Could This Happen In Fresh Water?
Less Big Fish
Posted 2/20/2011 1:54 PM (#482734)
Subject: Could This Happen In Fresh Water?


Article

This study recently came out from the University of British Columbia (UBC), which states that as humans catch the large saltwater prey fish the small feeder fish are on the rise. It would seem logical that as humans remove large game fish from freshwater the smaller feeder fish would increase!?

What do you think?

What would be the issue for say "muskies" if this was true?

Thanks,
LBF
djwilliams
Posted 2/20/2011 2:50 PM (#482738 - in reply to #482734)
Subject: RE: Could This Happen In Fresh Water?




Posts: 793


Location: Ames, Iowa		I have been fishing Leech Lake for about 20 years now. In that time I have seen a great increase in the amount of forage fish in the lake. Leech is like no other lake I've fished in this regard- your bait, no matter the size, is almost always followed by one to a dozen or more small perch. Some years it's really amazing. Despite all of this, the muskie numbers are also the greatest I've ever seen, and what's more, muskies are showing up in places not usually considered muskie spots. You have a chance to catch a big fish anywhere on Leech. I know, I've seen them.
I think the medium sized gamefish like perch, crappie, bass and walleye do a great job of working on the smaller prey species whether they be different species than the predators or not. They might be the true limiting factor.
I'm waiting for some definitive research showing any correlation between the population of rusty crayfish during spawning times and the populations of forage and predator species like perch, bass, and walleye. I have always felt that the rustys were more to blame for low walleye/perch numbers than cormorants and fishermen.
Very interesting topic and one where I'd like to hear from those in the know.