Aliens Invade the Mountain South–Again

By David A. Ramsey

The forests, waters and wildlife of the Southern Appalachian Mountains have certainly had their share of environmental invaders over the past three centuries—the great wave of European settlers, beginning in the late 1700s, carving out thousands of farms and homesteads, the axe and saw-wielding armies of loggers in the 1800s, felling vast forests for the wood of westward expansion, the coal industry in the 1900s, digging, stripping, and blowing off mountaintops to fuel the nation’s industries, and finally, the ridgetop and steepslope vacation and residential developers, from whose actions there is no recovery or regeneration—all taking their toll on our mountain ecosystems, our vital rivers, streams and fisheries. Now today, almost unbelievably, the Mountain South faces its most insidious invasion yet from none other than Mother Nature, herself.

This most recent, “natural” marauder comes in many deceptive, sometimes even attractive forms, which infiltrate the mountain landscape with hardly a notice by most people. We have labelled them “exotic invasive species,” though I’d suggest “alien invaders” is more fitting. They include various insects and animals, but most of the attacking horde is made up of non-native, invasive plants, which disrupt and alter native ecosystems, rare species populations, stream and wetland dynamics and vital wildlife habitats. Hence, biologists tell us the bill for about 300 years of non-native plant introduction to our region is now coming due.

With names like multiflora rose, oriental bittersweet and mimosa, some of our worst invaders sound harmless, almost charming. But it’s important to learn to identify these and other such devil plants and report them to the appropriate land managers. For those who want to join the battle more directly, there are various agencies and conservation groups that need volunteers and other resources to help with their identification, removal, and control programs. A lot of information on these efforts is available online and directly from relevant state, federal and nonprofit sources.

From a mountain angler’s perspective (without counting non-native rainbow and brown trout, brought to the region a hundred years ago), no other alien species has impacted Appalachian wild trout streams as much and over such a short time, as a pinhead-size critter known as the hemlock wooly adelgid. Just since about 2002 this little killer has infected most of the region’s headwater-loving eastern and Carolina hemlocks, including in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Of course, this means trouble for the health of the streams that sustain our only native wild trout species, the much revered brookie.

Fortunately, there are effective treatments for the hemlocks. But the fact they exist in such great numbers, often in some of the wildest, most remote country in the eastern U.S., has made it impossible to avoid a mass die-off. Thus, the subsequent impact on stream temperatures and fish and aquatic insect populations has already been considerable. The good news is that state and federal agencies, partnering with several major university programs, have developed a set of strategies and tools to prevent this invasion from becoming a full-blown extinction event. No hard numbers are currently available on the dollar costs associated with invasive species in the Southern Appalachians. Defenders of Wildlife states that the cost, nationally, in damages to property and natural resources and control of invasives, is approximately $137 billion per year. As the invasion worsens, the price for fighting it will, no doubt, climb accordingly.

Not to add doom to the gloom, but complicating the battle against invasives, of course, is the massive problem of climate change. Increasing temperatures affecting sensitive habitats can make native species more vulnerable to encroaching non-natives, accelerating the spread and dominance of the invader. Already, there are estimates that approximately 40% of endangered and threatened native species are now significantly impacted by invasives.

It’s a bit hard to wrap an old brain like mine around, but I believe the takeaway in all this is that we’re not just talking about “maybe someday” having less of our favorite game fish to pursue on those hard-earned days off. We’re talking broken natural connections, degraded streams, changing habitats and whole landscapes—future breakdowns of the vital and diverse ecosystems of our cherished region of the world.

But lest we sink too far into the depths of dread and despair, we can take a little comfort in a few facts:

First, some high-powered minds are working overtime on solutions for controlling, repairing, and reversing the damage inflicted by the invaders, as well as heading off many future assaults before they can get a foothold. Second, as we’ve seen since those early times of widescale degradation of the Appalachian environment, our mountain lands and waters are resilient, and with hard work, some money and wise management, they can come back strong from some seriously epic abuse. And finally, we’ve all experienced the power of passion for something important, something that really matters. What matters more than the natural world that sustains us all?

Let’s turn up the power.

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It is great to be alive and be a “free” American! I look forward to seeing all of you this year on the water. Always remember to stop and shake the hand of a person in uniform or wearing garb that shows they are a veteran! Their service is why you speak English, can vote, and can enjoy the freedoms you do!

