04-15-2011, 05:13 PM
As the perfect example of why stocking perch won't help, let's return to Canyon Ferry Reservoir in Montana and look at what has happened...
...in 2000 ambitious goals were set to manage the reservoir as a high quality multi-species fishery that yielded high levels of angler satisfaction. Yet, now, as we sit here in 2010, none of those goals have been met. The quality of the fishery has declined as evidence by the drop in trout numbers, perch numbers, kokanee numbers and the subsequent increase in walleye numbers.
As the walleye numbers have increased the health and size of these fish has decreased. As predicted by the biologists of the reservoir in 2000, walleye have eaten their way through the rainbow and perch populations and now are predominantly stunted and small. To maintain even a diminished trout fishery biologists have switched from stocking two-inch trout to eight-inch trout. Despite this change, trout numbers remain low.
So, here we have a reservoir where walleyes have eaten themselves out of house and home DESPITE the Montana DNRs attempt at continually stocking their last remaining forage species--trout. The result? A once famously awesome fishery is now seeing huge reductions in the number of angling hours. And, what has the Montana DNR done? Upped the bag and possession limits of walleye....sound familiar?
As a result of the mess that now is Canyon Ferry Reservoir, what are walleye anglers wanting from the Montana DNR? You guessed it....they want them to stock more forage fish. I am glad, though, that the Montana DNR have recognized the irreversible damage introductions of exotic forage species have done throughout Montana and are now trying to preclude both the legal and illegal introductions of new forage species into their fisheries.
Of course, though, I shouldn't believe what has happened up there because I just read it on the internet, right?
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...in 2000 ambitious goals were set to manage the reservoir as a high quality multi-species fishery that yielded high levels of angler satisfaction. Yet, now, as we sit here in 2010, none of those goals have been met. The quality of the fishery has declined as evidence by the drop in trout numbers, perch numbers, kokanee numbers and the subsequent increase in walleye numbers.
As the walleye numbers have increased the health and size of these fish has decreased. As predicted by the biologists of the reservoir in 2000, walleye have eaten their way through the rainbow and perch populations and now are predominantly stunted and small. To maintain even a diminished trout fishery biologists have switched from stocking two-inch trout to eight-inch trout. Despite this change, trout numbers remain low.
So, here we have a reservoir where walleyes have eaten themselves out of house and home DESPITE the Montana DNRs attempt at continually stocking their last remaining forage species--trout. The result? A once famously awesome fishery is now seeing huge reductions in the number of angling hours. And, what has the Montana DNR done? Upped the bag and possession limits of walleye....sound familiar?
As a result of the mess that now is Canyon Ferry Reservoir, what are walleye anglers wanting from the Montana DNR? You guessed it....they want them to stock more forage fish. I am glad, though, that the Montana DNR have recognized the irreversible damage introductions of exotic forage species have done throughout Montana and are now trying to preclude both the legal and illegal introductions of new forage species into their fisheries.
Of course, though, I shouldn't believe what has happened up there because I just read it on the internet, right?
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