WALRANGER5

Please google (common carp control using native predators)you'll find many examples, predators that disrupt the spawn is the key. Also (biotic resistance native predators) "control the spawn control the fish" Alewives have been proving this for 50 years. In Minnesota they found for the first 2 years after putting in a slot limit, there was 20-30% non-compliance, this tells 70-80% had no problem with it, the rest fell in later. A buddy a couple years ago told me this guy he knows went to Lake Erie 6 times put 966 Walleyes in the freezer. I have heard many such stories, this was the worst, I've heard the same stories about Saginaw Bay. Any restrictions on us, always benefits the fish. Canadian fly in lakes all have slot limits. A couple lakes in Canada, close every other year to give them a break. Throwing back some females doesn't seem that tuff to do. I've been playing catch and release for the last 5 years, Perch, Walleye, and Pike. I go inland for eating fish. Predators makes the entire body of water a control, how much control is determined by how many predators you have. We are not in danger of having too many native fish. Electric/bubbles/noise/light barriers will not stop the Asian Carp, a living predator barrier controls the fish! The FWS is planting Alligator Gar down south as predators for the carp, we don't need gar, just a high level of predators.

Some points to ponder. Asian carp not only eat zooplankton, they eat larval native fish. Perch and Walleye along with any pelagic (air bladder) fish is at risk. I have an E-mail from a Chinese expert that says this is so, and from Duanne Chapman the US Asian Carp expert, believes this is so as well, but Duane wants to do a study. Same thing the alewives were doing in Saginaw bay, but in a mega kinda way, they increased/stocked Walleyes/predators to get rid of the alewives, Walleyes surviving. We have the advantage of knowing the carp are coming. The reverse of what the alewives were doing, is native fish/predators doing it to the invasive species. Asian Carp have the same weak spot as any fish, surviving the spawn attempt. Once Asian Carp get too big, they can live 25+ years, feeding and waiting for the right time to spawn. The alewives kept the Walleye population in Saginaw knocked down for many years, because they had high numbers, and controled the spawn of it's competitor/predator. Any thing we can do to maintain high native fish/predator levels restricts any invasive species. Letting some big females go, seems a small price to control Asian Carp, or any invasive species. You still get to catch it, it gets to feed and breed another day! Fair trade. Asian Carp are a 100 pound zebramussel /alewife combo, there is no greater threat.

I don't target big females either, I just fish, if I catch a big female, great, but just because I can keep it, doesn't mean I should. We've got way too many people, that don't know how too count, the "I ain't driving all this way for 5 fish" crowd. If guys are making multiple trips per day, a slot limit has some control at the scene of the crime, at least protects the spawner/egg makers. Higher levels means more predators of invasive species, if we ever wound up with too many, have a high catch weekend, to thin them out. Slot limits cost nothing to protect the resource, the carp play for keeps, so should we.

I am not using the carp issue, the Asian Carp are part of the issue, add 180+ other invasive species, the whole picture. Invasive species dominate and have the high numbers to have good spawns every year, yet native fish struggle. The slot limit lets you keep a wallhanger if you want, but low numbers of females comes up over and over in studies about recruitment. No one needs to catch 50 Perch per day, 25 is plenty, you need more take a kid fishing with you. They found 80 pound + Asian Carp in some landlocked lagoons in Chicago, if they can grow that big with a very limited amount of food available, they'll do just fine here. How long it takes the Asian Carp to become 90% like every other place they went, is the unknown. Without or low predators it will happen fast. The lakes have changed we have to change.

