Zebra Mussels Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHXeIbjcr5I

Spawning Season

One of the biggest projects that the Fish & Wildlife Committee has been working on over the years is to increase the population of bluegills and crappies in Copper Dollar lake. We still have good numbers of the species in Copper Penny lake but Copper Dollar is nowhere near what it used to be according to some of the long time residents. We have been transferring fish from Copper Penny into Copper Dollar for three years now with the approval of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Although a lot of the fish have already been taken out by anglers for food, we think we are making some progress. This time of year is the spawning season for these fish and any fish taken out now could mean the loss of hundreds of new ones. If anyone feels the need to keep bluegills and crappies, please take them from the small lake. There are plenty there and taking some out will actually help to increase the size of the fish in the future. So far this year, the crappies I've caught in the small lake have been pretty decent and seem to be bigger than last years. Also, if you are going to practice catch & release fishing on either lake, please don't use live bait. Panfish have a tendency to inhale minnows and worms and take them down deep into their gullets. Many will die even if they are released looking healthy. If you still feel you have to keep the bigger bluegills and crappies from Copper Dollar lake, please consider waiting until later on in the year and at least give these fish a chance to naturally reproduce. It will benefit everyone in the long run. Thanks.