Magnolia Crappie Club
A couple of years ago, we tackled the problem of the
apparent declining white crappie population in Eagle
Lake. Eagle has been one of the state's very best
crappie fisheries for years, but in the last few years a
white crappie coming out of those beautiful aqua blue
waters has been a rare occurrence.
So in cooperation with the Mississippi Dept of Wildlife
Fisheries and Parks, MCC is doing our dead-level best
to put something back rather than take something out
of Eagle Lake.
Phase I of our Eagle Lake Restoration got a big jump
start Saturday, Nov 11, 2006. 45 MCC members and a
half dozen local Eagle Lake volunteers, under the
direction of John Skains and Larry Bull, Fish Biologists
for MDWFP, spent the day building lots of fish habitat
for Eagle Lake.
Additionally, Tim Carpenter, Eagle Lake Lodge and
Outfitters, provided great support to our group by
making his camp site available to our workers and
cooking us breakfast and lunch. Mr. Mike Brown, Eagle
Lake, let the club work from his lake-side lot, making
access to the lake for loading more than 100 fish
houses very convenient.
All the material was donated by area businesses and
individuals with the following offering so much support.
Ladner Concrete Testing provided the necessary
concrete mixer (and MCC's Don Beckham gets my vote
as the MVP of the day working that mixer all day).
Howard New, Glen Allan farmer, donated much needed
large diameter PVC. Mr. Oliver, Conehatta, donated
almost 4,000 feet of PVC tubing from 3 closed chicken
houses. Southern Pipe donated 2 great door prizes
which were given away at the end of the day plus lots
and lots of PVC. 84 Lumber donated a pallet load of
Quick Crete. And, Eagle Lake Lodge donated a night's
stay in one of their great lake-side cabins as a door
prize.
And, our MCC members donated lots of sweat equity,
tools, know-how, and great willingness to pitch right in
and get over 100 structures built and in the lake.
MDWFP facilitated the placement of the structures and
will provide GPS coordinates and maps to the general
public.
Thanks to all who participated!!!
Eagle Lake Restoration Project
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Magnolia Crappie Club 601-624-6348
| Click on Pictures to enlarge. |
| Click on Pictures to enlarge. |
Phase II Eagle Lake Restoration Project--The Fun Part
Our Eagle Lake Restoration Project Is Over—For Now
Let’s review our Eagle Lake Restoration Project. You’ll remember that back in November we started
gathering materials and equipment to build over 100 pieces of PVC structure. Y’all showed up in droves and
worked like beavers from sunup to darn near sundown building and placing 112 fish structures in Eagle
Lake. We had outstanding support from Tim Carpenter, Eagle Lake Lodge, and we couldn’t have done this
project without the donated materials from Howard New, Glen Allan, the great folks at Southern Pipe, the
generous donation of Quick Krete from 84 Lumber, and the cement mixer borrowed from Ladner Testing
Labs and operated all day Mr. Don Beckham and Mr. Richard Lack. All of you did good and worked
cooperatively and competently during Phase I of this Project.
Then we tackled the fun part of the Project. Catching and releasing live Chotard brood-size crappie in Eagle.
We came up short of our goal of 1,000 transported crappie, but it wasn’t from a lack of effort. All of you who
participated in Phase II are to be congratulated. John Skains, biologist for Eagle Lake, estimated we put 500
crappie in Eagle considering that some of us hauled our individual catches to Eagle on our own on other pre-
fishing days. Y’all should have seen ole Ezell dropping 17 “big as they grow” perch off the back of his boat
into Eagle at the public ramp with a couple of “every day” Eagle Lake fishermen looking on and thinking this
man has lost his mind.
On Friday, January 5, rookie member Duane “Flip Flop” Guidry fed all of us some great duck gumbo. With the
assistance of James Sanford and Evan Williams he cooked gumbo until 2:00 AM Thursday night. Eye
witnesses report that Duane and James were catching frogs in the parking lot after that last thunderstorm
past through. Can’t swear that the frogs made it into the soup, but whatever was in it, it sure was tasty.
