killing off lakes,why?

[kutthroatkilla]

Sounds like Mr. Schmuck got an ear full to say the least. Stick around Mike, you're doing good work. :thumright

KTK

[Mike Schmuck]

No worries. I spent several years in the Army, I can take an arse chewing. It is easy for misinformation to spread, and often too easy to believe. Please know, I grew up in the UP of Michigan, and have been a fisherman since I could hold a rod. I took this career path because I love to fish and love to help create great fisheries.

These numbers are the best way to get a hold of me. I was in the field (Evergreen Res) last week and will be heading up to Leader Lake later this week.

509-750-8165 (work cell)
509-754-4624 ext 27 (work desk)

Mike

[Anglinarcher]

I only have a minute but here goes:

CRAPPIE
We collect plenty of crappie fry in pelagic habitats. Once crappie emerge (swim up fry) they go pelagic (deep water habitat). This is why larval crappie sampling takes place in these habitats and not along the shoreline in weed beds. If you can tell me of another statistically valid sampling protocol for sampling larval crappie please let me know.

SPRAGUE
People used to be able to collect dead fish after a rehab. Now, due to stricter rules we cannot allow the public to pick up dead fish to consume. It had nothing to do with not wanting people to see the number of dead fish along the shore. You may not believe me but I assure you there was no conspiracy to hide anything. This is why the public areas were closed off as well. I spent the week traveling from Ritzville to the Four Seasons and never made it over to the public access site.

There was no one denying the abundance of walleye, crappie and various other species in Sprague Lake. Our only management tool (thus far) for managing walleye is harvest. We had little harvest on walleye in Sprague and the fishery was stagnant. The loss in revenue to the area in terms of angler dollars needed to be dealt with. A rehab, while unpopular, is the most effective quick remedy for starting over with a fishery.

Mike, I have read your responses, and you do a good job. Perhaps, in time, I will come to accept the answers. I partially agree with your Crappie explanation. If you are talking only 'swim up fry', than the nets I saw at Elokia were far to open mesh. I still question the quality of your techs. If your techs do not know what they are doing, then the value of your studies is questionable.

I would accept your explanation of Sprague if the Department had closed off access to the lower lakes as well. I know that you do not permit the collection of dead fish anymore, and again, if access had been dealt with equally at all points, your statement would have been quite believable. Either there WAS a "conspiracy", or your people blew it at the lower kill points. The fact that many have, obviously in the past, questioned the department's claimed numbers of walleye in Sprague, strongly suggests that you needed to be squeaky clean about this. The news releases clearly blamed the problem on the Walleye, not the tench, not the carp, but on the walleye. Let's just say that the Department sure does not come out appearing squeaky clean.

Here is the rub, I supported the kill off, because I knew about the carp, and suspected the tench. I concur that trout can, as they once did, survive quite well, if the proper species selections are made. Nevertheless, as has been questioned, can trout survive the high lake temperatures Sprague will get to now? Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe there was a small water level control dam on Sprague the first time this was done, increasing the depth a few feet. This dam was removed by a law suit. Still, at least some trout will/can survive, in part, due to the cooling effect of the algae bloom and the springs located mostly on the East side of the lake. I suspect that the algae bloom will be substantially reduced now that the carp numbers are not turning up the bottom.

If I have the story correct, the State was pretty careful about what trout were put in Sprague last time, but they are using pretty much what ever they have this time. The trips were a nice bonus, and if they are not all caught out this year, I, like many, look forward to next year. Next year will be telling for sure. If we get a hot summer, will there be many trout in Sprague, or will we be back to no fishermen again?

I look forward to the day when the Bass and Crappie, and perhaps the Bluegill, will be large enough to enjoy. I have enough Walleye areas, so that does not bother me. I do know enough about killing off fish to know that perch will be back, and so will the carp, and without the Walleye, even faster. The token offer of perhaps putting Tigers in there will have little effect, and they may not even be able to handle the warm/hot water at all.

So, as I indicated before, I still smell a rat. I suspect that there were probably less than a third of the expected Walleye in Sprague; I suspect that there were probably twice the number of carp. I know that because your department chose not to allow independent verification that the truth will never be known.

PS, I'm glad you were in the Army, so was I. So, we can both take it, and we can both give it.

Was there a conspiracy in your Department, or were they just arrogant and incompetent?

[YellowBear]

Well Mike you sort of explained the phone thing, but you avoided my question.
What does the WDFW think of the panfish populations in our lakes?
Good, Bad or indifferent?