06-27-2014, 01:35 AM
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Yet again another ‘HOT’ button item has hit these threads. And like so many other issues, passions and preconceived ideas get in the way of facts. I’m not going to point to any one individual, but some of the responses so far could do with a reality check.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]As you may already know, I tend to side with the DWR with most issues and this is one of those. This is not an issue that just popped into the head of one of the DWR employees last night. They have been studying it for more than just a couple of years. Let’s start with the REAL situation concerning the SMB in East Canyon.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Some anglers have already mentioned that East Canyon DOES produce some high quality SMB fishing. That being said, let’s look at some empirical data gathered by the DWR through electro fishing surveys and age and growth studies. These are NOT opinions, but hard scientific evidence. What the data shows is that the SMB fishery is far from reaching its full potential. Large populations of the SMB sampled are below 10 inches in length. Yes, there ARE a few larger individuals here and there, but not nearly as many as there would be in a healthy SMB population. Age and growth studies show conclusively that SMB in East Canyon below 12 inches in length grow extremely slow. Compiling and comparing growth rates of fish from nearby states shows that East Canyon SMB are below the 5% percentile for growth; which is near dead last. Comparing on a nationwide scale, they fair a little bit better and are in the 25% percentile for growth.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Now, let's compare that to a nearby reservoir like Pineview and the DWR studies show that Pineview SMB usually land around the 50-75% percentile for growth rates, which is excellent. It should also be noted that Pineview SMB perform very well in a fishery they share with a lot of other voracious eaters like tiger muskie, crappie, and yellow perch. So concerns of the decimation of SMB populations are probably unjustified. As another example of slow growth, a Pineview SMB is about 4 inches long when it turns 1 year old, while a 2-year-old SMB at East Canyon is just an inch longer at 5 inches![/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]It’s not all doom and gloom for SMB in East Canyon. The larger fish that are about 14 inches and longer do great and are up there with their nationwide peers when it comes to growth. But - as it stands, there aren't nearly as many fish as there should be making it to these larger sizes and this is because there is such intense competition among smaller SMB for food. If there was MORE removal of smaller SMB from East Canyon, the other SMB left in there would grow at a healthy pace. But SMB have few predators in East Canyon, including anglers. Creel surveys show that anglers generally harvest only about 1% of the bass they catch.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Now let’s look at some facts concerning the crayfish in East Canyon. They are very abundant in East Canyon! The SMB that can make it to about 14 inches have as many of those as they want to eat. However, the DWR monitoring shows that there are currently more crayfish than the larger SMB can eat. It has been noted by the DWR during electro fishing surveys that there are areas where the bottom of the reservoir is teeming with crayfish to the point that it appears the substrate is "moving" on its own as hundreds of crayfish covering the floor of the reservoir flee.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]That brings us to the point of considering the stocking of wipers in East Canyon. But to understand this concept, you MUST start with a broader view. East Canyon, Echo, and Rockport reservoirs are all within about 30 miles of one another. There is nearly the same fish community in each reservoir and angler surveys done each year by the DWR show that there is a clear desire for more variety in the species available for which to fish. Given what we already know about the SMB in East Canyon, the DWR has been looking to add a different species that will benefit current fishery and add some additional excitement for anglers. Wiper's have many good qualities in this situation. They often grow fast and large, they are popular with anglers, and they've generally coexisted well with SMB in other state waters.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Further, since they're sterile, DWR has complete control and can pull the plug on the program if they see unintended negative consequences. Besides being a popular sport fish, the potential additional benefits with wipers is they can be generalist feeders and should be able to take advantage of the surplus crayfish and even a few smaller SMB bass. If the wipers eat some smaller SMB bass, it will be viewed as a bonus and should relieve competition among the bass below 12 inches, speed up growth rates, and ultimately result in more large SMB bass for anglers. I think this would/should be considered a win-win situation.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]There are certainly a few unknowns; such as how will these wipers grow? In other fisheries where there are wiper programs, there is generally a very abundant forage fish like shiners or shad. We don't have that in East Canyon, which means the small wipers will either compete with small SMB for invertebrates or they will feed on zooplankton in open water when trout have gone deeper for the summer. We should see fast growth if the wiper begin to feed on zooplankton in open water. However, if they compete with SMB for invertebrates, the SMB will probably have the upper hand and then we would see slow growth of the wipers as well.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]The DWR plans to keep an eye on all of this, including crayfish numbers, SMB numbers and condition, as well as wiper numbers and growth.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]None of the above is just my opinion. It is based on data (facts) empirically collected and analyzed by the DWR. The DWR employees hunt and fish just like the rest of us do and they want to see their hard work pay off for all of us. We should give them every opportunity to be successful. If they are, it can only benefit us all. I’d like to thank Drew Cushing and Chris Penne from the DWR for supplying me with the facts of the matter. Most of what I’ve written above is paraphrasing their data.