It's getting ugly.

[Fishing Rhino]

I've posted about the problems at my favorite pond.  Invasive Purple Loosestrife,  otters, and algae blooms.

This last week was horrible.

The otters have decimated more than half of the water hyacinth.  The bass and other fish have disappeared from the shallows.

I get the feeling that the constant activity of the otters in the shallows has chased most of the fish to deeper water.  

The last day out, I caught one fish and had another hit in the shallows which previously had been alive with fish.

I made a bonzai run with my canoe through the remaining hyacinth in various places around the shoreline, and spooked nothing.

I did find a few bass in deeper water, some around lily pad beds and on a piece of rocky bottom that I saw on the sounder for the first time.  

Dropped a marker buoy, then proceeded to determine and mark the perimeter of the rocky patch.  Caught a couple of decent bass and lost another.

Next time, I'll switch back to a jig on one of my poles, work the deeper parts of the shelf, and see what happens.

It's very discouraging to see this happening in a fantastic fishing hole.

But, I've seen lobstering go from bust to boom cycles a few times in my lobstering career.  

The otter population explosion pendulum will swing the other way.  I hope.

As for the Purple Loosestrife, as invasive as it is, they are easily uprooted by hand.  They do not anchor themselves deeply in the bottom.  

A few people devoting a few hours a week to the "harvesting" of this plant can reclaim most of the turf it has taken over in short order.

The trick is to get them involved.  And to get the approval of the landowners.

[bigfish88]

honestly buddy, i wish i could help but im just a tad south of ya haha

(georgia). i clean out ponds all the time (with the permission) a weird little hobby of mine, haha. i wish you best of luck and the way you've been posting this sounds like your honey hole, aka your baby is just getting shut down by these nasty weeds. best of luck bud.

[cart7t]

I've posted about the problems at my favorite pond. Invasive Purple Loosestrife, otters, and algae blooms.

This last week was horrible.

The otters have decimated more than half of the water hyacinth. The bass and other fish have disappeared from the shallows.

I get the feeling that the constant activity of the otters in the shallows has chased most of the fish to deeper water.

The last day out, I caught one fish and had another hit in the shallows which previously had been alive with fish.

The otters are chasing the fish in the shallows alright.

and eating them.

The Missouri Dept of conservation, in all their great wisdom, decided re-introducing otters back into Mo. rivers a number of years ago.

Who can blame them? They're such playful, fun loving creatures. I'm surprised Disney hasn't made a pixar movie featuring otto the otter.

:

They're friggin ravenous creatures that can decimate a fishery. Bass are on their dining list if they run out of other things to eat. If the river/lake runs low on food, they have those cute little legs that allow them to travel to find another river/pond/lake to pillage.

The department of conservation finally admitted their mistake. They forgot to take into account that most of the otters old predators are gone. They are no longer in the state or in numbers enough to make a difference in the otter population, so there was insufficient predation of the otters to keep them in check. The state has now instituted an otter trapping season the past couple years. It may be too late. The fish populations of some of Missouri's best smallmouth/largemouth rivers have been damaged. Until those creatures are properly exterminated, they can't bounce back.

[Paul Roberts]

The otters have decimated more than half of the water hyacinth.

Doesn't sound very otter-like to me. Are these muskrats?

[burleytog]

Yes it is.  Paragraphs are your friend.

[Fishing Rhino]

The otters have decimated more than half of the water hyacinth.

Doesn't sound very otter-like to me. Are these muskrats?

I initially thought muskrats, until I saw a couple of otter eating them while floating on the surface.  

If it's muskrats, they are the worlds largest.  

Could be a combination of the two, but I haven't seen a muskrat since March.  That doesn't mean they aren't around.

But I've seen plenty of otters.

[Maxximus Redneckus]

I've posted about the problems at my favorite pond. Invasive Purple Loosestrife, otters, and algae blooms.

This last week was horrible.

The otters have decimated more than half of the water hyacinth. The bass and other fish have disappeared from the shallows.

