The group discussed the goals of the habitat project , narrowed down focus areas , created individual deployment sites and selected products to be used . With over 36,000 acres and 800-plus miles of shoreline , it ’ s a daunting task to even select sites that will be impactful for a fishery like Chickamauga . Luckily , the TWRA has a multi-year reservoir habitat plan in place so we could easily incorporate our project into their established scope of work .
With the TWRA plan as our reference , we discussed the data they had available for tournament release locations , their fish sampling procedures , where they stock fingerling fish and where habitat has been most impacted by sedimentation . As the conversations continued , a pattern began to emerge . There were two creek arms – Richland and Grasshopper – that kept coming up as essential areas in need of new habitat .
Richland Creek hosts more tournament weigh-ins than any other area on the reservoir , which means it has a large number of adult fish transported and released within it each year . Years of research across the country have proved that the majority of tournament-released fish do not relocate the first year beyond one mile from their release site .
crappie . The time of year when broodstock are captured plays a role in the eventual depth of the habitat deployment , and we can ’ t forget that Chickamauga experiences great fluctuations in water level as well as a winter drawdown .
Richland and Grasshopper Creeks are both target areas for TWRA fish sampling . Most reservoir managers use random plot timed electrofishing to capture and analyze largemouth bass , use trap nets for crappie species and various gear methods for catfish . All these sampling methods rely on randomness to correctly quantify population data , so we don ’ t place habitat to try to increase the number of fish collected at a site , but instead hope to increase the overall abundance of fish resulting in an increase in catches across all sites . Over the next four to six years , we will be able to use this sampling data , DNA analysis and angler data to provide both the TWRA and the MLF FMD with proof of successful projects .
When we combined all these important uses of Richland and Grasshopper Creeks with the TWRA ’ s existing habitat plans , it was easy to select those two areas as our targets . We then apply topography and water fluctuations to the selection process to start narrowing down deployment sites .
A target area for us may be as small as a couple hundred acres up to 1,000 acres . Within that target area , we ’ ll find five to 10 locations that are a few hundred square feet each . Those magic spots become our deployment sites . For Richland Creek , we found seven deployment sites , and TWRA is still finalizing the Grasshopper Creek sites .
PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA
Their lack of dispersal is further hindered when deep water is present , as they need geographic markers to help determine their location within the reservoir . For us , this means we need habitat placed near common release sites that have defined edges that can provide them recovery positions out of current , and the ability to easily ambush forage .
Both Richland and Grasshopper Creeks are sites used by TWRA as largemouth bass fingerling stocking locations . These releases happen in late spring , typically after the natural spawn has occurred .
The largemouth fingerlings stocked by TWRA will greatly benefit from dense habitat that allows them to escape possible predation . They also need to feed on macro invertebrates until they can transition to smaller fish . These invertebrates will live on the surface of structures and feed on algae , so dense habitat that can grow algae easily is essential for improving both survival and growth of the TWRA fingerlings . Grasshopper Creek is essential for the entire state of Tennessee as the TWRA uses it to capture the crappie broodstock they use for their hatcheries . This means we need vertical , dense habitat that will support large schools of adult
With partners like Ferguson , Berkley Labs , Minn Kota , Mercury and MossBack Fish Habitat , we ’ ve been able to complete three habitat restoration projects in 2022 and have a fourth planned for fall 2022 . For each of these projects , we ’ re fortunate to have volunteers from the Union Sportsmen ’ s Alliance and our Major League Fishing anglers to provide labor to make the projects a reality . Each project is truly a collaboration between state agencies , industry leaders , local volunteers and the MLF FMD .
As you can see , each project takes a great deal of planning that results in successful , long-lasting habitat restoration projects .
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2022 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 13