I have neever herd of a "Die off" at fish lake, could it be because there are no irigation ditches flowing in there? Irigation ditches have weeds whitch impede the flow sometimes farmers use herbasides to clear them whitch would kill some of the fish. I don't know, I just wonder.
[signature]
[cool][#0000ff]I don't think anybody knows for certain what causes any of the dieoffs. It can be several different factors at work. In smaller size perch, they will sometimes die off because of a lack of food. When the water is not fertile enough to produce their food chain...algae, zooplankton, etc...they simply run out of food. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]That can happen with larger perch too. If there are no larger aquatic insects or small minnows, prior to a spawn hatching out, they can expire before reinforcements arrive. And, only the largest perch can eat smaller perch once the young have grown beyond edible size. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are also temperature and stress factors, created by drastic rises or drops in temperature. Perch are pretty hardy and can tolerate cold water, but they cannot live in poorly oxygenated water...such as that beneath a shallow reservoir that has an ice cap for too long.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I'm sure there are also different bacteria and viruses that perch are uniquely sensitive to. Never heard of "perch flu", but it is entirely possible that there is something like that. It might explain the multiple declines in the perch populations of the reservoirs in the Wasatch range.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We haven't seen a dieoff in Fish Lake. Too bad. Those perch helped wipe out the chubs which were the main fodder for the macks. The macks do not eat the perch nearly as aggressively as they did the chubs. Now the perch have overpopulated their environment and are all stunted. You can catch a lot of them in Fish Lake, but they are good for little except frying whole or cutting up for bait.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Agricultural runoff can be a problem in some waters, but apparently it is not a major one in Fish Lake. I'm sure there are ongoing water quality studies to monitor that. Maybe we could have our next perch derby on fish lake and award special prizes for sheer poundage, rather than numbers of fish. If DWR would relax all limits on perch for awhile, and encourage greater harvest of the little buggers, they would thin out and grow bigger.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
Pat, I have to laugh at this post. The people seem to be divided in half between reducing the perch limits and raising them. Once again I feel that we need to leave the decision to the DWR and their people. We sometimes want everything handed to us with no concern to others. As I have said before, that is the mentality of the bucket biologist that thinks that he knows more than the people who make their living helping keep the fish in our waters.
Let's just go fishing and quit trying to outsmart the DWR!
[signature]
Well spoken DKStroutfitter!
[cool][#0000ff]I'm wit choo, Dale. Let's go drillin' and chillin'. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I'm just finishing up a batch of new glow jigs. Got some killer glow powder that mixes with clear vinyl jig paint...and also with the chartreuse or green. Holds a great flow for hours.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I need to go give those fish at Mantua another chance at me.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
I want to get back to Mantua and find out if my good day there last week was a fluke or if I can repeat the perch catching again. I hope that the perch will show up in good numbers at Mantua, just in case Rockport is a wash for a few years.
[signature]
DKS, you know I like you. We have talked many times so dont take this the wrong way.
You hope in one sentance that the perch take off in mantua and curse the bucket biologist who put them in there in the next sentance.
Kind of a conflict of interest isnt it?
The bottom line is always that people dont like to admit that bucket biology has produced lots of the states best multi species fishing oportunities and we all enjoy the benefits of the illegal activities as well as the negative effects that they sometimes have.
No one gets it right all the time. The DWR screws up just as many fisheries as bucket biologists do, and bucket biologists improve just as many fisheries as the DWR does.
I am sure I will get my head cutt off for saying so, but without the many many illegal stockings of the past what fisheries that you curently enjoy would not be utilized by you?
Yes I know I am an ignorant fool and my statements have just proven that but there is the fact of reality that says lots of perch, walleye, bass, and other sportfisheries would not be in existence today without the folks who broke the law and put them there.
I may not agree with guys breaking the law, and I may not support it, but I certainly do recognize a good thing when I see it and give credit where credit is due. I say give the DWR credit for the fisheries they vreate AND the ones they destroy, but give the bucket biologists credit for the benfits and failures that you enjoy on thier behalf.
And if any of you feel the need to get
with me thats ok, I will just fire up the injustice of my banning machine and ban you
]
[signature]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Holy Crap, here we go. Glad I'm going to the Gorge this weekend. You can handle this...[/size][/black][/font]
[signature]
Well spoken Predator .You do make a good point . You wont see me bitchin' about the thread . I just wanted in on a locked thread . [cool]
[signature]
[
] Heee hee.
Clearly satan himself has reincarnated himself into my body and taken over my keyboard.
Its a subject that gets emotions riled up and makes some folks crazy. But I really do enjoy the results of bucket biology and have been so amazed at the results of it sometimes.
Take for example starvation. Due to the green river drainage and endangered species there in, the DWR had thier hands tied as to the options for a food base in there.
They tried for years to get the chubs to come back but it just didnt work, they legally couldnt introduce a new species themselves so some bucket biologist went and put the perch in there. Oh what a crime he commited! Then since the species was already intorduced the DWR had thier hands untied and they went and re-stocked it themselves with perch.
