BassForecast | Ep 24
Fish University
Fishing has become a game of technology. Some of it is finding fish, like with GPS and sonar, and some of it is catching fish, like electronic lures and synthetic scents. But there’s tool in the bass fishing word that is engineered to help you decide when and how to fish. The application is called BassForecast and it is the #1 bass fishing app in the world, boasting about 1 million subscribers. Research on BassForecast suggests that its fishing predictions can significantly increase the likelihood of success on the water. To discuss the app, Wes interviews avid angler and the app’s...
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Making Money from Ponds | Ep 23
Fish University
Do you own a property rich in ponds or a small lake? Do you want to make money off those resources? If so, this episode is for you. Wes chats with Dr. Daryl Jones, Professor at Mississippi State University and leader of the Natural Resources Enterprise Program. They discuss what type of person it takes to run such a business, the potential opportunities a landowner might consider, and the legal and business side of making money from water. Grab a notebook and your laptop, because Fish University will get you started on turning your land into a profitable outdoor enterprise. Do you have...
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Pond Management 101 | Ep 22
Fish University
Are you thinking of building a pond or are managing an existing pond? In this episode, Wes presents his crash course in pond management. Learn about the best approaches for recreational fishing ponds from construction to stocking to fish management, and even adjusting water quality to maximum fish health and trophy production. We’ll start with the three golden rules and build on them with examples from Wes’s years of pond management Extension experience. Do you have questions or comments? Follow the and chat with Wes or suggest future episodes!
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Invasive Carp | Ep 21
Fish University
You have surely heard of the flying carp that invaded our larger rivers. Videos of water skiers dressed up like gladiators and armed with dip nets pulled at 30 mph are ubiquitous on the internet. In this episode of Fish University, Wes talks to the leading expert on the invasive carps from Asia, Mr. Duane Chapman. We talk the history, biology, movement, control, and even a recipe or two. Duane shares stories from his decades working on these species, including the time he and colleagues captured 240,000 pounds of these fish! Do you have questions or comments? Follow the and chat with Wes or...
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Lake Deanna – Pushing the Envelope | Ep 20
Fish University
In Western Missouri there is a lake that doesn’t follow the standard private pond formula. Lake Deanna is a larger private lake with unique habitat, unusual depth, and an experimental fish community. The deep lake has been stocked with largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, and sunfish. Bluegill and Redear Sunfish are already pushing a pound, and bass have exceeded 8 pounds in just 4 years! However, the lake is not without its issues. In this episode, Wes discusses Lake Deanna with the Pond Boss, Bob Lusk, and the lake’s owner and visionary, Greg Graves. We’ll take you from inception...
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Trees are for Fish | Ep 19
Fish University
Anglers know that many fish species depend on the structure that trees provide. Habitat, such as standing timber, blow downs, snags, and cypress trees are popular places to fish in lakes and streams. But what about when the river leaves the riverbed and enters the bottomland forest? It turns out that this “flooded forest” habitat is critical for many fish species. Most lowland rivers used to seasonally flood into the surrounding forests, which could remain inundated for months at a time. These areas were important to spawning, early life history, and feeding ecology of many important fish...
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Managing Fishponds for Ducks | Ep 18
Fish University
This episode quacks me up. Fisheries management to produce quality fishing often requires actions that are counterproductive to attracting migratory ducks and vice versa. But in this episode, we’ll talk about some ways that you might be able to have the best of both worlds. Wes sits down with two leading experts in the duck realm, and they brainstorm on what can be done to bring more ducks to a small pond without necessarily hurting fishing opportunities. Any you’ll receive wonderful egg-splanantion on the intricacies of duck biology, including how to deal with pesky resident geese. If you...
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All Female Bass Lakes | Ep 17
Fish University
Have you ever noticed that when someone catches a big largemouth or Florida bass, like a double-digit bass, they refer to it as “she”, “her”, or “big girl”? That is because female bass get larger than male bass, and you’ll never catch a male that big. In a normal population, half the population is male, so only the female half will have trophy potential. But we can change this dynamic if we only stock the lady bass. In this episode, Wes and Senior Fisheries Biologist Tim Bonvechio discuss the efforts Georgia DNR has been undertaking to create all-female lakes for better trophy...
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Snakeheads! | Ep 16
Fish University
Hide your dog, hide your kids, stay indoors! Monster fish are taking over! Well, not quite. In this episode, Wes talks with the biologist who was at ground zero of the Northern Snakehead (Channa argus) invasion in Virginia. John Odenkirk tells the story of the first detection, subsequent expansion, and the system-level impacts that snakehead fish have had in the two decades since they were first detected. Join us and learn about the real and perceived issues with this fish, and about how they continue to be spread around the United States. Do you have questions or...
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Aquatic Plant Management | Ep 15
Fish University
Every water body has them. Plants. Sometimes they’re good, like phytoplankton that for the base of the food chain or a patch of American Pondweed that holds a 10-pound bass. Sometimes they are bad, like Naiad that blocks your boat ramp. And sometimes they are just plain ugly, like Giant Salvinia that suffocates waterways with mats that might be 3 feet thick. In this episode, Wes and his guest, Dr. Gray Turnage, discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of aquatic plants. Don’t miss this discussion, as you’ll learn all about when and if to treat, how to treat, and how to encourage...
info_outlineDid you know that fish much larger than you with a mouth full of sharp teeth might be swimming just below the surface of your favorite swimming hole? Don’t worry, these ancient creatures do not have a taste for humans. In this episode, Wes interviews Matt Wegener (Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission) and Kayla Kimmel (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service) about the biology and conservation of one of North America’s largest fish, the Alligator Gar.
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