Big Lake Oyster assessment

[Ray]

Originally Posted by swamp snorkler

On the east side Fisherman plant oysters all year long, they get seed oysters from one area and go dump them on a bed they own in order to harvest them in the winter.

When I said East Side, I meant East Side of Big Lake. Not East Side of Louisiana. I should have made that clearer.

Raymond, the people in the LDWF right now do not remember, or don't want to remember when the oysters were wiped out before in Big Lake.
It took 10 years to get them back to where they could be harvested again.

It takes around 3 to 4 years from spat to harvesting size(greater than 3 inches). But if you wipe them all out, it takes the few left a lot longer to repopulate the lake.
I am surprized at how many oysters the West Cove still holds after all the dredging from last winter.
But that is a good thing. They are releasing a lot of larvae into the lake for more to grow.
And the shallow reefs are harder to get to in the winter with oyster boats.
That may help also. North winds and low tides make it harder to get closer to the banks.
Another good thing, they don't let them harvest in the West Fork area. Those banks are full of oyster reefs.

[meaux fishing]

Originally Posted by Ray

When I said East Side, I meant East Side of Big Lake. Not East Side of Louisiana. I should have made that clearer.

Raymond, the people in the LDWF right now do not remember, or don't want to remember when the oysters were wiped out before in Big Lake.
It took 10 years to get them back to where they could be harvested again.

It takes around 3 to 4 years from spat to harvesting size(greater than 3 inches). But if you wipe them all out, it takes the few left a lot longer to repopulate the lake.
I am surprized at how many oysters the West Cove still holds after all the dredging from last winter.
But that is a good thing. They are releasing a lot of larvae into the lake for more to grow.
And the shallow reefs are harder to get to in the winter with oyster boats.
That may help also. North winds and low tides make it harder to get closer to the banks.
Another good thing, they don't let them harvest in the West Fork area. Those banks are full of oyster reefs.

I know you find em pretty good in the spring...