork.

Hydrilla can be controled by grass carp rather that a poison. We do need to be very concerned and educated on the prevention of G.S. and not wait until it gets into Fork.

I noticed in Trinity Bay this week the stuff was every where.
Our guide said it came down the river from Lake Livingston.
I'd heard of it but never saw it before particularly in Duck Call Cove. TP&W is aware of it apparently.

Water Hyacinth as much of a pain as it can be to get around in can be some of the best fishing that one can expierience. Flipping Hyacinth has put a good amount of money in my pocket in Florida and Georgia. The Process is completed with a extra heavy flipping stick 80 braid and 1 1/2 tungsten weight. You flip up high and let the weight punch the hyacinth. I have caught fish as big as 8 plus lbs under that stuff. Whenever I see hyacinth during practice I always spend some time to fish and very seldom have I been disapointed. The spring (prespawn) when a cold front blows in andit is a bluebird day can be the best time. The big females will hunker down under those mats because it heats up quickly.

Try it sometime and you might have a different opinion of Hyacinth.

Let me see if I understand what you are saying! Even though Water Hyacinth can help Kill a Lake, and even though water Hyacinth will form a solid cover on the water, and even though it has shut a lake completely down, and even though it is considered to be in the top 5 list of most invasive water plants in the world and many other "even thoughs", I should try it and have a different opinion of it!

That is kinda like saying a child molester, who has been convicted of molesting children and suspected of kidnaping and murder,lives in your neighborhood and he helps mow your yard, clean up trash on the streets in the neighborhood, he volunteers to watch out at the school bus stop to protect your daughter or son, that we should give him a chance to redeem himself by being around our children.

Get serious guy! This stuff is bad news and people who try to justify its existance, dilute the seriousness of water hyacinth by speaking in favor of it,and are doing an injustice to fishermen!

Well as much as you talk about it I have fished places that have had it for years and I or any one who has ever fish where there is large amounts of hyacinth would say that i kills a fishery. In fact I would say that in several places the fishing actully increased the several years that the hyacinth was there. I am one that is not afraid to fish in areas that are tough to get into, it keeps weekenders out. Floridians and most of the southeast have been dealing with it for years and the biggest complaint is from the pleasure boaters not fishermen.

Pleaseure boaters complain about hydrilla too and have had it sprayed out of existance but we all know that it has been a hugh asset to bass fishing in many lakes. the next thing you will be saying is that we should kill tules lillpads and any other vegitation that gets in our lakes.

You should take a look at Okechobee one of the best bass fisheries in the world and you will see so much vegitation you probably would not fish there.

Take a few minutes and read this article about vegitation.

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/Vegetation_1.html

I am not saying that invasive vegitation should be allowed to go unchecked but it is just as wrong as fisherman to push to erradicate all of it. We have enough enemies of the fisheries that we love.

I do not recall saying vegitation is bad! I do not recall saying hydrilla is bad! I have said that invasive water plants such as Giant Salvinia and Water hyacinth needs to be killed. You claim to be an avid fisherman, yet you condone invasive plants and then you add lilly pads to the mix in trying to confuse the real issue. Do you want the waters of Texas to be compared to the waters of Florida? If you like the water there so much, why do you chose Texas to fish? You can list links concerning vegitation all day long, but you will not find a link that supports your idea about invasive plants. Don't try to cover the fact that invasive plants are bad. Florida has spent millions of dollars trying to control and get rid of Water hyacinth. Lake Caddo is covered with Water Hyacinth and will soon be completely covered and unfishable due to Giant Salvania, unless a way is found to kill it.

We need native vegitation such as hydrilla, coontail, Pickeral weed. We do not need Giant Salvinia and Water Hyacinth. Do a little research on invasive water plants. Speak facts rather than opinions. The real issue here is, do you want invasive plants in the waters you fish? Do you want millions and millions of dollars spent just to keep invasive plants controled rather than kill them? Do you like having to use 80 pound test line and 1 1/2 oz. weight to drop through a thick cover of invasive weeds that could be fished several years ago with a 15 pound test line and 3/8 oz.weight.

