05-26-2009, 04:10 PM
PIERRE, S.D. - A moist winter and spring have brought much-needed water to many statewide lakes, rivers and ponds, creating increased demand for fish stocking across South Dakota.
The Game Fish and Parks Department has been busy transporting fish from hatcheries, and several public-access waters.
Fisheries employees warn anglers to leave stocking efforts to the professionals.
"It is tempting for anglers to start stocking fish on their own when a lake refills, but we would ask them not to," said GF&P Region 1 Fisheries Manager Gene Galinat. It is against the law to do so, and unplanned fish stockings can severely affect management of public waters.
"When fish are moved from one body of water to another, there is more being transplanted than just fish. Many times, unwanted aquatic vegetation, parasites and viruses come along for the ride. Once those pests are established, it can be almost impossible to get rid of them."
Moving fish from lake to lake can cause other problems as well, Galinat said.
"Many species of fish can be prolific spawners and establish populations quickly, throwing off the balance of even a large lake in a short period," he said. "In many of our lakes it's much easier to provide good catchable-size fish with just a few species. A lot of thought and study goes into our stocking programs, and even one bucket of the wrong kind of fish in a given water can eventually throw off the balance and lead to a lake full of fish that provide poor fishing."
GF&P does extensive stocking and goes through a lot of work to prevent problems associated with those stockings.
"When we are trapping fish in one water and transporting them to another, we are careful in choosing the waters and the fish we move to lessen any chance of transporting unwanted species," Galinat said. "Most of our stockings are with fingerling fish that come straight from a state hatchery and are free of unwanted parasites and plants. Although these fish go in small, the newly filled waters should provide great growing conditions for these fish."
If anglers know of waters they think have been overlooked in GF&P stocking efforts, they should call a regional GF&P office. For a list of state waters that were stocked in 2008, visit www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/fishing/Info/FishStock.htm.
The Game Fish and Parks Department has been busy transporting fish from hatcheries, and several public-access waters.
Fisheries employees warn anglers to leave stocking efforts to the professionals.
"It is tempting for anglers to start stocking fish on their own when a lake refills, but we would ask them not to," said GF&P Region 1 Fisheries Manager Gene Galinat. It is against the law to do so, and unplanned fish stockings can severely affect management of public waters.
"When fish are moved from one body of water to another, there is more being transplanted than just fish. Many times, unwanted aquatic vegetation, parasites and viruses come along for the ride. Once those pests are established, it can be almost impossible to get rid of them."
Moving fish from lake to lake can cause other problems as well, Galinat said.
"Many species of fish can be prolific spawners and establish populations quickly, throwing off the balance of even a large lake in a short period," he said. "In many of our lakes it's much easier to provide good catchable-size fish with just a few species. A lot of thought and study goes into our stocking programs, and even one bucket of the wrong kind of fish in a given water can eventually throw off the balance and lead to a lake full of fish that provide poor fishing."
GF&P does extensive stocking and goes through a lot of work to prevent problems associated with those stockings.
"When we are trapping fish in one water and transporting them to another, we are careful in choosing the waters and the fish we move to lessen any chance of transporting unwanted species," Galinat said. "Most of our stockings are with fingerling fish that come straight from a state hatchery and are free of unwanted parasites and plants. Although these fish go in small, the newly filled waters should provide great growing conditions for these fish."
If anglers know of waters they think have been overlooked in GF&P stocking efforts, they should call a regional GF&P office. For a list of state waters that were stocked in 2008, visit www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/fishing/Info/FishStock.htm.