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Carry on![/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[signature]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Yet again another ‘HOT’ button item has hit these threads. And like so many other issues, passions and preconceived ideas get in the way of facts. I’m not going to point to any one individual, but some of the responses so far could do with a reality check.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]As you may already know, I tend to side with the DWR with most issues and this is one of those. This is not an issue that just popped into the head of one of the DWR employees last night. They have been studying it for more than just a couple of years. Let’s start with the REAL situation concerning the SMB in East Canyon.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Some anglers have already mentioned that East Canyon DOES produce some high quality SMB fishing. That being said, let’s look at some empirical data gathered by the DWR through electro fishing surveys and age and growth studies. These are NOT opinions, but hard scientific evidence. What the data shows is that the SMB fishery is far from reaching its full potential. Large populations of the SMB sampled are below 10 inches in length. Yes, there ARE a few larger individuals here and there, but not nearly as many as there would be in a healthy SMB population. Age and growth studies show conclusively that SMB in East Canyon below 12 inches in length grow extremely slow. Compiling and comparing growth rates of fish from nearby states shows that East Canyon SMB are below the 5% percentile for growth; which is near dead last. Comparing on a nationwide scale, they fair a little bit better and are in the 25% percentile for growth.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Now, let's compare that to a nearby reservoir like Pineview and the DWR studies show that Pineview SMB usually land around the 50-75% percentile for growth rates, which is excellent. It should also be noted that Pineview SMB perform very well in a fishery they share with a lot of other voracious eaters like tiger muskie, crappie, and yellow perch. So concerns of the decimation of SMB populations are probably unjustified. As another example of slow growth, a Pineview SMB is about 4 inches long when it turns 1 year old, while a 2-year-old SMB at East Canyon is just an inch longer at 5 inches![/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]It’s not all doom and gloom for SMB in East Canyon. The larger fish that are about 14 inches and longer do great and are up there with their nationwide peers when it comes to growth. But - as it stands, there aren't nearly as many fish as there should be making it to these larger sizes and this is because there is such intense competition among smaller SMB for food. If there was MORE removal of smaller SMB from East Canyon, the other SMB left in there would grow at a healthy pace. But SMB have few predators in East Canyon, including anglers. Creel surveys show that anglers generally harvest only about 1% of the bass they catch.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Now let’s look at some facts concerning the crayfish in East Canyon. They are very abundant in East Canyon! The SMB that can make it to about 14 inches have as many of those as they want to eat. However, the DWR monitoring shows that there are currently more crayfish than the larger SMB can eat. It has been noted by the DWR during electro fishing surveys that there are areas where the bottom of the reservoir is teeming with crayfish to the point that it appears the substrate is "moving" on its own as hundreds of crayfish covering the floor of the reservoir flee.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]That brings us to the point of considering the stocking of wipers in East Canyon. But to understand this concept, you MUST start with a broader view. East Canyon, Echo, and Rockport reservoirs are all within about 30 miles of one another. There is nearly the same fish community in each reservoir and angler surveys done each year by the DWR show that there is a clear desire for more variety in the species available for which to fish. Given what we already know about the SMB in East Canyon, the DWR has been looking to add a different species that will benefit current fishery and add some additional excitement for anglers. Wiper's have many good qualities in this situation. They often grow fast and large, they are popular with anglers, and they've generally coexisted well with SMB in other state waters.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Further, since they're sterile, DWR has complete control and can pull the plug on the program if they see unintended negative consequences. Besides being a popular sport fish, the potential additional benefits with wipers is they can be generalist feeders and should be able to take advantage of the surplus crayfish and even a few smaller SMB bass. If the wipers eat some smaller SMB bass, it will be viewed as a bonus and should relieve competition among the bass below 12 inches, speed up growth rates, and ultimately result in more large SMB bass for anglers. I think this would/should be considered a win-win situation.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]There are certainly a few unknowns; such as how will these wipers grow? In other fisheries where there are wiper programs, there is generally a very abundant forage fish like shiners or shad. We don't have that in East Canyon, which means the small wipers will either compete with small SMB for invertebrates or they will feed on zooplankton in open water when trout have gone deeper for the summer. We should see fast growth if the wiper begin to feed on zooplankton in open water. However, if they compete with SMB for invertebrates, the SMB will probably have the upper hand and then we would see slow growth of the wipers as well.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]The DWR plans to keep an eye on all of this, including crayfish numbers, SMB numbers and condition, as well as wiper numbers and growth.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]None of the above is just my opinion. It is based on data (facts) empirically collected and analyzed by the DWR. The DWR employees hunt and fish just like the rest of us do and they want to see their hard work pay off for all of us. We should give them every opportunity to be successful. If they are, it can only benefit us all. I’d like to thank Drew Cushing and Chris Penne from the DWR for supplying me with the facts of the matter. Most of what I’ve written above is paraphrasing their data.[/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Carry on![/size][/#800000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3] [/size][/#800000][/font]
[signature]