AUSTIN (KXAN) — On a warm Wednesday afternoon, Grant Langmore, Justin Rackley and Jonathan Barzacchini stand atop a small boat beneath the Pennybacker Bridge on Lake Austin. The trio cast line after line, catching more and more bass as the sun dips below the horizon.
“I saw one of the healthiest bass I’ve ever seen, actually, one of those that you can just imagine it being long and it’s going to be like a state record,” Rackley said about their haul.
Even a year ago, Rackley said, this successful fishing trip wouldn’t have been possible.
In the early 2000s, an effort to remove hydrilla from Lake Austin left the ecosystem devastated.
Tens of thousands of sterile grass carp were added to the lake. They quickly fed on the hydrilla, an aquatic plant that fish use as a home, and then consumed nearly all of the aquatic plants in Lake Austin.
“I literally saw carp swimming off with reeds. Every little bit of vegetation they could get their mouths around,” Rackley said. A fishing influencer on social media (@lakeforkguy), Rackley said that the water became turbid and dirty without the plants.
Hydrilla returns to Lake Austin
Now that’s changed. Earlier this summer, the City of Austin conducted a survey and discovered that 5% of the lake now had hydrilla in it. By the end of the summer, following the July 4th floods and warmer temperatures, that 5% grew to around 38% coverage.
“I’ve started to come back because the grass is here and it’s beautiful, it’s clean, and it’s just really fun to fish out of,” Rackley said.
He’s not alone. Barzacchini, also a fishing influencer (@jonbrollin), moved to Texas from the Midwest after fishing on Lake Austin and Lady Bird Lake. He now lives in North Texas, but says he visits Lake Austin every four or five months.
“We’ve got a steady incline of potentially legendary fishing, the fish are going to grow bigger,” Barzacchini said.
Hydrilla serves as a home and food source for many aquatic species. Barzacchini said that fish use hydrilla to hide, hunt for native crawdads and sleep. The plant also acts as a filter, cleaning the lake and making the water around it clear.
“When I was 13, 14 years old, I was told all these countless stories about how, when there was hydrilla in Lake Austin, the fishing was incredible for numerous reasons. And now, fishing here today, we got the hydrilla back. And I’m going to be honest, the fishing is great,” Langmore said.
Langmore (@grant_langmore7) grew up in Austin. For years, he held the record for the largest bass caught on Lady Bird Lake. Now he leads fishing expeditions. “It’s a great time to go and catch the biggest bass of your life,” he said.
Langmore is worried that a new push to remove this hydrilla could put his business in jeopardy.
Pushing back against hydrilla
This summer, the City of Austin put about 300 sterile grass carp into the lake to help manage the hydrilla. Following the bloom, they’ve added around 1,600 more. The carp feed mostly on hydrilla and have been sterilized to prevent another disaster like a decade ago.
“I think the only solution that’s being played around with this is fighting fire with fire, and that is stalking another invasive fish,” Barzacchini said.
Business owners also want to draw down the lake this winter. They hope that dropping the water will kill off some hydrilla and give them a chance to perform maintenance on their properties.
Fisherman worry these efforts could hit their business. Sport fishing is big business in Texas. According to Texas Parks & Wildlife, the industry has a statewide impact of $14 billion annually.
“Guys like me who make a living out here won’t be able to make a living anymore because the fishing is going to be horrible,” Langmore said.
He said he’s also seen people turning the hydrilla into a business. Crews were out Wednesday morning clearing docks of hydrilla, while a trolley was seen mowing the hydrilla at one point that afternoon.
All three fishermen said they’ve seen a major change this summer alone. It springs hope for the future.
“I’m planning trips right now, seeing this grass back to this place in the spring,” Barzacchini said.
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