If we can't collect enough females to pull off a spawn, we'll have to go with a straight fry stocking instead of allowing the fish to grow to fingerling size. Because the toxins are still present at Dundee, we can't risk using our hatchery grow-out ponds. Saul said the department is bringing together a team of biologists and scientists to find answers. Not stocking stripers or hybrids for one year wouldn't be the end of the world for Texas lakes. It's happened before.
Stripers technically are saltwater fish that spawn in fresh water.
They don't actually spawn in any lakes in Texas, though they have managed to reproduce in the Lake Texoma drainage along the Red River. In all other lakes and rivers in Texas, though they have been very successful as sport fish, stripers must be stocked to maintain viable populations. Hybrid striped bass are a product of crossing white bass and striped bass. They grow quickly and are a quality game fish in a number of lakes in Texas. However, they do not reproduce, either, and must be stocked on a regular basis to keep their numbers high enough for anglers to enjoy.