07-02-2013, 12:26 PM
I agree with you, B. If over population is the "problem" with Henry's (and I'm not really convinced there is a problem), then ice fishing (=more harvest) can't be a bad thing.
I also agree that limited harvest can be a good thing as well. It all depends on the fishery.
I've seen a lot of people complaining about over harvest at CJ. They've been complaining about it for years. Last winter the perch fishing was incredible. Good size, good quantity. Yes a lot of fish were harvested, but it sure isn't broken. It is a boom and bust fishery.
When it comes to panfish, which tend to over populate, harvest is good. Take and keep all the little ones you catch. Keep the populations in check and you'll get larger fish. I've caught 3 tagged fish (perch) out of Cascade this summer and I was amazed to find out how slow perch actually grow. Fish tagged in 2009 at ~10 inches are now ~14 inches, 4 years later. That's an inch per year for those Gigantors. I don't know how fast they grow when they are small, but they sure grow slow once they get larger. As I understand it, pansize trout can grow up to 1" per month.[shocked]
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I also agree that limited harvest can be a good thing as well. It all depends on the fishery.
I've seen a lot of people complaining about over harvest at CJ. They've been complaining about it for years. Last winter the perch fishing was incredible. Good size, good quantity. Yes a lot of fish were harvested, but it sure isn't broken. It is a boom and bust fishery.
When it comes to panfish, which tend to over populate, harvest is good. Take and keep all the little ones you catch. Keep the populations in check and you'll get larger fish. I've caught 3 tagged fish (perch) out of Cascade this summer and I was amazed to find out how slow perch actually grow. Fish tagged in 2009 at ~10 inches are now ~14 inches, 4 years later. That's an inch per year for those Gigantors. I don't know how fast they grow when they are small, but they sure grow slow once they get larger. As I understand it, pansize trout can grow up to 1" per month.[shocked]
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