7 years ago I posted a report on this body of water shortly after the preserve opened.......
Took an old friend and his 9 yr old son to fish this new preserve, approximately 3 weeks ago. After a brief review of the lake map we chose to fish the neck down area located near the Northwest corner of the lakes basin. This area proved to be prime and has all the ingredients to hold fish....Although I would have liked to have spent more time looking for key fish holding areas, our time was limited due to very pricey boat rental costs and hourly charges. I witnessed several nice bass caught from the shore in this area by shorefisherman using crankbaits. The young fisherman in our boat caught four of the six Largemouths that we brought to the boat in the three hrs we fished that morning, all fish were between 2 and 5 lbs and were caught on whole nightcrawlers pitched parallel to the deep weedline.
This preserve lake has great potential and currently holds numbers of adult class game fish and panfish alike, unfortunately I believe this preserve will get a very slow start on its popularity level as certain rules, regs and boundries will make the preserve an unattractive one. If your not from lake county theres a fee...If you want to use the beach and your from lake county theres a fee.....If you want to rent a boat there is a fee ($27 for 4 hrs no motor)....If you want to keep some of your catch you cannot as there is a catch and release rule in effect for the next 2 yrs for ALL fish caught. Last year Lake County voters viewed a memorandum on LCFP and voted in the land acqusitions that would be payed for by our state taxes....It was all good, but I bet you never thought you would have to pay twice.
7 years have passed since the L.C.F.P. decided to ignore proper lake management at this facility...with the mind set of NO HARVEST=NO STOCKING.....Tens of millions of dollars were spent on this preserve but very little thought when it comes to lake management.
Well managed fisheries that are kept in check by proper harvest regulations host healthy and fast growing year classes....Canadian wilderness resorts (and ONLY those north of the 52nd parallel) show positive results thru "no harvest" due to a very short 4 month open water period and the type of slow growing species that inhabit those waters.While eutrophic, or man made lakes like I.G. that host warm water species and are located in the 42nd parallel may show some promise in the early stages of a lakes life thru "no harvest", inevitably this practice leads to irreversable stunting in warm water species...i.e. large heads and small bodies, big eyes and a very slow growth rate.....High metabolism rates and 9 months of open water is why predation alone cannot keep this lake in check.
I have observed dramatic stunting at I.G. due to underharvest. What if it was a true trophy, a fish of a lifetime. Do you think that specific site regulations,...i.e. 1 Largemouth over 21" or 1 Musky over 48"...or a panfish limit of 15 would be more appropriate than no harvest at all?....Allowing for recruitment throughout the species instead of significantly slow growth rates?....Here's a little proof....the enclosed pic was taken last year, at I.G. Scale samples were taken from this Walleye at time of capture...analysis determined that the age of the fish was more than 6 yrs old. If your mentality is the same as the L.C.F.P's...NO HARVEST=NO STOCKING than you shouldn't worry about the possibility of this lake being pillaged.....it's doin' that all by it's self!....Check out the size of this poor Walleye's eyeball.
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Yeah...let em go...I am an advocate of catch and release, I'm also well knowledged in lake management and agree on the signifcance of protecting the forage base. Allowing the base to stunt due to overpopulation will lead to very few successful spawns and very high mortality rates. The stunting that already exists at I.G. is irreversable....meaning that 5lb 5oz Largie caught last year just might go 5lb 5 1/2 oz next year. 100 acres of water can only harbor and sustain a determined poundage of overall fish....kinda like a fish tank...or a barrel.
Fish are a renewable resource....their healthy, nutritious and good for you. Eating a select part of your catch (species not subject to consumption warnings) is beneficial to the lake environment, the sport, and the commerce and revenue it attracts.
The enclosed pic is of a healthy 7yr old Walleye caught and released from a well managed preserve lake with specific site regs...observe the large body mass, small head and proportionate sized eyeball...these are the traits of fast growth...the benchmark for a healthy fishery.
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I live less than 5 minutes from this preserve and wouldn't waste the gas to fish this broken lake.
