07-29-2015, 09:11 PM
Dog Lover -- I believe we are both missing the ball.
The fish in Strawberry Reservoir do not count towards any kind of cutthroat endangered species counts because they are in the wrong drainage.
Strawberry Reservoir has very good stream habitat that is suitable to collect and rear cutthroat for stocking in other lakes that may count towards endangered species prevention.
You mentioned other lakes -- and the lakes very well may be suited for cutts -- but are the streams suitable for the collection?
further -- the streams in the Strawberry valley are responsible for nearly 60% of the cutthroat population in Strawberry Reservoir. If you eliminate those cutts and replace with tiger trout and wipers how will our hatchery systems be able to keep up with the need for those additional 60%?? That's a lot of fish to raise in the hatchery to support Strawberry!!
Natural reproduction is a critical component of Strawberry as a fishery. Rainbow trout might have been able to make up for that reproduction, but they certainly cannot keep chubs under control.
So, while many want to say that it's a waste, and other fish would be better, the facts say opposite. Strawberry is a perfect place to have cutthroat, allow them to run the tributaries, collect eggs, rear fry to stock in other reservoirs, allow adults (and some fry) back to the reservoir to prey on chubs and prevent chubs from taking over.
Wipers wouldn't work, because the state probably couldn't raise enough to stock to make a difference.
Tiger trout might work, but we'd have to stop stocking them in all the other lakes and reservoirs to have enough for Strawberry (which lakes do you sacrifice for the sake of Strawberry?).
Lake trout won't work because of stratification and lack of oxygen during certain times of the year.
small mouth bass won't work because they can't self-sustain.
rainbow trout have failed numerous times in the past.
brown trout never did much either.
brook trout just simply don't prey on other fish. They like scuds.
northern pike would probably be a disaster.
walleye would be in the same boat.
neither (walleye / pike) would be allowed due to downstream endangered species.
What do you have left?
hmmm. Cutthroat.
[signature]
The fish in Strawberry Reservoir do not count towards any kind of cutthroat endangered species counts because they are in the wrong drainage.
Strawberry Reservoir has very good stream habitat that is suitable to collect and rear cutthroat for stocking in other lakes that may count towards endangered species prevention.
You mentioned other lakes -- and the lakes very well may be suited for cutts -- but are the streams suitable for the collection?
further -- the streams in the Strawberry valley are responsible for nearly 60% of the cutthroat population in Strawberry Reservoir. If you eliminate those cutts and replace with tiger trout and wipers how will our hatchery systems be able to keep up with the need for those additional 60%?? That's a lot of fish to raise in the hatchery to support Strawberry!!
Natural reproduction is a critical component of Strawberry as a fishery. Rainbow trout might have been able to make up for that reproduction, but they certainly cannot keep chubs under control.
So, while many want to say that it's a waste, and other fish would be better, the facts say opposite. Strawberry is a perfect place to have cutthroat, allow them to run the tributaries, collect eggs, rear fry to stock in other reservoirs, allow adults (and some fry) back to the reservoir to prey on chubs and prevent chubs from taking over.
Wipers wouldn't work, because the state probably couldn't raise enough to stock to make a difference.
Tiger trout might work, but we'd have to stop stocking them in all the other lakes and reservoirs to have enough for Strawberry (which lakes do you sacrifice for the sake of Strawberry?).
Lake trout won't work because of stratification and lack of oxygen during certain times of the year.
small mouth bass won't work because they can't self-sustain.
rainbow trout have failed numerous times in the past.
brown trout never did much either.
brook trout just simply don't prey on other fish. They like scuds.
northern pike would probably be a disaster.
walleye would be in the same boat.
neither (walleye / pike) would be allowed due to downstream endangered species.
What do you have left?
hmmm. Cutthroat.
[signature]