VDGIF Grass Carp Stocking in Briery Creek -- Something Needs To Be Done

[5-20]

Are any of you guys involved in the Virginia bass federation or have ties to VDGIF?

I couldn't believe it when I found out a few days ago that Virginia Dept of Game and Fish decided to stock 7,000 grass carp in beautiful Briery Creek Lake, the same lake that produced two 16 pound bass and narrowly missed breaking the state record both times.

How could they do this?! There was 4,800 grass carp stocked in 2008 and they decided to stock another 7,000 last year. Why?!?

Grass carp has destroyed so many amazing fisheries in Texas, Louisiana, Virginia and many other places. You guys from Virginia have to remember that Lake Anna had amazing fishing in the 80's and 90's that produced massive tournament bags and a 14.4 lake record. All of that was wiped out once grass carp were stocked.

I lived 15 minutes away from Lake Austin when it was #4 on the Bassmaster top 100 lakes list a few years ago. 30-35 lb. limits and 9-11 lb. bass were plentiful and caught on a weekly basis and then two years after all of the vegetation disappeared, the fishing literally fell off a cliff. Now a 5-6 lb. bass is considered a good fish and people are happy with a 10-15 lb. limit.

Lake Anna was different because there's heavy recreational boating on that lake, but Briery Creek is a tiny 800 acre lake and in a recent survey, 75% of the people surveyed said they went there to fish for bass. To stock grass carp in that lake is an absolutely incomprehensible move and that lake has effectively been destroyed for the next 10-20 years. Truly tragic.

Even though it may be too late to save Briery Creek, the person responsible for Virginia's inland fisheries is also stocking grass carp in other lakes, including Lake Frederick which used to produce giant bass. Some comments in a thread I made on bassresource.com are saying that the fishing has been in steep decline at that lake too.

If you guys are involved in your bass clubs, you have to talk to your club about taking action to prevent this from happening to other small lakes around Virginia otherwise that "fisheries manager" is going to destroy them all one by one with continued grass carp stockings.

This is the Bassresource.com link to my thread about grass carp in Briery Creek:

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fi...-briery-creek/

Don't just stand by and do nothing. I grew up in Virginia and have fished and boated on Lake Anna ever since I was a little kid which is why I am so concerned and trying to get you guys involved in this matter.

[5-20]

The Board of Game and Inland Fisheries is meeting on Wednesday, January 17th at 9:00am at 7870 Villa Park Dr. Suite 400 in Henrico, VA if any of you might be interested in trying to make a difference.

[DvKing]

No thanks. I'm okay with it.

[johnw91]

No thanks. I'm okay with it.

Why on earth would you be ok with that? Do you enjoy fishing?

[DvKing]

I love fishing. Not a big fan of grass. I fish for many species. I even like the big blue cats.

I don't think I like snakeheads though.

[HokieV20]

Yes lake anna has suffered from the grass carp but last year they also started using chemicals in parts of the lake. Lake Frederick has been most noticeable tho because it doesn't have the shad anna has. Fishing there several years ago was amazing and now I didn't even go this year.

[low slung cruiser]

grass carp are nothing compared to CHEMICALS...
i'd settle for the grass carp if they do apply chemicals

[Eric13579]

A lake as small as Briery Creek can be overrun with grass in a short period of time, making it barely fishable.

Maybe the amount of carp added is probably just enough to control the spread of the grass, but not eliminate all of it.

Time will tell......

[Wayne P.]

A lake as small as Briery Creek can be overrun with grass in a short period of time, making it barely fishable.

Maybe the amount of carp added is probably just enough to control the spread of the grass, but not eliminate all of it.

Time will tell......

I have fished Briery Creek since it was opened to fishing in Jan 1989.

The vegetation got to the 12' depth range over the entire lake and never reached the surface. When the grass carp were stocked, about 1 1/2 years later it was all gone everywhere. Ever since the water has been a brown stain even during the droughts. All that carp crap has fertilized the water so much it doesn't get clear. I had no problem finding and catching the bass when the vegetation had the most coverage, it was just tough for the bank beaters.

[hoytrb]

I have been fishing Briery Creek Regularly since 2000 and actually stopped going the last 3 years because they killed all the vegetation. The fishing is just not the same and no reason to drive 2 hours there and 2 hours home. Sad to see a place mismanaged! I wish VA would take lessons from the TX department of game on how to manage a great bass lake.

[riverrat29]

I have been fishing Briery Creek Regularly since 2000 and actually stopped going the last 3 years because they killed all the vegetation. The fishing is just not the same and no reason to drive 2 hours there and 2 hours home. Sad to see a place mismanaged! I wish VA would take lessons from the TX department of game on how to manage a great bass lake.

My uncle fishes it on a regular basis and he said the same. The fish seemed to associate to the grass at the edge of the creek channels really well and now they have scattered. He said it is like fishing a tub now with a bunch of rotten stumps.

[J Risco]

This year was my first time to Briery. I had heard the stories and when I got there the place looked amazing, but can def see where the lack of grass would hurt the patterning of it...

[Wayne P.]

My uncle fishes it on a regular basis and he said the same. The fish seemed to associate to the grass at the edge of the creek channels really well and now they have scattered. He said it is like fishing a tub now with a bunch of rotten stumps.

I still catch lots of bass and some good ones occasionally, it is just different before the grass and after the grass.
Not as many very large ones since the LMBV.
Some random trips there:
Feb 24, 2017 was 38 bass with one that was 10# 13 oz.
April 26, 2017 was 40 bass with one that was 8# 11 oz.
May 10, 2017 was 61 bass
August 5, 2017 was 55 bass.
August 16, 2017 was 50 bass.

[snowblind]

grass carp are nothing compared to CHEMICALS...
i'd settle for the grass carp if they do apply chemicals

Actually you have that backwards. Chemicals are used to spot treat. They can't treat what they can't see whereas carp will destroy everything (vegetation) that's available.
I had a long talk with VDGIF biologist, John Odenkirk, when the talk of spot spraying the Anna grass came to light.

[wirerat99]

Used to fish Briery once every two weeks for years, carp killed that lake for me. Grass is gone and the fishing was never close to the same. Haven't been in years
Joe

[TheSilverFox]

I was under the assumption that Frederick went downhill due to the Florida bass they stocked that wouldn't reproduce in the cold water. Plus the fishing pressure that place got and the amount that were taken home to fry killed it.