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[#0000FF]This has been a year for some record sized fish...in OTHER states.
Here are pics of a new record perch from Ohio and a new record blue cat from North Carolina. Dream on.
[inline "OHIO RECORD PERCH.jpg"]
[inline "117.5 BLUE CAT.jpg"]
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Those are some big fish. Maybe that perch can open its mouth like a snake and just eats fish that are almost the same size as it is. Crazy!
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[#0000FF]That perch was caught in Lake Erie. Like most lakes that produce larger perch, it has multiple sources of food for year-round feeding and growth.
Yuba Reservoir once kicked out perch that large. But with the ups and downs of water levels and other factors it may never do so again. That was a special point in time where there were lots of fish...and big fish.
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Starvation had perch approching that size a few years ago, here's are biggest back then.
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[#0000FF]Now you're gonna make me cry. I got a lot of 13 and 14 inchers back then at Starvy too.
[inline PERCHZILLA.jpg]
And here's a picture of about a hundred perch from Yuba...in the day. Not a one under 12 inches. Got some through the ice later that year that went 16.
[inline "YUBA GLORY DAYS PERCH.JPG"]
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Holy boat-load of perch!
As mentioned, there are several factors as to 'why' those perch (and fish in general) do not approach that size in this day and age. Water fluctuation, limited food sources, etc....
....and I will add "fishing pressure".
More than ever you see promotions on every corner so to speak, about all the great fisheries in this state, and the push for everyone to take up the great sport of fishing. It's not rocket science to know that the urban population has more than doubled and even tripled in recent decades. I know, what can we do about it right? Not a whole lot.
Factor in the need to advertise on this 'Internet Age', all one has to do is search for fishing reports and you will see several sources immediately available (where to go, what to use, etc etc) . I get it...people love to brag. All I'm saying is that it doesn't help our fisheries any when we're all wanting to see better results.
All of these problems contribute to the lack of bigger fish and, higher quantities of fish. Until we can magically 'create' more lakes and reservoirs, I'm afraid the limited resources along with the growing population rate (exponentially) will continue to put a damper on this sport we all love so much. I've noticed a difference, and I know most of you have as well.
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[#0000FF]Hey, are you related to PBH?
Carrying capacity? That's about 200# for a new bride being carried across the threshold.
Not sure how long you have been around to follow the vicissitudes of poor old Yuba. I have followed (and fished) it since the 70s. From the late 70s well into the 80s...and then again for a period during the 90s...Yuba water levels remained up and the fish flourished.
During the peak periods there was an abundance of perch. The young fed well on clouds of daphnia and other bitty bites. Larger perch fed on smaller perch. And the larger perch were able to spawn well most years...contributing plenty of young both for their own food supply and for the also abundant walleyes.
There were good numbers of catfish then...and they grew big. And there was a decent population of northern pike...but there was a balance. Ditto for carp. There were quite a few there but the predators kept them from overpopulating. There was a balance...and it was working...without a lot of "managing".
In those days of plenty, there were not nearly the number of "warm water" anglers there are today. But even heavy harvest by those who did fish Yuba made little difference in the numbers. Always a lot of fish...in good sizes...of all species.
But Yuba is a featureless mud bowl. When there is a poor water year and the lake falls below the level where there is flooded vegetation or other structure for the perch to spawn on, there is a year long gap in the food chain...for all species. No baby perch for the bigger perch...and the following year no yearlings for the walleye and pike. Two or more years of poor perch spawning and the whole food chain collapses.
During the first part of such a collapse the fishing is phenomenal. All the hungry fish attack whatever anglers put in front of them. But during the next winter there are massive dieoffs...from starvation. No, this is Yuba. Not Starvation.
The next year anglers show up at the usual spots at the usual times...but the fish don't. Now you get folks screaming at DWR for failure to manage the unmanageable. And guys like me look out over the low and barren waters...crying big tears...but not enough to refill the lake.
Watch out for those saber-toothed plankton.
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[#0000FF]Hey HGS, see my (long-winded) reply to UG.
No doubt that technology and the information age has made it easier for anglers to get primo info faster and better. But the truth is that our reservoirs are a lot more affected by water fluctuations than angler pressure...in most cases. Of course there some small spots that cannot stand more harvesting, but on larger waters it is difficult to severely impact a fishery by fishermen alone.
I also believe that merely providing the info and where to go and what to use is not going to ruin a fishery. By far the highest percentage of Utah anglers are not what I would call sophisticated fisherfolk. You can lead them to water but you can't make them catch fish. A good fisherman can catch fish on the "wrong" bait or lure. A poor fisherman can't catch them on the current hot offering...even when fishing right beside others who are doing well.
The worst result of a water getting extra promotion is all the trashers who show up to "decorate" it with their own personal "ornaments". And I have seen spots that were featured on one of our local TV fishing programs that have suffered "trashomania" within the next few days after the program aired.
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I don't know if there's science to back this up, and I certainly don't know of any, but I also suspect that fish get pretty stressed by recreational boating. (Yes, that means the power squadron.)
Boats do scare fish. Loud, fast boats surely scare them worse. Keep up the stress factor for months on end, and I have no idea what it might do to fish's nerve system, or its habit pattern regarding spawning and feeding. But it isn't normal.
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[#0000FF]There is good reason to suspect that the power squadron can affect fishing. Some species are more sensitive to loud unusual noises than others. Factor in that during the time of year that the recreational boaters are most active is also the time when temperature levels are higher and oxygen levels lower. All of those things can add up to putting fish in a neutral or negative mode.
It is well known by local anglers around the country that fishing at night during peak periods of heat and boating activity are likely to be more productive.
Over the years I have accumulated a half-vast storehouse of personal experiences that reinforce my belief that good fishing and noisy watercraft are not good go-togethers. I can't begin to remember the number of times I have been seeing lots of marks on sonar and seeing good numbers of fish on the end of my line...only to see the marks disappear and my line remain fishless once the power squadron tunes up. The fish are still in the lake...but they go elsewhere and/or simply shut down until it quiets down.
Actually, there are a lot of other things I can't begin to remember.
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[#0000FF]Ahhhh. Dr. John has spoken. And wise words they are. On-the-water therapy has always been a cureall for most of my ills...real or imagined.
You can fish...or you can worry. But you can't do both.
You sure are tough on tackle. But the upside is that you are using it...not sitting around and crying in your smelly jelly.
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