After 7 years of research into asian Carp/invasive species problems/controls, we are our own worst enemy. History has shown us overfishing to be our primary problem, leading to the invasive mess/dominance we have today. Slot limits have been proven to protect spawning females, according to one study more eggs are natures safety factor, to overcome varibles in the system. Invasive species disrupt spawn attempts, recruitment. One Walleye over 23 inches, is simple, easy to understand and proven in Bay De Noc, to provide and maintain a quality healthy Walleye population. This does not reduce the limit it just makes us better stewards of the resource. We will need all the predators we can find, with the Asian Carp in the game. Barriers will not stop them, and ray guns and underwater goby cannons are a joke. We should also drop the Perch limit to at least 25, Lake Gogebic did this also to be better stewards of the resource, we are supposed to be good stewards of every fishery we have, not just here or there. I could catch and release 5 pound walleyes all day long, versus catching little or nothing, or getting smacked by flying Asian Carp. ( The novelty wears off fast, trust me, I've been to Illinois) Bottomline is what we've been doing isn't working. Waiting until Asian Carp get to 90% like they did with alewives, would be a bad thing. And they planted predators to control the alewives.

I got in on the GLMRIS conference call Jan 5th 2012, regarding shipping traffic in the Chicago canal. The cost of operating the electric Asian Carp barrier, breaks down to $22,727 dollars per day. Anything but separation means all taxpayers in the U.S. would be stuck paying this forever. Keep in mind this is only one barrier, they are proposing many across the country. Barriers do not reduce invasive species numbers, never will. Barrier control is stuck in one spot. Restoring native fish/predators turns the entire body of water into a control, that does reduce invasive species, and does not cost thousands of dollars a day to maintain!

The Asian Carp plan is supposed to be multiple stratagies already, native predators is one "tool" we can use. Find the GLMRIS website Inventory of available controls, take the survey vote for native predators. Currently it looks like the bulk of the plans are barriers everywhere, this does not reduce thier numbers, predators will. Is $5 billion a year to control invasive species a public cost or a $5 billion dollar a year industry? Depends on your point of view doesn't it?

They just announced they wont speed up the studies now it's 2015 maybe early 2016. Google GLMRIS you'll find the site. They released inventory of available controls and are taking comments until Feb. 17th. Using predators fits thier criteria, and is listed as available. The barrier will stop nothing, please go to the comments and vote for using predators, tell all your friends and nieghbors! If you look at the whole picture, we have no choice, politics will not fix this problem!

You are right, most of the "plans" seem include long term employment for someone, and high costs. Asian Carp doubled again last year, monitoring is just whoops there's another one, with no action. Please see my other post and search Biotic-resistance, we pay biologists to know this stuff, how can I find it, and they can't?

If I may encourage everyone to google (Biotic resistance on the increase native predators) Predator prey is good enough for me but biotic-resistance is bio speak. You will find we can control all invasive species with native predators. One paper states "We found strong evidence that native predators confer biotic-resistance that limits the distribution of an invasive species" and "strongly aligned with high densities of native predators" Includes zebra/quagga addressed in one paper. Please read this for yourselves. Also you may want to find (Asian carp in Wisconsin waters 1996-2011) this map shows the west side of Wisconsin they're screwed, we're next. Check the main Asian carp spread map, USGS, and remember there is only 2 points with a "barrier" to stop them. Barriers alone will not stop them, we can control how many predators they run into, which is the best long term defence we have. Native Predators or Biotic resistance is the only solution, to Bio pollution!

Asian carp were found in North Dakota a couple weeks ago, and now they found them past the Coon Rapids dam in Minnesota. The carp got past 9 dam/locks on the west side of Wisconsin, how they get in is moot, in is in. Lack of predators is what all the experts say happened, (overfishing the lake trout allowed the alewives etc.... ) But lake trout are not the only predator we have/had. Common carp control experts found out over the years, that after removal of carp regardless of how, poison netting etc... stocking of predators is essential to control young carp. The ones you miss spawn and they actually increase this is being proven in Illinois, with the asian carp. They took out 30 million pounds of carp last year, and they still doubled in population. Without predators or competition you just made a nice spawning/nursery area. Illinois has the largest Asian Carp population in the world, even tho they have been taking out millions of pounds. Having a high native fish/predator population makes the lakes resistant to invasive species. Lack of which gives us the invasive problems we have now, this is our fault. We need predators in the near shore spawning nursery areas, Perch walleye and other native fish fit this bill, and could be restored quite eaisly. There's tackle tax money we already paid for restoring native fisheries, obtaing permission that's another matter.

