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While Red Ear's won't eliminate the mussels, getting them established in Powell, if possible, before the mussels really take off, will give them an advantage. I know Wayne and the other DWR folks are really looking at them. This may be the reason that the mussel invasion at Havasu may be less, because the Red Ear's were there before the mussel's arrived, by almost 40 yrs.
Another question I would ask is, if the stripers crash, will people be willing to adjust their fishing tactics to focus on the walleye as an alternative ?? It would not be like fishing the "pike run" at Utah Lake. It would be more like fishing for walleye in the Great Lakes, learning to troll, use spinner rigs, bottom bouncers, etc. It would be somewhat different from what most Utah fisherman already do, but not much.
One of the staples here is to troll a pop gear and worm, one of the staples for walleye is to troll a spinner rig with a worm !! The difference would be learning the specifics of where to fish that spinner rig, rather than just dragging it aimlessly around the lake. Some of the techniques will be different, but not much. Learning to use Electronics will be a must, but most folks have a sonar on their boats.
Give us some feed back on this. Do some research by reading sites like In Fisherman, Linder's Angleing Edge, etc. Get edumacated !! It ain't that tough !!
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Another question I would ask is, if the stripers crash, will people be willing to adjust their fishing tactics to focus on the walleye as an alternative ??
I've been wondering the same thing.
I know for me the answer is "probably not" because Stripers are easy to catch in the summer with no special gear or tactics (just find a boil, throw something at it, and BANG!). No fish finders, bait or trolling gear necessary.
Small Mouth would be a better substitute for the crowd I run with.
But there are many Walleye enthusiasts out there and I'm wondering which group is larger and how many are interchangeable.
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correct me if i am wrong, but i read on the interwebz (has to be true, right?) that shell crackers can have an effect on the mussels?
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Just blow up the Hoover Dam, after I sell my house here in Vegas first of course, and fill Lake Powell to full pool and all will be well with the fishing at the most beautiful place in the world!!! Oh, I like pan fish, but slay the trout every once and a while....been a while though!
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Unless I'm mistaken aren't the stripers kinda like rats? In that they can't be completely controlled or wiped out?
I thought that was one of the big questions/problems that Powell, Mead, Mojave and Havasu have been dealing with.
Just curious as to why we need to manage the lake for stripers. Don't we just need to get em outa there as quick as possible?
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IfishUtah -- hmmm...not sure how to reply, but I'll try:
1. Like rats? NO!! Stripers are a FANTASTIC sport fish!
2. Control? You are correct. Their numbers are not controllable. They go in boom/ bust cycles dependent on available forage. When shad numbers are down, stripers starve.
3. Get them out? NO WAY. Harvest all you catch, and use some as bait / chum? You bet.
Lake Powell does NOT want stripers to go away. They are the staple sport fish.
[quote Therapist]
Another question I would ask is, if the stripers crash, will people be willing to adjust their fishing tactics to focus on the walleye as an alternative ?? [/quote]
No. Not me. I can fish for walley at any other number of fisheries in Utah. Same with smallmouth bass. The unique sport fish of Lake Powell is striped bass. You can't find them anywhere else in Utah. I spent $50k on a boat specifically to fish for striped bass. I wouldn't have spent that money to fish for walleye at Powell.
People think stripers are easy to catch, and they can be at times. Specifically when they are starving to death. But watch the fishing reports this spring and summer and see how many people struggle to catch the stripers this year -- a year where the population is thriving and healthy. Also, watch how many "big" stripers are caught.
We make trips to Powell in October, November, February, March, and April specifically for stripers. They are a blast to catch -- and for anyone that hasn't fished a striper boil, you don't know what you are missing. Easy? maybe. Violent, out-of-control, agressive, intense action? You bet.
Walleye? boring. They don't fight. sure, they taste great -- but they just are not fun to catch. Stripers are.
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I'm glad you didn't flame me! [cool]
I love catching stripers as well, but the "vibe" that I've gotten from all the lakes mentioned is that the stripers are more of a nuisance than a benefit.
I think one of the main reasons Powell is such a blast is the fact that on any given cast multiple species can be caught.
What about the pike? Are they ever likely to take off with a reduction in stripers?
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ifishutah:
I think you're slightly mis-interpreting the problem. Stripers can overpopulate and decimate the shad which is why Lake Powell has removed both the limit and the "wasting fish" regarding stripers.
But Stripers are also the most commonly targeted fish by sportsmen fishing Lake Powell.
Trust me, all Lake Powell interested parties would love to keep them going.
What is a nuisance is the boom/bust cycle Shad and Stripers go through.
and for anyone that hasn't fished a striper boil, you don't know what you are missing. Easy? maybe. Violent, out-of-control, agressive, intense action? You bet.
YUP!!!!!
