03-19-2009, 06:26 PM
It's not just about predation, however, with species like pike. It's also about control of populations. Pike are a species that are very had to control in the West. Their populations balloon out of control very easily. There are no natural systems in place out here to control those populations, like there are in the Great Lakes area -- their native range. Put them out here, and you end up with lakes that are chuck full of starving 18" pike that continue to reproduce.
So, combine the population control issue with the downstream native fish populations, and you are pretty much going to get a "no" to pike \ perch.
The hardest part of this is dealing with the Feds. Even if the State wanted to stock these other species, the Feds would step in and prevent it. This is why places like Gunlock will not see catfish or crappie reintroduced to the lake.
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So, combine the population control issue with the downstream native fish populations, and you are pretty much going to get a "no" to pike \ perch.
The hardest part of this is dealing with the Feds. Even if the State wanted to stock these other species, the Feds would step in and prevent it. This is why places like Gunlock will not see catfish or crappie reintroduced to the lake.
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