In that case a bucket biologist did exactly what the DWR wanted to do but couldnt.
Never support illegal activities, but dont be so quick to condemn them either. Some great things have been the result. Unless you are a trout purist.
As faras you posting just to get in on a "soon to be locked thread" I should ban you just for that![pirate]
[signature]
[cool]I've got my hip boots, helmet, and safety goggles on!!!![cool] This could get interesting!!![
]
[signature]
Well spoken! Very good points!
[signature]
[cool]I've got to see this new glow paint concoction of yours, Pat! Sounds killer!
Hope that knee gets back to normal soon so you can drill a hole big enough for your tube, LOL (I mean to nail some perchies, gills, and anything else your heart desires)!
[signature]
[cool][#0000ff]Thanks, O4T. Now duck and cover. No room on this thread for fish talk.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I'll be posting some pics soon.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
Back to the perch die off. I saw it about every saturday and sunday last year. Hundreds of perch and a few trout. They seemed to be coming out of the many vent holes in the ice.[
] About every 5th or so hole would have about 20 perch laying around the hole. Some flooping, some frozen solid.
I can't blame all the fishers I saw that would scoop them up into a smiths bag and take them home so they would not be wasted. Some even had sleds and would be making more vent holes [
] as they walked along.
[signature]
Mike, I guess my thoughts sound a little confusing. I,like you, don't like to see the law broken, but when in Rome, do as the Romans do. If perch are in Mantua, I will fish for them. If they are removed, I will move on for perch and fish Mantua for what it holds.
My point is that if 5 people had the chance to pick what fish were to be planted into a reservoir, you would very likely see 5 different fish in the reservoir. Someone has to decide what goes in and I think that the decision belongs to the DWR and not 5 people that think that they have the best answer for what they want in the reservoir.
There are too many anglers in Utah to make us all happy so the decision making has to be done democratically and in the best interest of the state and its people.
I believe that we need to have a personal say in these matters, and we do, but we should never take matters into our own hands.
I hope that this makes my thoughts a little clearer. Thanks for your input Mike and no hard feelings here, Dale.
[signature]
DKS, I was just having a bit of fun with you.
I am quite surprised that no one really kicked my butt though. I must really use my powers of injustice well!
I couldnt agree more about letting the DWR do the work, but I do enjoy the work done in the past by bucket biologists on a regular basis.
I just really think we should strig up the bucket biologist who is responsible for putting that asian bird flu utah lake. That thing is just going to take over the walleye fishery.
[signature]
Fishermen have some extrememly short memories....
I wonder if we will still be praising the bucket biologists when Starvation is once again overrun with Walleye, and the DWR is spending countless hours along with volunteer help to remove walleye through gill-netting programs.
I wonder if people would rather be catching numerous 10-15 pound Lake Trout out of Fish Lake (similar to FG, and Bear Lake) instead of countless 4-8" perch?
I wonder what New Castle Reservoir would be like currently (it could have rivalled Jordanelle for small mouth) if someone wouldn't have dumped Golden Shiners in it.
I wonder if the DWR would be able to spend their $$ on Utah fisheries, instead of litigation costs to keep native species from being listed, because bullheads, and small mouth bass were dumped in Quail Creek res, and Sand Hollow?
I wonder how you'll all feel when the best Smallmouth Bass fishery in the West goes down the tank thanks to illegal introductions of perch, walleye, and crappie.
Gold fish in Pali
es? How is that good?
Utah Lake: Pirannah, turtles, gizzard shad anyone?
I can't believe how foolish a comment that claims Bucket Biology to have had as many good effects on fisheries as the DWR has!
Another thread asked what we like, and dislike about this site. I bit my
there. I won't here.
I seriously dislike the way BigFishTackle supports illegal activities such as bucket biology.
I have heard mention many times lately that the DWR screws up as fisheries as badly as BB. Can someone please fill me in on where these places are that the DWR has screwed up?
[signature]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]I think it very irresponsible to blame everything discussed on these boards on BFT. BFT provides a place to discuss issues, both sides, but does not condone or promote illegal activities. Don't mistake the comments of individuals as the "official" views of BFT.[/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3][/size][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][size 3]Be glad there is a place that you can air your concerns with issues close to you. You may make a difference in the long run thanks to this site.[/size][/black][/font]
[signature]
Here we go again... Why is it that we have to have every @#$% thread turned into a friggin rant (edited for persoanl refrence) and the like. I'm tired of getting on here and seeing a question like this twisted into an opportunity to flog a dead horse issue like bucket bios. Let it go! We know how you feel about it and quite frankly by now we're getting tired of reading and rereading your bitching about something that's already been established. If you want to cause controversy, go somewhere else. We're just fishermen and fishin' aint about fightin'. Just the POV of someone who's willing to speak up for those who have had a belly full.... We don't support illegal activities and never will. And I take it as a personal attack when you say that we do. Do us all a favor and (edited for fun)
[signature]