I get the feeling that the constant activity of the otters in the shallows has chased most of the fish to deeper water.

The last day out, I caught one fish and had another hit in the shallows which previously had been alive with fish.

The otters are chasing the fish in the shallows alright.

and eating them.

The Missouri Dept of conservation, in all their great wisdom, decided re-introducing otters back into Mo. rivers a number of years ago.

Who can blame them? They're such playful, fun loving creatures. I'm surprised Disney hasn't made a pixar movie featuring otto the otter.

:

They're friggin ravenous creatures that can decimate a fishery. Bass are on their dining list if they run out of other things to eat. If the river/lake runs low on food, they have those cute little legs that allow them to travel to find another river/pond/lake to pillage.

The department of conservation finally admitted their mistake. They forgot to take into account that most of the otters old predators are gone. They are no longer in the state or in numbers enough to make a difference in the otter population, so there was insufficient predation of the otters to keep them in check. The state has now instituted an otter trapping season the past couple years. It may be too late. The fish populations of some of Missouri's best smallmouth/largemouth rivers have been damaged. Until those creatures are properly exterminated, they can't bounce back.

And then u got PETA protesting otter trapping PETA will protest fishing for bass by humans not knowing that otters fish and have a better success rate then us and they dont do C and R

[Maxximus Redneckus]

The otters have decimated more than half of the water hyacinth.

Doesn't sound very otter-like to me. Are these muskrats?

I never seen muskrats eat meat i had um in my pond all they did was mess up my dam and make holes around the shore

[Fishing Rhino]

When I was a kid, we had a small swamp in our back yard with muskrats.

For wintering over or hibernation, whichever, they built mounds of mud, straw, thatch and whatever was available.

Never opened one up to examine it.

There are the same type of mounds, but three or four times the size around the shoreline of the pond, built on the dormant clumps of the Purple Loosestrife.

I had assumed these were muskrat dens or whatever the appropriate term is.  But, and this is what threw me a curveball, around all of these mounds are piles of empty mussel/clam shells.

I never knew muskrats to be carnivores, but I thought that otter were strictly carnivores, eating fish, shellfish, crawfish, etc.

Could these large mounds be the winter homes of otters?

If so, it would explain the shells.  

I've got a lot of questions, and a lot of searching for answers.

As for PETA, what they are not aware of, they cannot protest.

This land is surrounded by private property, with no public access.  Never seen the "clam cops" as the environmental police are called in these hereabouts, or any other law enforcement agency at the pond, except in response to emergencies.

[cart7t]

Otters will utilize large trees at the waters edge or root wads for homes. They especially like old Beaver dens.

The problem with otters is they are never inactive. They are on the hunt all year round. In winter, Once the shellfish are depleted they start going after fish since the crayfish are burrowed up for the season. Since most fish become lethargic in cold water, they become easy prey for otters and that includes bass. The fact that cold water fish tend to congregate in masses in deeper areas makes the pickins even easier.

[Fishing Rhino]

Otters will utilize large trees at the waters edge or root wads for homes. They especially like old Beaver dens.

The problem with otters is they are never inactive. They are on the hunt all year round. In winter, Once the shellfish are depleted they start going after fish since the crayfish are burrowed up for the season. Since most fish become lethargic in cold water, they become easy prey for otters and that includes bass. The fact that cold water fish tend to congregate in masses in deeper areas makes the pickins even easier.

I recall seeing documentaries about otter, that included scenes of them sliding down grooves they made in snow banks.  It appeared they did it strictly for amusement.

I was concerned the first time I spotted an otter, and that concern grew as I saw them around different areas of the pond.

Sounds like a major rabies epidemic is needed in the wild kingdom around the pond.

[michael Lynn]

The otters have decimated more than half of the water hyacinth.

Doesn't sound very otter-like to me. Are these muskrats?

I initially thought muskrats, until I saw a couple of otter eating them while floating on the surface.

If it's muskrats, they are the worlds largest.

Could be a combination of the two, but I haven't seen a muskrat since March. That doesn't mean they aren't around.