Folks, we had lots of “heroes” here. David Thornton served as chairman of the project. Charles Lindsay ran
the wheels off that Dodge dually fetching PVC pipe from Howard New up in the Delta and other places.
Tommy Moss and Jim McKay went beyond the call of duty rounding up and delivering PVC donated by Ricky
Smith and Quick Krete donated by 84 Lumber. Millard Ezell got a Conehatta neighbor to donate over 3,600
feet of PVC pipe from three old chicken houses, and Scotty McPhail, Ronald Wade, Martha Barrett, Paul
Johnson, Doug Hollingsworth, and Bobby Clark spent a Saturday morning cutting it down and into lengths to
fit Millard’s trailer. Then, Millard, Martha and Paul delivered it over to Mike Brown’s place at Eagle. George
Walker and Billy Gunter rounded up every empty 5 gallon bucket in Rankin County, and Bull Eichwurtzle
brought us 500 pounds of broken brick. Jim McKay came loaded with saws and generators, and everyone
just pitched right in and got the job done. And, last but certainly not least, the Game and Fish fellows brought
2 huge barges and some other equipment on our work day, and with the assistance of a few of our braver
members made the drops in Eagle. Great Job, every one!
Our Eagle Lake Restoration Project Is Over—For Now
Let’s review our Eagle Lake Restoration Project. You’ll remember that back in November we started
gathering materials and equipment to build over 100 pieces of PVC structure. Y’all showed up in droves and
worked like beavers from sunup to darn near sundown building and placing 112 fish structures in Eagle
Lake. We had outstanding support from Tim Carpenter, Eagle Lake Lodge, and we couldn’t have done this
project without the donated materials from Howard New, Glen Allan, the great folks at Southern Pipe, the
generous donation of Quick Krete from 84 Lumber, and the cement mixer borrowed from Ladner Testing
Labs and operated all day Mr. Don Beckham and Mr. Richard Lack. All of you did good and worked
cooperatively and competently during Phase I of this Project.
Then we tackled the fun part of the Project. Catching and releasing live Chotard brood-size crappie in Eagle.
We came up short of our goal of 1,000 transported crappie, but it wasn’t from a lack of effort. All of you who
participated in Phase II are to be congratulated. John Skains, biologist for Eagle Lake, estimated we put 500
crappie in Eagle considering that some of us hauled our individual catches to Eagle on our own on other pre-
fishing days. Y’all should have seen ole Ezell dropping 17 “big as they grow” perch off the back of his boat
into Eagle at the public ramp with a couple of “every day” Eagle Lake fishermen looking on and thinking this
man has lost his mind.
On Friday, January 5, rookie member Duane “Flip Flop” Guidry fed all of us some great duck gumbo. With the
assistance of James Sanford and Evan Williams he cooked gumbo until 2:00 AM Thursday night. Eye
witnesses report that Duane and James were catching frogs in the parking lot after that last thunderstorm
past through. Can’t swear that the frogs made it into the soup, but whatever was in it, it sure was tasty.
Folks, we had lots of “heroes” here. David Thornton served as chairman of the project. Charles Lindsay ran
the wheels off that Dodge dually fetching PVC pipe from Howard New up in the Delta and other places.
Tommy Moss and Jim McKay went beyond the call of duty rounding up and delivering PVC donated by Ricky
Smith and Quick Krete donated by 84 Lumber. Millard Ezell got a Conehatta neighbor to donate over 3,600
feet of PVC pipe from three old chicken houses, and Scotty McPhail, Ronald Wade, Martha Barrett, Paul
Johnson, Doug Hollingsworth, and Bobby Clark spent a Saturday morning cutting it down and into lengths to
fit Millard’s trailer. Then, Millard, Martha and Paul delivered it over to Mike Brown’s place at Eagle. George
Walker and Billy Gunter rounded up every empty 5 gallon bucket in Rankin County, and Bull Eichwurtzle
brought us 500 pounds of broken brick. Jim McKay came loaded with saws and generators, and everyone
just pitched right in and got the job done. And, last but certainly not least, the Game and Fish fellows brought
2 huge barges and some other equipment on our work day, and with the assistance of a few of our braver
members made the drops in Eagle. Great Job, every one!
