Slot Limit on Caney Lake Removed

[Jared LeBlue]

Just read where the LWF removed the slot on Caney Lake.

[Mike Cork]

I know they did a lot of research here for Cross Lake and it was decided that the slot was not effective because no one was keeping bass at all. They figure by removing the slot that some of the smaller fish would finally be kept by the weekend angler.

In reality we are hurting ourselves by returning everything to the lake. As far as Caney goes, I have no idea what has been happening there. I know it produces a lot of large bass right now. I think a slot has to be progressive for it to be effective. Like Lake Fork, they protected a year class of fish and they got very large.

[Lee Smith]

One of our best 'home town' lakes over here had a slot and the very worst happened, it had a fish kill due to the numbers, a 100 fish day was nothing.  Actually after the kill off, the strong survived, and the lake is better than ever with a 14# caught this past year.

It's only a 300+ acre lake, but it is extremely deep in some areas for this part of the world. 57' at the deepest and that covers about an acre.

We have to take fish out, if not nature will take care of it on it's on.

[Mike Cork]

Same thing happened to Fork but no one will admit it was mother nature, it was the Largemouth Bass Virus... Really a virus that attacks only Largemouth Bass? Okay I'll believe it but it's Mother Natures doing...

I truly believe a slot can work if the bottom of the slot fish are removed.  Catch and release has gone too far. Ron Fogelson asked Ray Scott this very question at a dinner we had with him and he said absolutely. It's a long story but he agreed. He said at the time it was necessary but not anymore... anyway I get so off topic so easy 

Jared, do you have any stats on Caney? Hell I don't even know what the slot was or any tournament results from over that way.

[Jared LeBlue]

It was a trophy lake so it had the biggest slot, something like 15 to 21. The problem with all slot lakes is in order for it to work you have to keep fish on both sides of the slot and that isn't happening. Unfortunately removing the slot really isn't going to change anything as for as people keeping fish. I don't keep as many fish as I use to but I don't eat them as often as use to either. I have some great recipes, i guess I need to start keeping a few more and cooking them a bit more. The thing that everybody loses a grip on is that fish are renewable resources. If anyone thinks that keeping fish hurts a lake they need to see what goes on at Toledo Bend. I have never seen so many fish taken out of a lake and that lake is still the number 1 lake in the country.

[laketrash]

My BIL lives on Caney and told me that the slot will be removed Feb. 20th.

[Jared LeBlue]

http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/news/41835

Here is the press release