But I've seen plenty of otters.

Is that forge pond?

I know sawdy on 177 too hasn't looked like it has in the past years

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Come fish my lake, I'm on vaca this week. (will be lots of 1am trips if that interests you also)

[Tin]

The otters have decimated more than half of the water hyacinth.

Doesn't sound very otter-like to me. Are these muskrats?

I initially thought muskrats, until I saw a couple of otter eating them while floating on the surface.

If it's muskrats, they are the worlds largest.

Could be a combination of the two, but I haven't seen a muskrat since March. That doesn't mean they aren't around.

But I've seen plenty of otters.

Is that forge pond?

I know sawdy on 177 too hasn't looked like it has in the past years

It's still an amazing fishery. Have you contacted DEM/DEP/ Fish and Game about this situation?

[Muddy]

Don't you fellas have OTTER THINGS TO TALK ABOUT

[Fishing Rhino]

The otters have decimated more than half of the water hyacinth.

Doesn't sound very otter-like to me. Are these muskrats?

I initially thought muskrats, until I saw a couple of otter eating them while floating on the surface.

If it's muskrats, they are the worlds largest.

Could be a combination of the two, but I haven't seen a muskrat since March. That doesn't mean they aren't around.

But I've seen plenty of otters.

Is that forge pond?

I know sawdy on 177 too hasn't looked like it has in the past years

It's Devol Pond.  Just a few hundred yards east of Sawdy. and about 1/4 the size.

Back in the '60s, other than size, and the density of homes around Sawdy, they were quite similar.

Both had crystal clear water.  Both had smallmouth, but Sawdy also had largemouth.  Sawdy was deeper, but still a relatively shallow pond.  Both have rocky shorelines with Sawdy having more and larger rocks, plus a few rocky islands.

Devol, on average had larger fish than Sawdy, particularly when it came to pickerel.  Very little fishing pressure on Devol.

I'm hoping against hope that last week was slow for other than the reasons I suspect.

[michael Lynn]

I hope it gets better Tom, I just fished a new place today Upper Warren Resevoir (AKA: Bad Luck Pond) It's at the end of New St. in Rehoboth. The layout is simply Gorgeous. It's kinda like Copicut only with way more easy accessible shoreline. It's a pretty shallow Res. The locals tell me great for top water and frog baits.

If your ever looking for company out there PM me.

I never fished Devol, I heard great things about it. I hope it was just a fluke, no pun intended...

[Fishing Rhino]

The otters have decimated more than half of the water hyacinth.

Doesn't sound very otter-like to me. Are these muskrats?

I initially thought muskrats, until I saw a couple of otter eating them while floating on the surface.

If it's muskrats, they are the worlds largest.

Could be a combination of the two, but I haven't seen a muskrat since March. That doesn't mean they aren't around.

But I've seen plenty of otters.

Is that forge pond?

I know sawdy on 177 too hasn't looked like it has in the past years

It's still an amazing fishery. Have you contacted DEM/DEP/ Fish and Game about this situation?

I have access to the pond only because I know folks who have property on it. It is a private pond since there is no public access.

For that reason, I'm reluctant to get any governmental agency involved.

There is one landowner who would have the influence and clout to get something done. But, he's not around very often. His property is across the street from ours.

The caretaker of his property lives four houses south of us, and I could probably get his ear when he is around.\

He owns this company.

http://www.coleman.com

[Big Mike in Fl]

tom, there is an easy answer to the otter problem... .22magnum, take it with you in the canoe, do some fishing and some plinking all at the same time!

[Fishing Rhino]

tom, there is an easy answer to the otter problem... .22magnum, take it with you in the canoe, do some fishing and some plinking all at the same time!

I've thought about it, briefly.

The problem is, this is Mass, not Texas.  I don't hunt, don't own a gun, have no license to possess a gun of any type.

Mass laws would have me doing jail time, if caught.

[Big Mike in Fl]

yea, one more reason I'm glad I live in the south...if we have a nuisance animal, we take care of it!

we like our second ammendment down here