11-30-2020, 04:13 AM
This is a great subject, but one that I am almost afraid to join. LOL, oh well, nothing ventured.....
The yellow perch is native to waters that have consistent weed growth, numerous predators, and eons of symbiotic relationships with predators that kept the populations in balance.
In lakes without sufficient predation perch can and usually do overpopulate. Pineview is a great example of that, and so is Magic Reservoir in Idaho. As a youngster I recall the huge perch in Magic, until it overpopulated. At first the perch were excellent food for the Rainbow trout and Magic was known as a monster Rainbow factory. But, even though Magic was an irrigation reservoir and spawning weeds were few and far in-between, the Rainbows could not keep up and the perch overtook all food and space and the Rainbow grew slow and 5" perch were the norm. The State of Idaho would kill it out, someone would put them back in (even bragged about it to a local paper), the bows would grow like weeds again, the perch would overpopulate...... you get the idea. In short, Rainbow themselves will not keep perch in check.
In lakes with sufficient predation, but lack of weeds, perch cannot maintain their population. Note that Starvation had great perch but the combination of Walleye and Smallmouth Bass have put a serious hurt on the perch. After a couple of years of higher water and prolonged weed growth that the perch can use, perch do better, just like Willard when the water stays high longer.
In a lake like Cascade in Idaho, you have stable water levels, awesome weeds, awesome Smallmouth Bass, a perfect balance. In short, you have what perch were evolved to live in.
Personally I have never seen fishermen able to impact perch populations. For example, there is a small pond near Blackfoot Idaho, Rose Pond, that gets very low every winter. One year it winter killed but not completely, leaving some perch to repopulate. In a few years we were getting some 9 to 12 inch perch. Every kid in town fished those perch, every person that loved perch fished those perch, every scout in the county got the fishing merit badge at that lake (LOL), but even with buckets and buckets of perch hauled out, in a few short years the perch were 4" and overpopulated and had to be killed out again.
I respect Pat's opinion, but this time I think the perch equation is a bit more complex. With limited weed growth to protect the fry in the developing months, with every mouth looking to have perch for dinner (Walleye and Smallmouth Bass, their natural predators, and Wipers and Channel Cats added into the equation) they have very little chance to overpopulate, or for that matter sustain themselves. In many ways it is like Starvation.
Now, can fishermen tip the scales? In theory, yes, but in practice, I doubt it.
The addition of submerged brush in Willard would do more to protect and sustain perch and crappie populations. Numerous farmers are removing old fruit trees right now and they will simply be burned or placed in a landfill. They could be sunk in the lake creating cover that will last 50 years (hardwood trees not exposed to air last a long time).
That is not the only solution for sure. In Magic, I understand that they now have Brown Trout with the Rainbow Trout and Smallmouth Bass a well. I understand that the perch and predator have now balanced and Magic, though still an irrigation reservoir, is prized for the great multispecies fishery. Still, consider Deer Creek. That is a pretty well balanced fishery, but the perch are not what they use to be in the early 80's.
I bet that Chris will read our concerns, take them very seriously, and will pull his hair out trying to figure out what to do. Today I have several suggestions, but tomorrow I will have several different suggestions. LOL Managing perch in our totally NON-Native conditions is just not the easy.
Good Luck Chris, and thank you for your managing efforts.
The yellow perch is native to waters that have consistent weed growth, numerous predators, and eons of symbiotic relationships with predators that kept the populations in balance.
In lakes without sufficient predation perch can and usually do overpopulate. Pineview is a great example of that, and so is Magic Reservoir in Idaho. As a youngster I recall the huge perch in Magic, until it overpopulated. At first the perch were excellent food for the Rainbow trout and Magic was known as a monster Rainbow factory. But, even though Magic was an irrigation reservoir and spawning weeds were few and far in-between, the Rainbows could not keep up and the perch overtook all food and space and the Rainbow grew slow and 5" perch were the norm. The State of Idaho would kill it out, someone would put them back in (even bragged about it to a local paper), the bows would grow like weeds again, the perch would overpopulate...... you get the idea. In short, Rainbow themselves will not keep perch in check.
In lakes with sufficient predation, but lack of weeds, perch cannot maintain their population. Note that Starvation had great perch but the combination of Walleye and Smallmouth Bass have put a serious hurt on the perch. After a couple of years of higher water and prolonged weed growth that the perch can use, perch do better, just like Willard when the water stays high longer.
In a lake like Cascade in Idaho, you have stable water levels, awesome weeds, awesome Smallmouth Bass, a perfect balance. In short, you have what perch were evolved to live in.
Personally I have never seen fishermen able to impact perch populations. For example, there is a small pond near Blackfoot Idaho, Rose Pond, that gets very low every winter. One year it winter killed but not completely, leaving some perch to repopulate. In a few years we were getting some 9 to 12 inch perch. Every kid in town fished those perch, every person that loved perch fished those perch, every scout in the county got the fishing merit badge at that lake (LOL), but even with buckets and buckets of perch hauled out, in a few short years the perch were 4" and overpopulated and had to be killed out again.
I respect Pat's opinion, but this time I think the perch equation is a bit more complex. With limited weed growth to protect the fry in the developing months, with every mouth looking to have perch for dinner (Walleye and Smallmouth Bass, their natural predators, and Wipers and Channel Cats added into the equation) they have very little chance to overpopulate, or for that matter sustain themselves. In many ways it is like Starvation.
Now, can fishermen tip the scales? In theory, yes, but in practice, I doubt it.
The addition of submerged brush in Willard would do more to protect and sustain perch and crappie populations. Numerous farmers are removing old fruit trees right now and they will simply be burned or placed in a landfill. They could be sunk in the lake creating cover that will last 50 years (hardwood trees not exposed to air last a long time).
That is not the only solution for sure. In Magic, I understand that they now have Brown Trout with the Rainbow Trout and Smallmouth Bass a well. I understand that the perch and predator have now balanced and Magic, though still an irrigation reservoir, is prized for the great multispecies fishery. Still, consider Deer Creek. That is a pretty well balanced fishery, but the perch are not what they use to be in the early 80's.
I bet that Chris will read our concerns, take them very seriously, and will pull his hair out trying to figure out what to do. Today I have several suggestions, but tomorrow I will have several different suggestions. LOL Managing perch in our totally NON-Native conditions is just not the easy.
Good Luck Chris, and thank you for your managing efforts.