09-28-2010, 09:04 PM
[quote MADDOGG]If 50 people a week fish a lake in a week, (which I guarantee is a conservative estimate), and they each kill their allowed (6) fish, and that goes on for (8) months a year, that is = 9,600 eater size fish a year killed. There is NO WAY that doesn't have an effect on the fish populations!!!! It’s no wonder there is an over abundance of smaller fish.[/quote]
Yup...because if ONLY 9,600 fish are harvested each year in a lake the size of Hyrum, more harvest needs to take place! [cool][
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Seriously, though, if "nearly every group of fisherman on the bank, in a boat, or at the cleaning station has a rope full of fish. And ... they aren't keeping the abundant 6" fish; they are keeping everything above 11", any thing big enough to eat," I am not sure there is a problem. If nearly everyone is catching fish above 11 inches and taking them home to eat, it sounds like the fishing must be pretty good. How else would "nearly everyone" be at the cleaning station with "a rope full of fish"?
Here is what people consistently do NOT understand: fish growth is a product of environment. In other words, fish grow to match their habitat and their habitat's ability to support high growth rates. Growth rates are slowed when fish numbers are too high and fish growth is high when fish numbers are low. Even in situations where harvest is high and up to 80% of large fish are harvested, smaller fish quickly replace those harvested fish because more room is made to allow for fast growth rates (and still some fish are left over to grow larger).
http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Utah_...t_id=33528
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Yup...because if ONLY 9,600 fish are harvested each year in a lake the size of Hyrum, more harvest needs to take place! [cool][
]Seriously, though, if "nearly every group of fisherman on the bank, in a boat, or at the cleaning station has a rope full of fish. And ... they aren't keeping the abundant 6" fish; they are keeping everything above 11", any thing big enough to eat," I am not sure there is a problem. If nearly everyone is catching fish above 11 inches and taking them home to eat, it sounds like the fishing must be pretty good. How else would "nearly everyone" be at the cleaning station with "a rope full of fish"?
Here is what people consistently do NOT understand: fish growth is a product of environment. In other words, fish grow to match their habitat and their habitat's ability to support high growth rates. Growth rates are slowed when fish numbers are too high and fish growth is high when fish numbers are low. Even in situations where harvest is high and up to 80% of large fish are harvested, smaller fish quickly replace those harvested fish because more room is made to allow for fast growth rates (and still some fish are left over to grow larger).
http://www.bigfishtackle.com/forum/Utah_...t_id=33528
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