03-19-2004, 03:42 PM
I think your question has already been answered by those above pretty well. The perch need to be established before the walleye go in and wipe them out. Rainbows are there to provide something to catch before the perch and walleye take hold.
My comments about the locals wanting a trout fishery come from a business standpoint. Would you rather have a constant, steady fishery for trout, or a boom and bust cycle of walleye/perch? I'm not saying that either one is better than the other....but, not to worry, the walleye will return...
Some other comments reguarding walleye and bait fish...Starvation has a problem with the walleye not having much forage fish to feed on. The chubs have been pretty much wiped out. Some have suggested that the DWR rear chubs (or other bait fish) in hatcheries and plant them in lakes (starvation) for forage fish for the walleye. Would this solve the problem? Or, would this just compound the problem? I think it would make the situation worse. Once the forage fish were stocked, the walleye would once again go through an very good cycle...and reproduce more, which only creates more, and more predators, while at the same time reducing the newly stocked prey to nill. This would be a never ending cycle of stock more forage, prey population go's up again, and prey is once again wiped out. The DWR would be spending lots and lots of $$$ to raise more and more forage fish to feed the walleye. The way it is right now, mother nature is taking care of this cycle herself. The walleye have decimated the chubs, the walleye population suffers, and declines to the point that the chubs can once again make a comeback, then the walleye will start to go back up again...that's the name of the game with walleye...boom, and bust.
Good discussion so far! Hey mods -- can we keep this one open?
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My comments about the locals wanting a trout fishery come from a business standpoint. Would you rather have a constant, steady fishery for trout, or a boom and bust cycle of walleye/perch? I'm not saying that either one is better than the other....but, not to worry, the walleye will return...
Some other comments reguarding walleye and bait fish...Starvation has a problem with the walleye not having much forage fish to feed on. The chubs have been pretty much wiped out. Some have suggested that the DWR rear chubs (or other bait fish) in hatcheries and plant them in lakes (starvation) for forage fish for the walleye. Would this solve the problem? Or, would this just compound the problem? I think it would make the situation worse. Once the forage fish were stocked, the walleye would once again go through an very good cycle...and reproduce more, which only creates more, and more predators, while at the same time reducing the newly stocked prey to nill. This would be a never ending cycle of stock more forage, prey population go's up again, and prey is once again wiped out. The DWR would be spending lots and lots of $$$ to raise more and more forage fish to feed the walleye. The way it is right now, mother nature is taking care of this cycle herself. The walleye have decimated the chubs, the walleye population suffers, and declines to the point that the chubs can once again make a comeback, then the walleye will start to go back up again...that's the name of the game with walleye...boom, and bust.
Good discussion so far! Hey mods -- can we keep this one open?
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