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I'm interested to know what the possible cons of introducing redears could be. I haven't seen any yet, but maybe there are some reasons that those of us without PhD's in biology can't quite grasp 
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The biologists caring for the Colorado and San Juan river endangered species are wary of ANY new introduction because escapement may cause a di  vantageous competitive situation with native fish.
The National Park service has similar concerns introducing ANY non-native species.
Or, as in the case of the gizzard shad migrating upstream, it may draw more predators into the rivers from the lake (Walleye and Northern Pike) following food.
There has been an explosion of predatory fish in the Colorado specifically over the last few years. Gizzard shad migration drawing out predators is a likely contributor.
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[quote MasterDaad]
The National Park service has similar concerns introducing ANY non-native species.
[/quote]
But, this should not be the determining factor. You must evaluate what the consequences might be. Panfish are not river species, and thus should not pose a threat to downstream native species. Smallmouth bass pose a larger threat.
Also, keep in mind that the National Park Service doesn't get the final say in wildlife management inside GCNRA -- the State of Utah does!
So proposing a new species is NOT a bad idea, and certainly WILL be considered. Sure, an variance to existing rules may need to be established, but adding a new species to the mix is not out of the question.
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The biggest problem in introducing Red Ear's to Powell is that they are a non-native species and that gives some folks with NPS and NFWS heart burn. While they are not a riverine species, if the food moves upstream they will also. Crappie can be found as far upstream in the Colorado as Grand Junction, following the Shad.
One thing in favor of the Red Ear's is that they are already in the system, Lake Havasu. Introduced some where between 40 -50 yrs ago, they are firmly established there, as previously discussed. Not sure what the process will be, but if they are introduced to Powell, there will be studies upon studies to "be sure" that they don't have a negative impact.
How the fact that Zebra/Quagga's are now in Powell may or may not have an impact on such a decision. My guess will be that they will look at how the Red Ear's impact the Zebra/Quagga population in Havasu vs Mead which does not have them.
As to the question of Stripers being "rats". That may come mainly from some anglers that feel that Stripers negatively impact the other fisheries in the lower lakes. While Shad are the primary forage down below, the Stripers still have a major impact on several other fisheries, specifically the stocked Rainbow's below Hoover. There is a major tailrace fishery for Rainbows below Hoover, in the upper reaches of Mohave and the Stripers chow down on the stocked bows. It also produces a trophy Striper fishery in the same waters due to reduced water temps and increased food source.
Remember, the primary goal of this management plan will be to preserve the Striper fishery in Powell, at the same level, if possible. BUT, the impact of the Zebra/Quagga mussel infestation may change the ecology of the lake to the point that DWR will not be able to maintain the fishery we have now. That means putting focus on another species to continue to provide quality fishing at Powell.
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Thanks for the good response.
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Seems like if we want the redears to have a chance of actually helping with the mussel problem, we would want them in there sooner rather than later. Any idea what kind of timeframe we're looking at before anyone makes a decision?
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[quote Therapist]The biggest problem in introducing Red Ear's to Powell is that they are a non-native species and that gives some folks with NPS and NFWS heart burn. [/quote]
If that's the biggest problem, then this shouldn't be to hard to deal with. Remember, policy can be changed and exceptions can be granted. Also, remember that the State of Utah manages the wildlife in GCNRA, NOT the Park Service (as much as they'd like to convince everyone otherwise).
so, we do the homework. We fill out the paperwork. We do the studies. We get the exceptions. We tell the Parky's go cry in the river. Then we stock the red ears.
This isn't a new process. This was done in Gunlock Reservoir with crappie not long ago. Very similar situation with introducing a new species into a system with downstream native species concerns. It is doable.
Also -- that's the first time I've heard of the complaints about Willow Beach and the trout. My understanding is that the "trout fishery" was never more than a stocked trout haven. The opportunity to catch large stripers was a bonus. Nothing wrong with feeding programs. It's kind of like the rainbow trout program at Fish Lake!
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Agreed, if we are going to get maximum benefit from the introduction, we need to get them in ASAP. I believe that Wayne and his crew are in that process right now, jumping through the hoops to first, will there be a positive impact on the mussels and second, cutting through the red tape.
I was not aware of the situation at Gunlock until recently. Richard Hepworth, the Southern Region Biologist was talking about having to treat Gunlock, but pointed out that before they did, they had to be assured that they could put Crappie back in. Guess that was a bit of a process due to the downstream endangered species.
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[quote Therapist]Richard Hepworth, the Southern Region Biologist was talking ....[/quote]
pffftttt! Dick Hepworth?? What does he know, anyway?
FWIW -- Dick is the Southern Region Aquatics Manager. He's over all fisheries in the southern region. He's Wayne's boss. (which is kind of funny, if you know these guys at all....)
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Wayne should just dump in Red-ears without permission, it worked out fine for him with the smallies.
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Isn't Richard your brother? I guess this could be a family joke but since he is now a member on BFT, it seems like a rude comment to say the least.[:|]
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