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Went to P.V. Saturday with only"limited" success. The water temps ranged from 53 in the morning to 62 in the afternoon and is very near full pool. I was hoping to avoid the power brigade, but they were all out in full force braving the cold water. I was mainly targeting tigers and throwing various perch imitating lures. I had one follow, but not much else. The interesting thing was that I SAW more tigers than I have ever seen. It might have been due to the clearer than normal water, or them seeking warmer surface water, but to actually see that many was very encouraging. None that I saw looked like monsters, but it just makes me want to get a decent sized one that much more! I also noticed quite a few young-of-the year crappie dead or dying on the water's surface. Anyone know what's up with that? The only fish I did get were a carp snagged in the tail, and about an 8" smallie. Could have been a more productive trip, but sure beats mowing the lawn!
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hey ruger, where abouts did ya get that smallie, if you dont mind me asking?
I am headed up there this week, to chase the smallmouth, and would love to hear where you found one.
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thanks for the report. we are heading up wednesday to hook afew tigers. and maybe a smallie or 2
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[cool][blue][size 1]About the young crappie dieoff...I have a theory. I have seen it over the years in Willard, Pineview and other lakes around the country. I suspect that it is a food shortage situation.[/size][/blue]
[#0000ff][size 1]Almost all species go through a diet evolution. As tiny hatchlings they live on copepods and zooplankton. The next phase is aquatic insects in diffferent sizes. Crappies and other predators grow and graduate fairly quickly to tiny fry of other species, but only if there has been a successful spawn of other species that spawn later than they do.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Whenever there is a missing link in the food chain, the young will either die or become stunted and never grow very large.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]The drought and the resulting low water levels have doubtless affected the whole ecosystem in the lake. For example, where did all the perchies go? Could be they are affected the same way. They produce too fast to be cleaned out by tigers and fishermen alone. One year they paved the bottom and you couldn't keep them off your hook. The next year you couldn't catch enough for a meal on most trips.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]The really bad news is that most of the larger predators rely on healthy populations of the perch and crappies to maintain a good diet. Smallies can do well with a lot of crawdads, but largies and tigers need swimming protein. A drop in the forage base will affect everything up and down the line.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Those things tend to go in cycles. Look at what has happened to Yuba over the years...boom and bust. And, it ain't all angler pressure. If the fish can't find the groceries, they don't live to hit a hook.[/size][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][size 1]Just my theory.[/size][/#0000ff]
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Caught the smallie along the rocky shore on the north side of [size 1]Cemetery[/size] Point. It was in the area where the rocks just begin and I was almost directly north of where I could see the gate to the c[size 1]emetery[/size]. I believe it was in about 10' of water.
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