Until next time, blue skies and tight lines!

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By Perry Hensley

On November 19th 2022, my fishing buddy and Slab Happy Pro Staff Member, JD Dyer, and I decided to fish our first ever crappie tournament here in East Tennessee on Cherokee Lake Right off the bat, we were extremely impressed and humbled to be fishing with some of our area’s best crappie anglers. We finished 15th out of 23 teams without live sonar so, needless to say, we were proud to just get 7 crappie in the boat and a couple of culls before our trip back to the ramp for weigh-in.

Let me say that although we were not familiar with fishing any tournament, JD and I were familiar with the way tournaments are run. That being said, from the get-go, we were treated with respect and courtesy without anyone beating their chests or trying to intimidate us being newbies. Everyone made us feel welcome. It was clear that tournament director and angler, Matt Xenos, is running a professional club/trail for this region. Not only that, but he includes a faith-based element to the trail. Now this thoroughly impressed both JD and me, like I mentioned earlier. Matt Xenos himself has been involved and has done so much for the sport of crappie fishing in our area. His passion runs deep for the sport, to say the least. Matt hosts a YouTube channel known as Wired for Crappie where he gives tips, techniques, and electronics education on each video. He also offers a YouTube live every Wednesday to just talk crappie. Matt Xenos has also just completed a series of videos. This series is known as “How to become a better crappie angler” where Matt talks techniques, equipment, and locating these sometimes-elusive jewels of the lake. I am confident that it has helped many beginning or struggling anglers. Now! Getting back to the ETCC Tournament Series: The trail runs

Continued, see CRAPPIE CLUB Page 21

By Capt. Cefus McRae

The early spring can be a fickle time of year for fishing. In many areas of the country, winter is still in full force and in other areas spring is almost in full bloom, depending on where you choose to fish. It’s during this time of year that we anglers find ourselves in the fishing “Neutral Zone”, between two relatively consistent fishing weather patterns - winter and spring. In some areas, Mother Nature can’t make up her mind. One day it’s 70 degrees, and a couple of days later, it’s 29 degrees. Those kinds of weather pattern swings can really put a damper on the fishing. Radical temperature and barometric shifts can upset fishing any time of year, but the changeover from winter to spring seems to be the most intense.

Crazy weather doesn’t mean you can’t catch fish, but it can be frustrating. In freshwater environments, the fish could be up on the shallow points one day, and then hanging out near the deepest part of the channel the next. March can be a crazy month…with rapidly moving fronts, roller coaster temperatures, barometric swings, and rain that tends to put fish in the dazed and confused mode. Large impoundments and inland rivers get muddy and take forever to clear up. This could mean you’ve got to go further upstream or downstream to find unstained water alogn with fish that are ready to eat.

Right now, bass are in the spawning mode. Stripers are in the backs of creeks chasing small bait schools. Crappie are coming up from their deep holes to their spawning grounds. But one cold snap could put a halt to that, and you’ll be waiting for another few warm days, or consistent weather pattern days, in a row.

One strategy for fishing the Neutral Zone period is to adjust your fishing tactics to the conditions. Cold water -- deeper and slower. Warmer conditions -- a little shallower and perhaps a more energetic presentation, including trolling.

For the salty critters, the same holds true. In the winter, you can count on redfish to congregate on shallow mud flats on a bright, sunny day, looking for warmth and food. But with the crazy fluctuations of temperature, the inshore species become less predictable, and you’ve got to spend a little more time hunting for them. Offshore, the migratory species will start their annual movement north, and a cold snap can halt them in their tracks, or even drive them back south again.

Another fishy suggestion is to locate schools of bait (fresh or salt), and fish around them. During the winter, bait can get scarce, and you can count on big fish to hang close to the kitchen well into the early spring. When the bait wads show up on your sonar, that’s a good place to start fishing, because the game fish won’t be too far away.

Fishing the Neutral Zone this time of year can be aggravating and rewarding. Remember, fish are usually focused on the Big Three: Food, Comfort, and Safety. This time of year, the food and comfort components are high on their priority list. Even in the coldest months, fish still gotta eat. And they are going to congregate where they can be comfortable, both in terms of oxygenated water and water temperature. So, try to think like a fish and fish places that offer those two items. There’s a good chance that you’ll discover how to crack the code on catching fish in the Neutral Zone. Tight Lines and Calm Seas, Capt. Cefus McRae