Mod
Took an old friend and his 9 yr old son to fish this new preserve, approximately 3 weeks ago. After a brief review of the lake map we chose to fish the neck down area located near the Northwest corner of the lakes basin. This area proved to be prime and has all the ingredients to hold fish....Although I would have liked to have spent more time looking for key fish holding areas, our time was limited due to very pricey boat rental costs and hourly charges. I witnessed several nice bass caught from the shore in this area by shorefisherman using crankbaits. The young fisherman in our boat caught four of the six Largemouths that we brought to the boat in the three hrs we fished that morning, all fish were between 2 and 5 lbs and were caught on whole nightcrawlers pitched parallel to the deep weedline.
This preserve lake has great potential and currently holds numbers of adult class game fish and panfish alike, unfortunately I believe this preserve will get a very slow start on its popularity level as certain rules, regs and boundries will make the preserve an unattractive one. If your not from lake county theres a fee...If you want to use the beach and your from lake county theres a fee.....If you want to rent a boat there is a fee ($27 for 4 hrs no motor)....If you want to keep some of your catch you cannot as there is a catch and release rule in effect for the next 2 yrs for ALL fish caught. Last year Lake County voters viewed a memorandum on LCFP and voted in the land acqusitions that would be payed for by our state taxes....It was all good, but I bet you never thought you would have to pay twice.
7 years have passed since the L.C.F.P. decided to ignore proper lake management at this facility...with the mind set of NO HARVEST=NO STOCKING.....Tens of millions of dollars were spent on this preserve but very little thought when it comes to lake management.
Well managed fisheries that are kept in check by proper harvest regulations host healthy and fast growing year classes....Canadian wilderness resorts (and ONLY those north of the 52nd parallel) show positive results thru "no harvest" due to a very short 4 month open water period and the type of slow growing species that inhabit those waters.While eutrophic, or man made lakes like I.G. that host warm water species and are located in the 42nd parallel may show some promise in the early stages of a lakes life thru "no harvest", inevitably this practice leads to irreversable stunting in warm water species...i.e. large heads and small bodies, big eyes and a very slow growth rate.....High metabolism rates and 9 months of open water is why predation alone cannot keep this lake in check.
I have observed dramatic stunting at I.G. due to underharvest. What if it was a true trophy, a fish of a lifetime. Do you think that specific site regulations,...i.e. 1 Largemouth over 21" or 1 Musky over 48"...or a panfish limit of 15 would be more appropriate than no harvest at all?....Allowing for recruitment throughout the species instead of significantly slow growth rates?....Here's a little proof....the enclosed pic was taken last year, at I.G. Scale samples were taken from this Walleye at time of capture...analysis determined that the age of the fish was more than 6 yrs old. If your mentality is the same as the L.C.F.P's...NO HARVEST=NO STOCKING than you shouldn't worry about the possibility of this lake being pillaged.....it's doin' that all by it's self!....Check out the size of this poor Walleye's eyeball.
Yeah...let em go...I am an advocate of catch and release, I'm also well knowledged in lake management and agree on the signifcance of protecting the forage base. Allowing the base to stunt due to overpopulation will lead to very few successful spawns and very high mortality rates. The stunting that already exists at I.G. is irreversable....meaning that 5lb 5oz Largie caught last year just might go 5lb 5 1/2 oz next year. 100 acres of water can only harbor and sustain a determined poundage of overall fish....kinda like a fish tank...or a barrel.
Fish are a renewable resource....their healthy, nutritious and good for you. Eating a select part of your catch (species not subject to consumption warnings) is beneficial to the lake environment, the sport, and the commerce and revenue it attracts.
The enclosed pic is of a healthy 7yr old Walleye caught and released from a well managed preserve lake with specific site regs...observe the large body mass, small head and proportionate sized eyeball...these are the traits of fast growth...the benchmark for a healthy fishery.
I live less than 5 minutes from this preserve and wouldn't waste the gas to fish this broken lake.
Mod