Ask a Biologist, conservationist their opinion. I am sure that there are several on here that would be glad to voice an opinion about this issue you support.

Check your facts Hydrilla is also invasive and exotic.

Here is a small piece of an article about hydrilla.

by Kenneth A. Langeland

Agronomy Department, Center for Aquatic Plants
University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
Gainesville, FL 32653


Cite as follows: Langeland, K.A. 1996. Hydrilla verticillata (L.F.) Royle (Hydrocharitaceae), "The Perfect Aquatic Weed". Castanea 61:293-304.


ABSTRACT


The submersed macrophyte hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata (L.F.) Royle), which is native to the warmer areas of Asia, was first discovered in the United States in 1960. A highly specialized growth habit, physiological characteristics, and reproduction make this plant well adapted to life in submersed freshwater environments. Consequently, hydrilla has spread rapidly through portions of the United States and become a serious weed. Where the plant occurs, it causes substantial economic hardships, interferes with various water uses, displaces native aquatic plant communities, and adversely impacts freshwater habitats. Management techniques have been developed, but sufficient funding is not available to stop the spread of the plant or implement optimum management programs. Educational efforts to increase public and political awareness of problems associated with this weed and the need for adequate funding to manage it are necessary.



All weeds should be controlled but erradication is not good and most of the weeds out there add some value to our fisheries. Texas and Florida. Given a choice I would be back fishing Georgia and Florida but that won't work for my family right now so I am forced to adapt.

All I originally said was that you can catch some good fish out of hyacinth and how to do it. I am sorry that my information upset you so much.

So do I understand that you are now putting Hydrilla in the same class as Water Hyacinth and Giant Salvinia?

You information on how to fish in Hyacinth did not bother me. The fact that you feel Water Hyacinth and Salvinia molesta are actually good for waterways is what bothered me.

I also advised eariler in post that hydrilla can be controlled with the use of grass carp when it gets to a stage which may cause problems. However, we are not talking apple to apple when comparing a plant like hydrilla to water hyacinth and giant Salvinia. here agin you are throwing another water plant to dilute the question. Once more, Do you think Water hyacinth and giant salvinia needs to be killed off completely? Do you want to have Giant Salvinia and water hyacinth in Texas waterways?
Is there any factual material you have or can come up with that indicates giant Salvinia and Water Hyacinth is a plant that we do not need to worry about?

You know what I am just a fisherman that has fished hyacinth and caught fish out of it. Just like any other aquatic vegitation that has come into areas I have adapted to it I am not saying any over abundance of vegitation is good. I will keep my mouth shut since I obviously don't know what I am talking about.

Above all I hope your lake does not get taken over by hyacinth.

I would suggest spending a few hours searching the internet on the subject. Yes, the internet is full of opinions and wrong information...but, if you look at the sources of the information - you will determine that invasive exotic plants are a threat to all of our fisheries. The problem is this � Under perfect conditions these plants will enhance the fishing. Hydrilla�we know the advantages if it does not choke off a lake or cove. But if it does and threatens the lake � someone will be required to treat it. Can you say grass carp or herbicide? Neither are good solutions. For Giant Salvinia or Water Hyacinth � these plants are outright threats. I would hope all fishermen would take some time to realize this is not a joke. There are 1000�s of resources.

I concure with you. The most important thing about these post is an chance to talk openly about the subject to stimulate interest in a serious subject. Search for information, become educated on the subject and then react on your information to help preserve all of our waterways. For all of that, I thank each one of you for your post and comments.

To Jbo34, I value your comments and certainly do not want you to stop talking on this forum. With issues such as this, it takes a pro and con to stimulate interest and research . It enhances the learning process and hopefully, education will continue for all of us. Thanks for being involved!