09-28-2006, 02:34 PM
[cool][#0000ff]I think the fishery is already devastated. The perch have overrun the lake and are eating all of the forage (fathead minnows). The traditional indicator that the lake was going into a downhill slide was when the perch were living on their own young. That is already the case after just a couple of years.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The problem is that there are not enough predators (walleye and pike) to even make a small dent in the exploding perch population. The perch are way ahead of the game and short of massive harvest by anglers will soon stunt. That will kinda ruin the hopes of being able to catch some more of the big toad perch we used to catch.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My recommendation to RAC for a 10 perch limit was more in appeasement of the Rocky Mountain Anglers group, who oppose opening the lake to perch fishing at all. My personal opinion is that the lake could be open to a statewide 20 fish limit, or no limit at all, and still not suffer overharvest.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Thanks for asking.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The problem is that there are not enough predators (walleye and pike) to even make a small dent in the exploding perch population. The perch are way ahead of the game and short of massive harvest by anglers will soon stunt. That will kinda ruin the hopes of being able to catch some more of the big toad perch we used to catch.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]My recommendation to RAC for a 10 perch limit was more in appeasement of the Rocky Mountain Anglers group, who oppose opening the lake to perch fishing at all. My personal opinion is that the lake could be open to a statewide 20 fish limit, or no limit at all, and still not suffer overharvest.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Thanks for asking.[/#0000ff]
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