HYDRILLA: Aquatic plants can be a hazard to Texas sport 
fish. Find out more on Passport to Texas.

This is Passport to Texas

At first glance, hydrilla -- an exotic aquatic plant -- seems 
beneficial to large mouth bass. 

08 -- The hydrilla acts just as a habitat, refuge, cover for the bass. And 
so they'll hide out in that, waiting for a bait to come by.
 


 
John Wedig is a supervisor of aquatic sciences at the 
Lower Colorado River Authority. He says many fishermen 
use hydrilla to their advantage.
07 -- The fishermen realize that [the way bass wait for bait], and now 
they mimic or imitate that bait with their lure and it improves their 
chances of catching a bass.




But the fun and games don't last. Hydrilla is an invasive 
species, and if it's not controlled, it can grow into a thick 
mat that becomes detrimental to fish and frustrating to 
fishermen.
16 -- That's what we actually experienced on Lake Bastrop years ago, 
where we had a 900 acre lake with about 600 acres of hydrilla in it. 
And so there was so much cover, they [the bass] couldn't get to their 
food fish. So we actually had what was referred to as "skinny bass." 





Hydrilla has been controlled in many lakes using chemical 
herbicides and even grass carp. 

But Earl Chilton, a TPWD aquatic habitat enhancement 
director, says fighting hydrilla will be an ongoing battle, 
and complete elimination is highly unlikely. 

11 -- Hydrilla produces tubers. They're potato like structures that can 
remain dormant in the sediments for years, sometimes over a decade. 
So when you think you've got it under control, these things are sitting 
down there waiting to come back.





The SFWR program supports our series ... and funds 
habitat research and restoration in Texas. For Texas 
Parks and Wildlife ... I'm Cecilia Nasti


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