Around the Boathouse…
AGFC Regional Educator
‘Arkansas Cubes’ Yield Valuable Data
LITTLE ROCK — Two years ago, AGFC biologists in central Arkansas began efforts to establish aquatic vegetation on Greers Ferry Lake. The biologists deployed 12 floating “Arkansas Cubes” (photo on Page 10) in Cove Creek, Higden Bay and Nursery Pond Cove. They filled the cubes with coontail or variable leaf milfoil. In 2021, the biologists deployed the floating cubes in the same areas but only used coontail (the milfoil did not fare well transitioning to the lake’s warm water). At the end of the 2021 growing season, biologists snagged some coontail growing outside of one of the cubes in Higden Bay when retrieving its anchor, which provided anecdotal evidence that some coontail had become established in the area. Earlier this summer (July 29, to be exact) the AGFC deployed eight Arkansas Cubes filled with coontail in Higden Bay, and the biologists plan to monitor the cubes and
Continued on Page 10 BOATHOUSE (cont.)
replenish them with coontail as needed until late September or early October, when the cubes will be retrieve for the season.
The biologists note that there are significant benefits to having aquatic vegetation in a reservoir such as Greers Ferry Lake. For example, aquatic vegetation provides valuable shelter and foraging habitat for important sport and forage fish species and stabilizes shorelines and bottom sediment.
Central Arkansas bass anglers don’t want to miss this second chance to help the AGFC plan the future management of black bass on Arkansas reservoirs. The AGFC has added one last meeting to wrap its outreach efforts for public input on the new Reservoir Black Bass Management Plan. The last meeting now will be from 6-7:30 p.m. next Thursday, Sept. 8, at Fish ‘N Stuff in Sherwood.
“The first meeting in Little Rock fell on a night when many anglers were already committed to a bass fishing tournament, which may have led to low attendance,” Vic DiCenzo, AGFC Black Bass Program coordinator, said. “We are committed to giving our anglers as much opportunity as possible to see the plan, have discussions with biologists about it and provide comments to help guide the finished draft.”
For those who cannot attend, the plan and a comment form are available at the AGFC’s Black Bass Program webpage, www.agfc.com/bbp.
Comments will be accepted until Sept. 15.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Hook, Line and Sinker Outdoors are hosting Beaver Lake Habitat Days on Sept. 9-10 and Oct. 14-15, where they will be sinking trees in the upper end of the lake in the Joe Creek and Blue Springs areas. The staff needs volunteer help loading trees onto barges, tying blocks and sinking the trees in Beaver Lake.
Each volunteer will need to bring a lunch, life jacket, sunscreen, bug spray, work gloves and wear work boots (no sandals). If interested, please contact the AGFC's Jon Stein via email at jonathan.stein @agfc.ar.gov or call 479– 640-6422.
The work days next Friday and Saturday will be at Joe Creek and the staff and volunteers will meet at the Horseshoe Bend Boat Ramp (by the marina) at 8 a.m. and work until 3 p.m.
The staff will transport volunteers to the work sites.
Continued on Page 14 BOATHOUSE (cont.)
The work is part of the Reservoir Fish Habitat Project that was funded in 2021-22. Staff from AGFC worked with the Beaver Watershed Alliance and at least 12 different partners to obtain grants from the National Fish Habitat Partnership, the Fish America Foundation and Bass Pro Shops to complete a huge fish habitat project on Beaver Lake.
The total amount of the project is over $330,000.
Beaver Watershed Alliance worked with the AGFC Stream Team to complete a bank stabilization project in a creek in Beaver Lake's watershed. The work improved fish habitat in Beaver Lake by reducing sediment and excessive nutrients from getting into the lake.
visitors and locals who have been fishing further north in the state at Norfork Lake this year have certainly had quite a fishing season based on what our reporters and AGFC biologist Jeremy Risley have said about the lake's productivity. Lou Gabric, one of our regular contributors to the Fishing Report and the operator of Hummingbird Hideway Resort on Norfork, sent us photos of his most recent outing at midweek, when he caught a little bit of everything, including the walleye and bass in the photo upper right. With the little bit of rainfall we've seen for a while, the water is down in most lakes.
Also, Arkansas River has little to no current to it with little generation at the dams, making it mostly a lake in all the pools as we enjoy the last day of a holiday weekend. It’s a perfect time to get out and fish and/or boat. Get out on the water and seer what's biting at your favorite spot.
