Invasive species

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New River Rat

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New River in Virginia
I'm constantly making the remark that, if I go chasing New River smallies this time of year, I just want one bite.

Water temp 40, air temp 38, high, clear flow, pre-weather front.

Wrong species.

20170616_180611 - Copy-crop.JPG
 
We don't have those fish out here so I know little about them, including how large they get. That looks like a heck of a catch and I would imagine the gear for small mouths is a little lighter than you would use for a musky. Thanks for sharing.
 
KMixson said:
How do you know for sure you didn't hook a smallie and this fish ate your smallie?

According to my friend that is the muskie biologist at the V.D.G.I.F. for our region, that doesn't happen....yeah, piss on my leg and tell me it's raining, Joe Williams. Samples have been collected with their stomachs pumped, and according to his P.R. spiel, only something like 3 smallies in 200 muskies were found. B.S.!!!!!


The V.D.G.I.F. introduced these slime rockets around '70 or '72, and below Claytor Lake, they are naturalized. Supposedly, the stocking program there hasn't been used in 6 or 7 years. Yeah, now we are over loaded with stunted muskies and trophy (20"+) smallmouth are rather scarce.
 
A few over the years.....


https://s684.photobucket.com/user/newrivercat/library/fishing/muskies?sort=3&page=1


I'm guessing the [strike]12th[/strike] 14th pic was a 50"er, never measured. Since about 2000, I'm guessing close to 100 or so. Maybe 6 over 45".
 
New River Rat said:
KMixson said:
How do you know for sure you didn't hook a smallie and this fish ate your smallie?

According to my friend that is the muskie biologist at the V.D.G.I.F. for our region, that doesn't happen....yeah, piss on my leg and tell me it's raining, Joe Williams. Samples have been collected with their stomachs pumped, and according to his P.R. spiel, only something like 3 smallies in 200 muskies were found. B.S.!!!!!


The V.D.G.I.F. introduced these slime rockets around '70 or '72, and below Claytor Lake, they are naturalized. Supposedly, the stocking program there hasn't been used in 6 or 7 years. Yeah, now we are over loaded with stunted muskies and trophy (20"+) smallmouth are rather scarce.

I tend to agree with your buddy. The Susquehanna, although an obviously different fishery, is home to both muskie and flathead catfish yet is still one of the premier smallmouth fisheries in the country. The same with the Potomac in regards to muskie and flathead. Although the Potomac was never, and will never be the smallmouth fishery the Susquehanna is, there has been an explosion of flathead in recent years with a still very healthy muskie population (state record of 49" caught just 2 years ago) and I haven't seen a decline in smallmouth fishing one bit. I think guys are also finding out the same in the lower Potomac in regards to the snakeheads.

Now, with all of that said I used to think the muskie and booming flathead populations were going to ruin my local waters for smallmouth. But with years of evidence (out fishing) I couldn't back that hypothesis up. Hopefully the future provides the same evidence.
 
I'd be fishing for muskie if they were so prolific you can't catch a smallie over them. I love some smallies, but also really love some pike/muskie. If you hate them then keep your limit of them to eat, they're decent table fair.
 
handyandy said:
I'd be fishing for muskie if they were so prolific you can't catch a smallie over them. I love some smallies, but also really love some pike/muskie. If you hate them then keep your limit of them to eat, they're decent table fair.

Andy, to me that is akin to going to a restaurant, ordering a rare porterhouse and being served fried Spam. Ain't what I'm after.
 
In the US we have moved species around for at least 150 years. It is hard to tell what species are actually native unless you look it up.

In the West, German browns, kokanee, and lake trout are often introduced. So are bass and pike.

The native species are mostly rainbows, cutthroats, salmon and steelhead. There are many local endemic species with relatively small ranges.

It is only recently that Fish and Game Depts have started to pay attention to the original ranges of native fish species.
 
ppine said:
In the US we have moved species around for at least 150 years. It is hard to tell what species are actually native unless you look it up.

In the West, German browns, kokanee, and lake trout are often introduced. So are bass and pike.

The native species are mostly rainbows, cutthroats, salmon and steelhead. There are many local endemic species with relatively small ranges.

It is only recently that Fish and Game Depts have started to pay attention to the original ranges of native fish species.


There is a small water company reservoir near me that is stocked with rainbows among other things. Some time ago a fringe group went to court and got an injunction to stop the state DFW from planting rainbows at the reservoir. Said the rainbows would harm the native species. Thing is, I'm not sure what native species would have been there prior to the dam being built. Frogs & lizards maybe. From what I read, the same group tried unsuccessfully to stop all state and private hatchery stocking subject to environmental studies. They lost in court.
 
How many similar frivolous suits tie up our legal system top to bottom.

FFS...it's a reservoir...it used to be a pair of opposing hillsides divided by a stream. Go ahead idiot plaintiff...reintroduce groundhogs and deer to their previous inhabited locations...let's get you all locked up for animal cruelty so we never have to deal with this again.

Invasive species will inhabit an invasive ecosystem - plain and simple. Just don't let the damned slimmers in, that's all I ask. Lure stealing fiends belong up north where Canadians can deal with them.
 
Rainbows are native to a lot of the West.
It is aggravating at times, but having boat inspections for invasive species like clams, mussels and millefoil are a good idea.

Game departments have done a much better job of managing native species than Fish Departments.
 
ppine said:
Rainbows are native to a lot of the West.
It is aggravating at times, but having boat inspections for invasive species like clams, mussels and millefoil are a good idea.

Game departments have done a much better job of managing native species than Fish Departments.

I'm 100% behind whatever they need to do to keep those zebra & quagga mussels out of our Northern California lakes. I hope they don't discontinue the inspections.
 

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