What Fish Would You Like To Se Stocked And Where.

[Gavin]

Will do Ron.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I know of at least one salmon run in Washington where wild returning kings that still have the adipose fin are intentionally being culled at the hatchery. The biologist at that facility specifically stated they were being removed to keep them from going upstream and establishing a run. That's great for job security at the hatchery and it probably pleases a lot of polluters who would otherwise need to clean up their act, but that shows a complete disregard for sustainability.

A more resonable explanation would be that they don't delay wild fish. Wlid fish often go into rivers because of other reasons. The Clearwater B steelhead is often caught far up the Deschutes river where they go when temperatures in the Columbia get to high.

The statement by the biologist sounds suspect at best and doesn't make sense. Even if they did fear they would start a new run the could use them in the hatchery. Surely no one involved in the salmon hatcheries on the west coast believes any wild run will replace a hatchery in the future?

Quillback you don't mention browns, surely the state didn't overlook them. Kokanee could go that list because if i remember right they are only native to one lake in WA state, is that correct?

[Tim Smith]

A more resonable explanation would be that they don't delay wild fish. Wlid fish often go into rivers because of other reasons. The Clearwater B steelhead is often caught far up the Deschutes river where they go when temperatures in the Columbia get to high.

The statement by the biologist sounds suspect at best and doesn't make sense. Even if they did fear they would start a new run the could use them in the hatchery. Surely no one involved in the salmon hatcheries on the west coast believes any wild run will replace a hatchery in the future?

They do use the wild fish at the hatchery, but remember the parr are imprinting on the hatchery, not the watershed upstream. Fish in this system are in one tight run and have to pass into fresh water to get to the hatchery. Some of them may be strays but they are there to spawn.

I do think I'm going to back off this specific point, though. Thinking about some of these issues, you may be right that there are other issues at play here in this system. I should probably cut these specific guys some slack.

However, I do stand behind my general perception that there is a large group in the west and elsewhere who don't really see wild fish as being any different than hatchery fish and who see the efforts to conserve spawning habitat as a bother.

[Quillback]

Yep Wayne there are some browns in some of the lakes and rivers, but just a few of the rivers, there's also a lake or two with Atlantic salmon and some golden trout in some of the alpine lakes, and I'm sure there are some other introduced species I haven't mentioned. I don't know about kokanees, I know they are native to Lake Sammamish, but don't know any beyond that. Many of the lakes that have kokanee are impounded rivers so it is quite possible that they weren't native to many lakes in WA. Kokanee are basically landlocked sockeye.

And Tim you're right that there a quite a few folks who see a salmon as a salmon whether it is wild or hatchery. However in the last 20 years folks in the PNW have become much more educated on salmon issues, wild vs hatchery being just one of the many issues that exist when it comes to salmon/steelhead runs.

[dtrs5kprs]

Smallmouth. Truman.

[Wayne SW/MO]

However, I do stand behind my general perception that there is a large group in the west and elsewhere who don't really see wild fish as being any different than hatchery fish and who see the efforts to conserve spawning habitat as a bother.

I would agree.

Quillback I have 13 years experience in OR and there are browns there also. I just think it is intetesting how they often slide under the radar. I discussed a largemouth invasion in an impound with a biologist that had declared them a disaster to the native fish in his lake. The fish had come from another lake upstream and taken a hold in his lake. His natives consisted of kokanee, browns, brookies and rainbows, the only true natives. The discussion wasn't making him happy and when I arrogantly pointed out that his browns weren't even native to the continent he hung up on me. :lol:

Many of the exotics in OR, atlantics and brookies at least, are in formally sterile mountain lakes and have little chance to expand there range.

Smallmouth. Truman.

They already have access and if they liked it they would be there.

[WakenLake]

Theres still native species I havent got to catch yet, so I say Im cool with what we have.

[Quillback]

I would agree.

Quillback I have 13 years experience in OR and there are browns there also. I just think it is intetesting how they often slide under the radar. I discussed a largemouth invasion in an impound with a biologist that had declared them a disaster to the native fish in his lake. The fish had come from another lake upstream and taken a hold in his lake. His natives consisted of kokanee, browns, brookies and rainbows, the only true natives. The discussion wasn't making him happy and when I arrogantly pointed out that his browns weren't even native to the continent he hung up on me. :lol:

Many of the exotics in OR, atlantics and brookies at least, are in formally sterile mountain lakes and have little chance to expand there range.

They already have access and if they liked it they would be there.

WA has pretty much stopped stocking trout in the alpine lakes, as you mentioned most of them did not contain trout prior to them being stocked. They did however contain salamanders and the trout put a dent in the population. You wouldn't think a trout could eat a salamander, but I once cleaned a 14" rainbow that had an 8 inch salamander in it's stomach. But in many of the lakes the trout can reproduce and will overpopulate so they've taken the limits off on some of the lakes. You can catch 10-12" brookies and cutthroat until you get tired of catching them. Price for admission is an 8 mile uphill hike.

[dtrs5kprs]

They already have access and if they liked it they would be there.

This is the KS vs. MO reservoir strain smallmouth stocking issue. KS has seen a good bit of success putting reservoir brownies in its lakes. Originally I thought it was not viable at Truman, but KS results would seem to point to it being possible.

[Bill B.]

In 1967/68, the MDC released 200+ muskies into the Niangua arm of Lake of the Ozarks. In 1981, LOZ produced the current Missouri state record muskie. It came from the Niangua arm. Might be interesting to try that again.

Arkansas tried lake trout in Bull Shoals back in the '80s. Didn't work out very well.