09-21-2004, 04:59 PM
Elevation, shady peaks, and cold water DO have influence on smallmouth in Strawberry. But, it's not the larger fish that have the trouble (obviously, look at the picture). It's the fry. Strawberry has a very short growing season for fry. The smallmouth fry will have a very, very, difficult time growing large enough to survive the winter (when the temp is too low for growth -- as mentioned by the DWR). Trout can handle it (sorry bass boys -- I guess trout are tougher!).
There have been smallmouth in the berry for a number of years now. They still are not showing up in the sampling in any kind of significant numbers. There is no reason to jump for joy, or worry about the sky falling. I don't see smallmouth reproducing, and creating a self-sustaining population in Strawberry.
So, those of you against the smallmouth, don't worry about them. Those of you that enjoy illegal introductions of fish, your beating your heads against a brick wall trying to plant smallmouth in the Berry. Stop it.
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There have been smallmouth in the berry for a number of years now. They still are not showing up in the sampling in any kind of significant numbers. There is no reason to jump for joy, or worry about the sky falling. I don't see smallmouth reproducing, and creating a self-sustaining population in Strawberry.
So, those of you against the smallmouth, don't worry about them. Those of you that enjoy illegal introductions of fish, your beating your heads against a brick wall trying to plant smallmouth in the Berry. Stop it.
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