SHORELINES

10 a p c s hor e l i n e s.c om | 2017 Vol :1 BY ROBERT DEWITT Any good fisherman knows that small fish grow up to be big fish. Part of the rationale behind catch-and- release practices is to "throw them back and let them grow." But before a little fish can grow into a bigger fish, an egg must turn into fry and fry must turn into fingerlings. The spawn is an essential part of maintaining a healthy fish population and a successful spawn can make the difference later in whether fish are plentiful or scarce. A multitude of variables influencing the aquatic environment can affect when fish lay their eggs and how successfully those eggs turn into fish. Alabama Power Company tries to give nature a little bit of an assist during the critical time when fish are spawning. "We have, for several years, held Smith on the Warrior and Weiss and Logan Martin on the Coosa for about two weeks," says Angie Anderegg, hydro licensing and compliance supervisor for Alabama Power. "If we can from an operational standpoint, we will hold those lakes steady or slightly rising to facilitate the fish spawning." State biologists keep tabs on the lakes' water temperatures and other conditions that trigger spawning in gamefish species. When the conditions are right, they contact company officials, who restrict or increase flow to keep the lake levels stable. At Weiss and Logan Martin lakes, the emphasis is on when crappie and black bass species, which include largemouth bass and spotted bass, are spawning. At Smith Lake, the emphasis is on the black bass species. Alabama Power also works with conservation officials at Lake Harris on the Tallapoosa River, says Mike Holley, district fisheries supervisor for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. "We're trying to hold that water stable so that doesn't affect nest success," Holley says. Weiss Lake is also home to the only population of the Gulf strain of striped bass that are successfully reproducing outside of captivity. The fish run up into Weiss Lake's headwaters in Georgia to spawn. The eggs must tumble down the river for 72 hours without sinking to the bottom to hatch, and the long stretch of water gives them that opportunity. When water temperatures rise into the upper 50s in the spring, bass and crappie move into shallow water. Crappie look for a hard surface such as a gravel bottom or rip rap wall in three to 10 feet of water, Holley says. Illustration by da n By num – Crappie are one of the many species of fish found in Alabama lakes. "WE HAVE, FOR SEVER AL YEARS, HELD SMITH ON THE WARRIOR AND WEISS AND LOGAN M ARTIN ON THE COOSA FOR ABOUT T WO WEEKS. IF WE C AN FROM AN OPER ATIONAL STANDPOINT, WE WILL HOLD THOSE L AKES STEADY OR SLIGHTLY RISING TO FACILITATE THE FISH SPAWNING." – A N G IE A ND ER E G G, H Y D R O L ICENSIN G A ND COM P L I A NCE SUP ER V IS O R FO R A L A B A M A P OW ER . SPAWNING Success A L A B A M A P O W E R , W O R K I N G W I T H S T A T E C O N S E R V A T I O N O F F I C I A L S , T R I E S T O G I V E N A T U R E A L I T T L E A S S I S T W H E N G A M E F I S H S P A W N .

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