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heavy hitters : lake claiborne in louisiana
During General Tire Heavy Hitters in April , the FMD completed our largest — and most star-studded — one-day project of the year on Lake Claiborne . The Minn Kota Habitat Restoration Project supported by Humminbird saw Duck Dynasty star John Godwin team up with Heavy Hitters anglers Dakota Ebare , Gary Klein and Kevin VanDam as well as District 1 and 2 staff from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fish and the Claiborne Parish Water District Commission ( CPWDC ).
Since 2018 , the CPWDC has been working on improving the fishery by annually stocking 80,000 Florida-strain largemouth bass fingerlings and 20,000 bluegills , plus deploying 200 Christmas trees . Our habitat restoration project added 95 pieces of artificial habitat to the lake , ranging from small , dense structures to tall towers . They were deployed in 6 to 12 feet of water .
minn kota habitat rewind : duck river reservoir in alabama During BPT Stage Four at Lake Guntersville , we dispatched VanDam to nearby Cullman , Alabama , to visit the site of the 2022 Minn Kota Habitat
MLF pro Dakota Ebare helps deploy MossBack habitat into Lake Claiborne , Louisiana .
Restoration Project . VanDam launched his Nitro on Duck River Reservoir and interviewed local sunfish anglers who were anchored near one of our deployment areas . He then used his Humminbird electronics to locate other habitat deployed last year . VanDam proceeded to enjoy what he described as an unbelievable afternoon fishing a crankbait over the tops of the habitat — proof that our efforts help anglers catch
more fish . The video of his day and fish catches can be found on the FMD webpage and the MLF YouTube channel .
We have already begun the planning phase for our 2024 projects . They will be conducted in reservoirs we haven ’ t visited in the past and might incorporate aquatic vegetation and shoreline improvements . Stay tuned for announcements on where the next habitat projects will take place .
PHOTOS BY KANYAN KLEIN PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER SHANGLE
Minn Kota pro Kevin VanDam returned to Duck River Reservoir in Alabama to check on the progress of an FMD habitat project . The report : success !
12 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2023