By all means stop the ballast problem. However long term it's what happens after they get in, whether ballast or swim in. Lack of predators allow invasive species to thrive, this is our fault. Lake Michigan is an invasive species factory, which is spreading invasives thru out the country. This is because it is managed as a saltwater fishery, thus invasive species are not threatened. This must change or we lose it all to the asian carp.

I just got back from Bath illinois, The Redneck Flyin Asian carp tournament. 203 boats caught 8,977 flyin carp 432 in 2 hours top boat. Thia area has been commercial fished for the last few years, yet there was more fish than i've ever seen. 6th trip down. There's a study that came out June 2011, Invasion and predation in aquatic systems Judith S. Weis, I believe you will find very interesting. We have native predators for baby Asian carp, several we just need more. As far as Alewives eating larval asian carp, if the carp spawn while alewives are in close during June spawn, they will probably eat some, but the during the other 3 or 4 spawns the Alewives and salmon will be out in the lake playing tag, while the carp will be safe. We need warmwater predators, for the nearshore spawning/nursery areas, neither salmon or alewives can even survive in there. This has allowed the other invasives to build thier numbers up to get the upper fin in the game if you will. I guarantee Perch and Walleyes will eat asian Carp. The Feds want money for rayguns and water cannons and studies?

They're very good at avoiding nets, and making them worth money gets them protected. Turn them into Perch and Walleye, (predators) problem solved. One resturant in Chicago calls the Shanghai Bass, to trick people, don't have to trick anyone to eat Perch and Walleye. There's a couple good studies by a James Garvey, you might be interested in, small fish have to be affected or there will be no population reduction.

The Asian Carp larvae and YOY will be in the warmwater areas, backwaters drowned river mouths, bays etc... Any predator will have to be a warm water fish. asian carp also eat larval fish among other things, I don't believe Alewives can compete with the carp, they will control the spawning/nursery areas and the Zooplankton, if allowed to grow to big. All the science I can find says we should be increasing and maintaining every predator we can find, and not just for the carp. Search Asian Carp spawning habits, I believe you'll find they don't need a hundred miles of river to spawn. They have been commercial fishing them, and they still are doubling, the ones they miss just spawn and refill the hole you just made. Only 25% is usable as food, small ones thrown back. Predators is our best bet at controlling them.

Good job, I feel a road trip comin on! Any word out of Linwood? Sparkplug?

Thanks, I'll be alright, needed some shoveling anyway. Gonna take the Grandbaby out for Bluegills tommorow, eyes are kinda thin over here.

Was planning on coming over today, but my slot trench drain field flooded, grounds saturated. Pumped it out with the bilge pump from my litte boat 720 Gal hr. worked slick, got a couple days to dry it out and put it back together. Sounds like I'm safe waiting to maybe next week. Keep the reports coming.

You did fine, Kady yells at Gramma if she isn't watching her pole! We'll be back, watching the reports here, and Linwoods. She thinks Franks is the best baitshop in the world! Only spent $65. bucks, not bad really, I can't get out of Bass pro for under a Hundred!

My buddy says when the wind was bad north east, he went to Augres calm water caught fish. Does this trick work? Whats the best launch. I've only fished out of Linwood, haven't had to go anywhere else.

Thanks, glad to be in. She caught her first fish at two, I work hard to get her away from Sponge Bob and video games. We need more kid friendly fishin. I caught Perch with a cane pole off the pier with my Dad. I've talked to many people who tell thier pier stories, the fond memories. Unca Chuck talks about riding his bike down to the pier to get a bucket full of Perch. My Grampa used to take the bus, with his cane pole, the bus would stop at the bait shop! Bring back that fishin and you wouldn't have any problem getting kids or anyone else into fishin, just give them something to catch! Perch fishin is how most of the guys I know got started, restore them.

Just got back from the bay, couldn't get out Sat or This Morning. Wind took out power and blew the Motel sign down (Northland) Saturday, wind was trying to knock me down in the parking area at Linwood Beach, Granddaughter hanging on to trailor hitch. We'll be back. Still had fun, Grandaughters first big trip, ( 6 year old) She loves fishin.