04-01-2015, 02:13 PM
[quote bassrods]
Most just can't under stand that small mouth only grow about 1 1/2 to 2" per year till they get around 13"to 14" then they can grow faster if they have a good food..[/quote]
ugh.
Bassrods -- what YOU can't understand is that big fish are the result of FAST growth. If those smallies are only growing 1 1/2 inch per year, then there is a problem -- and it is NOT harvest!! Why are those smaller fish growing slowly? You've got to get those fish growing fast -- if there are too many fish, growth rates slow. Reduce the number of fish. How do you do this? 1. increase harvest. 2. stock a fish that will eat them when anglers refuse to increase harvest.
Concerning wipers, stocking rates, and survival rates:
1. Compare EC to a place like Minersville. Stocking numbers are very similar. People ARE catching wipers at Minersville. However, if you compare to Otter Creek, where stocking numbers are again similar but the size of the lake is much larger, people are NOT catching wipers. As was previously mentioned, densities compared to surface acres is key.
2. survival rate -- again, as mentioned previously, survival rates are not high. Stocking fish at this size is always a gamble. Timing can play a significant factor. Stock them too early, and they all die. It's a tricky equation figure out.
What we saw at both New Castle and Minersville is that nobody saw wipers for a few years. Then all of a sudden, anglers start catching them.
Does anyone know any results of spring gill netting at EC? That would be the telling info of whether or not to expect to start catching wipers from there or not. If they are showing up in the nets in decent numbers, then people should start catching some. If not (like at Otter Creek this year), then most likely nobody is going to be catching them.
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Most just can't under stand that small mouth only grow about 1 1/2 to 2" per year till they get around 13"to 14" then they can grow faster if they have a good food..[/quote]
ugh.
Bassrods -- what YOU can't understand is that big fish are the result of FAST growth. If those smallies are only growing 1 1/2 inch per year, then there is a problem -- and it is NOT harvest!! Why are those smaller fish growing slowly? You've got to get those fish growing fast -- if there are too many fish, growth rates slow. Reduce the number of fish. How do you do this? 1. increase harvest. 2. stock a fish that will eat them when anglers refuse to increase harvest.
Concerning wipers, stocking rates, and survival rates:
1. Compare EC to a place like Minersville. Stocking numbers are very similar. People ARE catching wipers at Minersville. However, if you compare to Otter Creek, where stocking numbers are again similar but the size of the lake is much larger, people are NOT catching wipers. As was previously mentioned, densities compared to surface acres is key.
2. survival rate -- again, as mentioned previously, survival rates are not high. Stocking fish at this size is always a gamble. Timing can play a significant factor. Stock them too early, and they all die. It's a tricky equation figure out.
What we saw at both New Castle and Minersville is that nobody saw wipers for a few years. Then all of a sudden, anglers start catching them.
Does anyone know any results of spring gill netting at EC? That would be the telling info of whether or not to expect to start catching wipers from there or not. If they are showing up in the nets in decent numbers, then people should start catching some. If not (like at Otter Creek this year), then most likely nobody is going to be catching them.
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