01-16-2013, 05:40 PM
Interesting thread.
WaBobber, your reply is intuitive, but does not fully satisfy my mind as to why the perch have had a detrimental impact on the fishery.
If the perch are competitive resource-users for chub, and fill the same niche (as I think they do in large part), then it I could reason that they would fulfill the same niche as resource-givers (food for larger fish) that the chubs did.
Am I correct to assume your argument is that they outcompete the species you listed as resource takers, but do not fulfill the roll as resource givers for other established species in the lake (i.e. makinaw)?
While I have no doubt that perch will have an effect, I do worry that there may be some effect of being a "red herring", even to researchers, causing an oversight of other factors.
[quote wormandbobber][quote zman2]Just got one question if the perch were dumped in ther 50 years ago and just lately the fishing is down the tubes,why are you blaming the perch that damage to the fishery should have happend a long time ago it doesnt take 50 years for perch to do what they do ya they can hurt any lake im just looking th the time frame it doesnt add up just asking dont want to start some pis#$n match it aint my point[/quote]
It is called competition...in Fish Lake, perch were competing with utah chubs, carp, utah suckers, and trout. Chubs, suckers, and carp are also very prolific spawners...yet the numbers of chubs has gone way down. Why? Competition. The perch took a long time to gain the advantage over chubs, but now they have it the chubs are almost gone![/quote]
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WaBobber, your reply is intuitive, but does not fully satisfy my mind as to why the perch have had a detrimental impact on the fishery.
If the perch are competitive resource-users for chub, and fill the same niche (as I think they do in large part), then it I could reason that they would fulfill the same niche as resource-givers (food for larger fish) that the chubs did.
Am I correct to assume your argument is that they outcompete the species you listed as resource takers, but do not fulfill the roll as resource givers for other established species in the lake (i.e. makinaw)?
While I have no doubt that perch will have an effect, I do worry that there may be some effect of being a "red herring", even to researchers, causing an oversight of other factors.
[quote wormandbobber][quote zman2]Just got one question if the perch were dumped in ther 50 years ago and just lately the fishing is down the tubes,why are you blaming the perch that damage to the fishery should have happend a long time ago it doesnt take 50 years for perch to do what they do ya they can hurt any lake im just looking th the time frame it doesnt add up just asking dont want to start some pis#$n match it aint my point[/quote]
It is called competition...in Fish Lake, perch were competing with utah chubs, carp, utah suckers, and trout. Chubs, suckers, and carp are also very prolific spawners...yet the numbers of chubs has gone way down. Why? Competition. The perch took a long time to gain the advantage over chubs, but now they have it the chubs are almost gone![/quote]
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