09-28-2023, 01:16 AM
As an aspiring biologist, using sterile species makes sense to me from a management perspective. The population is easily controlled and so we can determine biomass goals, etc.
But as an angler, it makes me
. We have to continually dump money into fisheries if we want triploid rainbows or sterile hybrids. It feels lazy. What I most of all hate is to see fisheries that essentially self sustain replaced by tiger trout. We put tiger trout everywhere! Let's put that same energy and money into maintaining quality populations of fertile fish especially brook trout. I want diversity in our recreational fisheries. The DWR, for instance, will not manage northern pike even though many many states have no problem managing excellent northern pike fisheries that require no stocking. Think of Navajo Lake that is filled with chubs, if pike were added things could change. But the DWR wants to use tiger musky that are costly to grow, will not self sustain, and are extremely difficult to catch, instead. Everything else dies in there each winter, so maybe let's try an Arctic species??
Now, I don't think there is always a solid, simple solution when managing fisheries, but I do believe there is more wiggle room than the DWR is willing to admit when they think of what predator fish people want. I have a big list of fish I'd love introduced to Utah if I had my pick (flathead catfish as carp control anyone?) but I recognize that is unrealistic! I think Utah really needs to get the Colorado squawfish/pikeminnow to be used as a sportfish like they have the round tail chub. It would be an amazing predator and a native! I enjoy our fisheries in Utah but an emphasis on the same few species and put and take waters always disappoints me.
There's my ramblings on Utah fish, it probably shouldn't be taken too seriously but I love our fisheries dearly and hope they can always improve.
But as an angler, it makes me
. We have to continually dump money into fisheries if we want triploid rainbows or sterile hybrids. It feels lazy. What I most of all hate is to see fisheries that essentially self sustain replaced by tiger trout. We put tiger trout everywhere! Let's put that same energy and money into maintaining quality populations of fertile fish especially brook trout. I want diversity in our recreational fisheries. The DWR, for instance, will not manage northern pike even though many many states have no problem managing excellent northern pike fisheries that require no stocking. Think of Navajo Lake that is filled with chubs, if pike were added things could change. But the DWR wants to use tiger musky that are costly to grow, will not self sustain, and are extremely difficult to catch, instead. Everything else dies in there each winter, so maybe let's try an Arctic species??Now, I don't think there is always a solid, simple solution when managing fisheries, but I do believe there is more wiggle room than the DWR is willing to admit when they think of what predator fish people want. I have a big list of fish I'd love introduced to Utah if I had my pick (flathead catfish as carp control anyone?) but I recognize that is unrealistic! I think Utah really needs to get the Colorado squawfish/pikeminnow to be used as a sportfish like they have the round tail chub. It would be an amazing predator and a native! I enjoy our fisheries in Utah but an emphasis on the same few species and put and take waters always disappoints me.
There's my ramblings on Utah fish, it probably shouldn't be taken too seriously but I love our fisheries dearly and hope they can always improve.