Name:	Billy -	Reply
Subject:	On the Subject of Blue Backs in Lake Martin
Date:	12/30/2015 1:53:13 PM

Regarding recent posts on this forum re: blue back herrings in Lake Marrin-

It's my understanding that they were introduced illegally at Lake Lanier in Georgia as well, but once they were introduced, they were eventually legalized as bait. Lanier is considered by many knowledgeable fishermen to be the best spotted bass lake in the southeast. Wonder why the Georgia DNR did not (does not) try to eradicate them if they are so destructive, rather than approve them as bait?

Name:	Aardvark -	Reply
Subject:	On the Subject of Blue Backs in Lake Martin
Date:	1/1/2016 12:49:04 PM

Once they are established, there is no way to get rid of them, like carp.

Name:	Spot Remover -	Reply
Subject:	On the Subject of Blue Backs in Lake Martin
Date:	1/1/2016 2:03:30 PM

God knows. What will come out next?

Bluebacks are poison to an ecosystem.

Good to have a "knowledgable fisherman" commenting.

Did you put them in the lake or someone you know?

Name:	John C -	Reply
Subject:	On the Subject of Blue Backs in Lake Martin
Date:	1/3/2016 8:46:19 PM

regarding Lanier, in December I went and fished it for stripes with a guide named Henry Cowen. He's considered a nationwide expert in freshwater stripes (interviewed in many magazines, podcasts, author of articles, his flies are famous).

I asked him this very question - are blueback herrings damaging or is it just the scientist that think so. He said that the introduction of bluebacks was the worst thing that has happened to Lanier.

He grew up fishing in the northeast in the salt and is definteliy a knowledgable guy. Here's a copy of a podcast from Orvis where he was interviewed: http://www.orvis.com/news/fly-fishing/podcast-fishing-for-freshwater-stripers-with-henry-cowen/

He talks mostly about stripes and how they move around for shad. Very educational for all types of anglers, not just fly fishermen. Take a listen and decide for yourself if he is "knowledgable."

The reason I am trotting out his bonafides is he isn't just another Bubba that calls himself a fishing guide. He knows his stuff and he says the bluebacks are bad news. So do the scientists. So does the law. That's all I need to know.

Name:	Billy -	Reply
Subject:	On the Subject of Blue Backs in Lake Martin
Date:	1/3/2016 9:40:47 PM

Interesting.  I have no personal knowledge of blue backs--didn't know they had been found in Martin till I saw the recent discussions on this forum--but my question is, if they are here (in Martin) and are bad for the lake, what can be done?  Can they be eliminated, and, if so, why were they not eliminated in Lanier?  I would think the folk in Georgia's DNR (biologists, etc.) would have some knowledge of blue backs and their affect on the lake.  If the fact they they did not eliminate them in Georgia means they can't be eliminated once introduced (and I don't know that that is the case), and if they have been introduced in Martin, I would hope AL's DNR would take steps to mitigate their presence as much as possible. 

I understand that there is, or used to be, a guide on Martin who is a biologist.  Wonder what his thoughts are on this subject.

Name:	Aardvark -	Reply
Subject:	On the Subject of Blue Backs in Lake Martin
Date:	1/3/2016 10:08:09 PM

I would love to get Henry Cowen down to Martin and learn how to catch stripes on the fly.

Name:	John C -	Reply
Subject:	On the Subject of Blue Backs in Lake Martin
Date:	1/4/2016 10:37:34 AM

that's why I went to Lanier, I wanted to learn from him. He was a wealth of info. Mostly we talked about finding the bait as the key to finding the fish. Finding the shad is the same in any freshwater compound. I don't have a fishing boat with electronics like his, but he geared the day to teach me how to apply it all to Martin.

We went on a terrible day and did a lot of running but I didn't care about not catching fish, I went there to learn. The things we talked about, he mostly covered in the podcast. I highly recommend going fishing with him on Lanier.

Name:	Waldo -	Reply
Subject:	On the Subject of Blue Backs in Lake Martin
Date:	1/5/2016 8:15:15 AM

John C, thanks so much for sharing. That's great info that I never considered. Especially on the size of the flies that he uses in winter. Maybe that explains why I couldn't get any bites when I found the stripes recently. Nevertheless, it gets me fired up to tie some more flies. 

I've caught stripes on the fly in the Chatahoochie and Etowah Rivers, but never in Lanier. Was going to try it over the holidays, but the family commitments didn't allow it. 

Name:	John C -	Reply
Subject:	On the Subject of Blue Backs in Lake Martin
Date:	1/5/2016 8:40:04 PM

yeah Cowen seems to be much more of a match the hatch (or in this case size) of the threadfin shad, as opposed to the big bait = big bite theory. He was very specific with me also on that point: make sure you know what size to use.

Name:	Fly Fishing Guy -	Reply
Subject:	On the Subject of Blue Backs in Lake Martin
Date:	1/7/2016 4:24:55 PM

Waldo, did you go with Kent Edmonds? He guides on the Hooch for Stripe.

Also, we need to hit up the Stripe this Spring when they move up into the Shoals!

Name:	Waldo -	Reply
Subject:	On the Subject of Blue Backs in Lake Martin
Date:	1/9/2016 5:30:29 PM

FFG,

No, I went with the guys from the Fish Hawk. Here's a clip from our trip in 2012. Can't believe it's been that long ago. Let's hit them in the spring.

https://m.facebook.com/thefishhawk/posts/320498794708459

Name:	Fly Fishing Guy -	Reply
Subject:	On the Subject of Blue Backs in Lake Martin
Date:	1/9/2016 8:47:46 PM

Great video! I like the shot of getting the knot out with a stripe on the line.  The Fishhawk is a great shop...very helpful and knowledgable staff.

My email is drewrmorgan@gmail.com let's plan a trip

Name:	luv2fish -	Reply
Subject:	On the Subject of Blue Backs in Lake Martin
Date:	1/22/2016 4:14:37 PM (updated 1/22/2016 4:15:17 PM)

I grew up on Lake Hartwell. Blueback Herring have been a staple of the Savannah River System and are a more "native" species of baitfish for those impoundments (prior to hydroelectricity the herring used to swim up the river to spawn and the striper followed). Herring have been a great resource for Hartwell, Russell and Clarkes Hill (Strom Thurmond for those who wish to call it that) and the fishery but I know from talking with biologists here at Auburn that the blueback is not a good fit for a lot of lakes because they grow quite large and end up competing with shad and even bass for food over time. They will even eat juvenile bass. Plus they can be very tough on the shad populations as they compete for the same phytoplankton.

As many have stated prior to my post you can't get rid of them. Once they are in the lake and established they are there to stay. I haven't noticed them as a dominant species yet on Martin but time will tell as to how their numbers evolve.