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Hello fellow Coles Crossing anglers. The Landscape and Lakes committee determined that there were three primary aquatic issues that required addressing this year. One of these situations is a dangerous species of fish swimming in the Coles Pond, another is a decline and rebalancing of our fish population and the last is the infestation of the invasive Red-Eared Slider turtle in all our ponds. The following details these concerns and documents the actions taken. 

 

Approximately two years ago I caught a thirty-six-inch Spotted Gar while fishing in Coles Pond. This was alarming to me. I am not sure how this species of fish entered our pond but here it was. To date we have removed six gars. The Spotted Gar, while a beautiful fish, can decimate a tiny pond of smaller fish such as the Bluegill. These primitive fish have rows of sharp, needle-like teeth that line their long boney snout. Consequently, Spotted Gars are very efficient hunters. It is an aggressive fish that grows rapidly and is negatively impacting our ponds ecosystem. These Gar are hard to catch, and I believe they will continue to multiply in number if not addressed. If any angler manages to land one of these gars, please do not release it back into the pond! Either discard it in the trash or call me, Steven Teel @ 832-920-4002 and I will come and remove it. We need to dispatch this species from our private neighborhood pond immediately.

 

In April, Lake Pro, our pond management company agreed to provide another electroshock fish survey of all four of our ponds. This survey does not harm the fish but allows the crew to inventory all species present including a sampling of size and numbers. This process is key to balancing the fish in our ponds. The survey assists us in determining what quantities and which species that need to be restocked for a healthy balance. The results of this current count uncovered two glaring problems. It indicated that the Coles ponds had an extremely sparse number of smaller fish which serve as forage for the Largemouth Bass populations. The other issue concerned the health of our Largemouth Bass population. Although the overall number of Bass was stable, the fish were very lean and there were also dwindling numbers of larger Bass. The poor body condition is a function of both a high Largemouth Bass density and inadequate forage. This indicated that our ponds were suffering from a diminished population of small Bluegill, Shiners, and Minnows. Consequently, we chose to restock our ponds with a greater number of these forage fish and not to restock any Bass this year. In June we restocked all the ponds and will continue to monitor these beautiful amenities.

 

Lastly, we had to address the invasive “Red-eared Slider” population which became a growing problem again. This infestation has made fishing exceedingly difficult for our Coles Crossing anglers over the last year. When this turtle spots a fisherman’s bobber or live bait, they swarm the area. These turtles are especially widespread in both Coles Pond and Coles Mills Pond. They overpopulate ponds and diminish our other turtle species such as the Softshell turtle. 

 

These turtles not only deter anglers but also pose health risks. They are known to can carry bacterial diseases such as salmonella! Please do not touch these sliders with bare hands. They can also transmit Rana virus, which threatens amphibians, reptiles, and fish. They can spread parasites and other aquatic diseases that could impact our aquatic ecosystem. They have a lifespan of twenty years and reproduce in large numbers rapidly. Sadly, our only methods of control are euthanizing them or through state permitted relocation. We chose the latter and received specific instructions, relocation destinations, a TPWD permit and purchased multiple required Texas hunting licenses. 

I would like to recognize my friend and neighbor Jude Bertrand. Jude has contributed hours of his time on this capture and relocation project as well as other Landscape and Lakes committee undertakings in the last few years. Recently Jude and I have netted and relocated dozens of turtles. He then suggested that we involve his Boy Scout Troop # 901. Together with these Boy Scouts we organized a weekend work event. We had two primary goals which focused on two of our local ponds. We wanted to capture and relocate more turtles and discard trash along the banks and area around Coles Mills and Coles Ponds. Jude requested support including six scouts from his troop. I was extremely surprised to receive about twelve Boy Scout volunteers and seven parents at this event. It was an amazing turnout. Jude and his mother Therese had the insight to bring cold refreshments and snacks. I want to thank and congratulate all the diligent scouts and their parents who participated in this undertaking. It was an extremely hot afternoon and then a thunderstorm rolled in. This storm eventually ended the event, but we accomplished our goals. To date we have relocated approximately forty turtles. We will continue our efforts to purge these turtles then reclaim our other two ponds and make all fishing enjoyable again. 

 

Steven Teel