Never heard of gizzard shad in Martin, only threadfin. And controlling these shad was the propaganda put out.
Wasn't long ago, they said the threadfin shad population was too low. Instead of reducing the striper stocking more than they did, they stocked yellow perch, supposedly to give the spots another forage fish.
Well yellow perch have been in the Tallapoosa and Lake Martin since time began. The yellow perch have never taken much of a foothold in Martin since 1928. This was when they backed the water up.
I can almost bet that the DCNR either put the bluebacks into the lake, or know who did.
Stripers were put into the lake as a sport fish, revenue producer. Alabama looked around and saw the economic impact at Santee-Cooper and the result of other states where they were not reproducing as S-C was and them being stocked and jumped on the bandwagon.
The stocking of stripers to control the threadfin population was purely a wildass decision, or just stupid. Threadfin usually have a dieoff every so many years, anyway.
Since they were stocked,it has been a little of this, a little of that. Like trying to level a dining room table with a chainsaw.
As usual, the spots, or Alabama bass, get the short end of the stick.-- Put yellow perch in the lake for these fish. SHITHOUSE
Just Shithouse