Quote:
Originally Posted by WayneChristie
I agree with some sort of slot limit, but how do you figure only big fish are the spawners? Every fertile fish over spawning age spawns, and even a 3 or 4 pounder will have the same genes as its parents, if mamma is a 50 pound hog the 4 pounders young have exactly the same potential with good conditions, to make it up to the big size. Who do you think has the best chance of survival, eggs from a healthy fresh young pike or some mossy old snag toothed 40 pound grannie thats been fighting to survive for a lot of years? If someone decided to keep a trophy thats up to them, some people will and some will release her every time.
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Genetics play a huge role in size of any animal/fish etc.... Just like humans. a 6'5" guy has a kid with a 6' lady- the kid is no dount going to be huge lol. On top of that, muscle mass in fish (just like humans) has a lot to do with genetics.
This is why I think we need a slot or even a zero limit for a few years. Ya a slot/zero limit would **** a lot of people off, but a true fisherman/woman would see the benifits of it and be fine with it.
A good way to kill a trophy lake is keep taking the "big ones" home with you. It removes their abilitly to pass those "big" genes on each year.
Genetics also play a role other than body size. Feeding habits are genetic too. Feeding is instinct and instinct is genetic. For exmaple if a certain 'X' pike has a instinct to always feed at night, it will have a much better chance of getting huge. Those feeding instincts get passed on genetically.
We very well could have had some genetic pike that grew to 60-75lbs, and what ever those fish genes were that allowed them to get that big would be gone if we kept/killed that breeding group of pike. Mind you, genetics are always changing therefore we can get genetics like that to develope in our fish stocks if we don't kill the big ones.
Thanks for all those who are contributing to this thread. Can't wait to wet a line.