Grass carp in Briery Creek

[fishguts]

Well, our faithful biologists couldn't leave well enough alone. Last fall, they stocked 4,000 (yes, 4,000) grass carp in Briery in an effort to rid the lake of the grass. The carp are already about three pounds each and the lake is showing some negative effects. My catch rates have gone way down from last year.

Anyone else having similar results?

IMHO, Briery was an incredible late spring, summer lake. Little pressure, tons of 2 to 4-pound fish. There was nothing wrong with it. Yes, the lily pads are creeping outward, but the carp are having no effect on them.

I'm very disappointed anglers were not given a chance to speak.

[Nottoway]

The Dept. of Fools and F@#K Ups should remove everyone of the carp.  I fish the lake 1-2 days a week and my catch rate in way down.  I pulled up on a point last week and there was 100-200 carp in a large school, trashing the whole area.  And now they are going after the pads.

With the grass in the lake, it provided a hiding spot for fry and bass.  Now with the grass gone, its has opened parts of the lake up, where not everybody could fish or knew how.  And with the number of people fishing this lake, you can kiss this lake goodbye in 2-3 years.  The days of bass over 10 lbs limited.

[Wayne P.]

Today I saw lots of carp on the surface where the water is 6'-12' deep where the weeds are almost on the surface.

I think angler input was one of the reasons the carp were introduced. It certainly is better than chemicals to control the growth/spread.

The many years before the vegetation arrived, the fishing was great, it is/was great with the vegetaton, and it will be after some of it is gone. I've been fishing there since Jan 1989 and the vegetation just created another pattern. My catch rate this year is pretty much the same as it has been since the mid 1990's. I caught 66 bass today.