04-27-2005, 03:25 PM
I agree with almost everything bassrods says.
I don't think adding more prey is the answer anywhere. If you have a problem with coyotes, do you add more rabbits to feed them? Or do you try to lower the number of coyotes?
the problem with walleye is that they reproduce to easily in Utah's reservoirs. They reproduce and reproduce and reproduce until there are too many of them. The prey gets spread too thin. The answer is to control to number of predators. You can't do that with walleye.
Lakes can only hold so many pounds of fish per acre. When that limit is met (predators + prey) you cannot just add more fish (prey) to the mix and expect it to help. You have to reduce numbers of fish. The equation is not helped by walleye eating all the prey -- that doesn't lower the pounds per acre of fish -- walleye quickly fill the gap created by reduced numbers of prey. Pretty soon you end up with a lake at carrying capicity consisting of only walleye -- what do they eat then? BOOM!
[signature]
I don't think adding more prey is the answer anywhere. If you have a problem with coyotes, do you add more rabbits to feed them? Or do you try to lower the number of coyotes?
the problem with walleye is that they reproduce to easily in Utah's reservoirs. They reproduce and reproduce and reproduce until there are too many of them. The prey gets spread too thin. The answer is to control to number of predators. You can't do that with walleye.
Lakes can only hold so many pounds of fish per acre. When that limit is met (predators + prey) you cannot just add more fish (prey) to the mix and expect it to help. You have to reduce numbers of fish. The equation is not helped by walleye eating all the prey -- that doesn't lower the pounds per acre of fish -- walleye quickly fill the gap created by reduced numbers of prey. Pretty soon you end up with a lake at carrying capicity consisting of only walleye -- what do they eat then? BOOM!
[signature]