"maybe a more positive option could be netting the perch and transplanting them to other lakes in the areas that naturally have perch popullations , but could use a boost from fresh stock. If you think about it alot of these perch could then reach a really nice size and contribute to increasing good populations in some lakes that in recent years you just don't see or catch as readlily. Like my dad tells me of years back at wabamun where guys would be lined up on the dock shoulder to shoulder catching perch. They would and could be a very good asset to have in these lakes to boost popullations of other game fish walleye, pike, burbot, even whites.

Just a thought"


Sounds good in theory but it comes down to cost and effectiveness. Trying to remove perch with non-lethal methods (traps/nets/angling etc) costs a ton of money and needs to be done very frequently (likely every year). Draining a lake or poisoning with rotenone (or both) is very expensive and controversial, not a method thats easily utilized anymore. I know there's lakes that would really benefit from perch stockings (at least to feed the pike and walleye) but then other factors come into play as well. More species in a lake make management more time consuming and expensive (or so the story goes). Spreading parasites and disease also makes the government hesitant to move fish around in many situations.
Removing every fish from a large waterbody without draining or poison is next to impossible, even if you have millions of dollars to spend on crews of netters to work for months straight its tough.
I really like the new regulation, at least it's worth a try. Some lakes are obviously just being accepted for what they are, and a perch limit of 15 remains. There's just no removing perch from lakes like Cow where the surface area and weed density make it so tough to cover the entire thing. I still think stocking brown trout instead of rainbows in some of the illegally stocked lakes would be another good idea but i don't think the money is there to give it a try (browns, especially big ones will eat a lot of other fish).