The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1951-07-05
Deep Creek Survey
Considered Success

Experimental tran netting for game
fishes in Deep Creek Lake during May
Ia to Is has further substantiated the
work of three years investigation by
the Maryland Game and Inland Fish
commission, and has been considered
highly successful, it was reported in
the Maryland Tidewater News for
June. The News is published monthly
by the staff of the Maryland Depart
ment of Research and Education.
Biologists of the Department, MAX
ing a routine annual check to obtain
facts on the fresh water fishery, took
big numbers of fish large in size and
of many species. The biologists worked
in cooperation with the Maryland COM
mission.
A report on the findings points out
that conditions in the Lake indicate
that both smallmouth and largemouth
bass are growing all right; however,
yellow perch and black crappie show
stunted growth, their weight being
approximately 20 percent below nor
NAL. Bluegills, rock bass and pumpkin
seeds showed average growth.
"The major problem in Deep Creek
Lake at present is the forage fish
supply" 1t was further indicated that
"Black crappie, occurring in large
numbers, have culled off the cream of
the meagre forage fish population.
The annual draw-downs of the Lake
are bringing the shoal-inhabiting for
age fishes into closer contact with
fish-eating fish and thus their num-
bers have been kept down, especially
since the tremendous upsurge of the
crappie population in the last five to
seven years." Local residents had re-
ported that there has been stimuli
taneous decline of golden sinners dur
ing these years.
According to the biologist, the
golden sinner a minnow that reaches
a size of twelve inches, is the only
major forage species. After the game
species, basses and sunfishes, as well
as crappies, feed on the small supply
of forage. The young of the common
white sucker and fry and fingerlings
of game fishes are also extensively
preyed upon.
The fishery investigating group
and the Maryland commission are con-
sidering the introduction of gizzard
shad into the lake to provide forage.
This fish, relative of the behring's, has
been introduced successfully in lakes
elsewhere and is known to bridge the
food-barren gap.
The annual check-up extended for
a full week in which three large trap
nets were set at widely separated To-
cations, although just small area
was sampled. The traps were fished
daily, and the fish were weighed,
measured, and scale samples taken,
following which the fish were lber
ated. The nets produced total Of
over 800 legal-size fish for four trap
days. Black bass were taken in all
the lift nets, except one.
The report revealed that one of the
untapped sources of the lake, the
brown bullheads, a meaty catfish,
comprised 40 percent of the total
catch. They averaged over a pound
in weight. An attempt to reduce the
crappie population was carried out
this spring in the form of opening the
lake to catching fish in season, such
as bluegills, perch and crappies. The
lake was closed to all fishing during
May and June. Since the latter are
the two best months in which to catch
crappies, it is believed by the biolo-
gists who made the study, that the
law should be further relaxed to in
clude the late spring period.