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After seeing all the great reports coming from Willard this last week or so it got me thinking. (That's never a good thing [sly])
It seems that there has been a lot of fish harvested. Wiper's taste great and all, but do you think that there is a chance that we are overharvesting them? The 6 fish regulation was put into place when the drought was so bad, but now we don't have that problem.(knock on wood)
What does everyone think?
I just want to discuss this... I'm not pointing a finger at or accusing ANYONE of this. Any wiper over 14" I have caught this year has gone into the basket. As long as you are following the rules in the proc I have no problem with it.
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This question was asked last year and Willard fished very good this year. Reports tell of large Wiper Boils still going on. I don't think that the population has suffered this year.
There will come a time when the regs may have to be adjusted but for now I think that they are fine.
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where wipers dont reprduce on there own.. there numbers are only a DWR planting truck away from being right where thay need to be!
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And don't forget that wipers are dependant on shad. If the two get out of balance then the system collapses. Anglers have to harvest wipers or they'll eat themselves out of groceries.
Think selective harvest--not blind C&R.
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I realize that, but the shad have had 2 VERY productive spawns in a row now.
They raised the limit from 2 fish just a few years ago because of the drought and the poor spawns of the shad... but that's not a problem right now.
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where wipers dont reprduce on there own.. there numbers are only a DWR planting truck away from being right where thay need to be![/reply]
for once in my life, I agree with the Fuzzball.
If the Wipers have experienced some "overharvest", then the DWR will simply stock more. That's the beauty of sterile fish. Their numbers are controllable, which reflects in size.
If Wipers have been overharvested, then there would naturally be fewer wipers (duh!), which results in an overall size increase. So, have you all noticed bigger Wipers?
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I am catching more this year and average size is bigger too. I don't think they are being affected too much.
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I think the DWR has really done a nice job managing the Wipers out there. They are strictly put and take fish. Yeah, they are a ton of fun to catch, and it seems like people have been putting the hurt on them recently, but I really think that if the DWR thought there was a problem, they's simply change the regs to match. A few years ago I was thinking along the same lines...why raise the limit? To me it didn't make much sense, but it didn't seem to change the fishing much. I guess that's why I'm not a fisheries biologist! Bring on the stocking trucks!
Fuzzball...now that's funny right there!
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The limit wasn't raised to counter the effects of the drought. It was raised because the UDWR now has a reliable source of wipers. When they were first introduced the DWR could only get a couple hundred thousand every couple of years. The limit was 2 to make them last until they could get more. Now they can produce something like a million a year, and get them every year if they need them. No need to be stingy with them now.
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I havn't been out too much this year but last year I got out a few more times. My self imposed size limit is about 19''-20'' depending on how hot the fishing is. I hope to get out tomorrow if I can get a partner to go with me.
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