(05-04-2021, 07:50 AM)a_bow_nut Wrote: Some things to consider.
A- Most of the tiger muskie that they have planted are fingerling size less than two inches. The survival rate on plantings of fish that small are not very good.
B- Tiger muskie are an ambush predator and like to hang around structure looking for prey. I have never see any instances of them suspending out over deep water where most salmon live. I am no expert on this so I could be wrong.
C- After watching the way the tiger muskie had made a home in Pineview and seeing that they have done very little to change the population of the perch and crappie there it wouldn't seem that the salmon would have much to worry about unless they spent a lot of time by the shoreline.
D- It seems to me that wipers prefer warmer water temperatures than salmon and would stay in that temperature range as long as they can find food. I think that the perch and smallmouth bass are in more danger from the wipers than the salmon. The one area where they could have an affect on the salmon is if there is some recruitment from the spawn in the river and the young have to make it out to open water before the predators find them.
With the cutthroat it will boil down to how well they can spawn and reproduce in that environment. If they can't then really it will be just like the splake and depend on how many they plant.
But as stated these are my thoughts and don't carry any weight to them. I have been wrong before and will be wrong again. That I can guarantee.
As to the water temp part I catch most of my Kokes at 10 feet or less at Jordanelle all season that is very warm water as warn as 69 Degrees, (all season long by the way) that is right in the wheelhouse for Wipers. I am not sure where the little Kokes live, but I bet they are in areas wiper are as well. I have caught a few wiper while trolling for Kokes.
As for tiger Musky and survival, yes it is low, but it is how our lakes have developed their populations so a good number do make it. I'm not sure, But I caught one 2 years ago that was about 17 inches plenty big to eat small fish, it was out in open water while trolling for kokes?? Now for Splake they may be the biggest issue as they I would think would trhive in similar environment and be an issue to the small kokes. I was surprised at how many they out in.
I really didn't mention the Brown Trout, there are quite a few nice ones in Jordanelle and I have caught several over the years over 5 pounds. My best up there was 7 pounds many years ago. They are a efficient predator.
Lastly the Smallmouth love to eat small fish. I have a buddy in Idaho that tells me they have a few lakes where the Smallies get big and eat Kokes while doing so.
More than any one predator being the issue, it is the total of all that seems concerning.
As for Tigers and panfish at Pineview great conditions for the crappie and perch to Spawn and they are very prolific, the Kokes are limited to the number planted, I'm not sure they is much natural recruitment but that s just a guess.
I still don't know if this is on track, still hoping I'm wrong and it turns on. It may explain what we are seeing.
time spent fishing isn't deducted from ones life