The PCR Dilemma

[horsetrader]

Originally Posted by DarkAisling

I think one's perception of the data is affected by whether or not someone is a "glass half full" or "glass half empty" type of person.

I personally found the data that was posted to be incredibly encouraging. There is proof of successful spawning (limited or not), and I have heard it said several times that the "walleye don't spawn in PCR." Apparently they do.

This is a young and man-made fishery: a scientific experiment of sorts. There is a lot of encouraging news in what was posted (if one cares to recognize it).

And honestly, when it comes to PCR, I can not for the life of me figure out what the fuss is all about. Are people being alarmists strictly to stir the pot? I can think of bigger things to get worked up about. Rome wasn't built in a day.

I'm also wondering how many of the alarmists have actually fished this lake.

I don't believe I'm a half empty type of person but where i came from we did not wait for a problem to get out of hand before we considered different way to help out but if this makes me a half empty person in your eyes so be it. I did not realize you had to fish a water system to be concerned over it must be another one of those alberta thing. And if you read you will see in my first post I said I had not fished this particular area. But see I don't need to fish an area to know when fish growth stops and fish are skinny there is a problem.
Its not called being an alarmist where I'm from it's called common sense.

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by horsetrader

I don't believe I'm a half empty type of person but where i came from we did not wait for a problem to get out of hand before we considered different way to help out but if this makes me a half empty person in your eyes so be it. I did not realize you had to fish a water system to be concerned over it must be another one of those alberta thing. And if you read you will see in my first post I said I had not fished this particular area. But see I don't need to fish an area to know when fish growth stops and fish are skinny there is a problem.
Its not called being an alarmist where I'm from it's called common sense.

Concern is good whether you have fished the lake or not.

[anthony5]

Being fairly new to this forum I wasn't t sure I wanted to be bashed by the participants online, BUT eyes are creatures of habit, and there is no question that the eye,s are spawning but, how much protection is there for the young of the year to survive knowing the amount of predators that are in this small body of water with little food source. Key question is when will the spawning areas for walleye and if, will get a little protection without, suckers, burbot (ling) pike,walleye, picking off the small of the year . If they have a spawning area that is what they are looking for they will spawn when the urge hits, they have too. If this an unprotected area for the fry then the feed is on
Their habit is to spawn in the same areas as they were reared, year after year. If no flowing water is available these fish will make do, predators or not. If the natural spawning areas in PCR pick up some cover for these newby's then things will change considerably. Other than that leave this place alone and let it become what it may.

P.S. Not that old but been around long time!

[BeeGuy]

Originally Posted by horsetrader

I don't believe I'm a half empty type of person but where i came from we did not wait for a problem to get out of hand before we considered different way to help out but if this makes me a half empty person in your eyes so be it. I did not realize you had to fish a water system to be concerned over it must be another one of those alberta thing. And if you read you will see in my first post I said I had not fished this particular area. But see I don't need to fish an area to know when fish growth stops and fish are skinny there is a problem.
Its not called being an alarmist where I'm from it's called common sense.

You'll find that all of the fish in PCR are healthy.

The eyes are not skin and bones. They are muscular and feisty.

The few we caught today were 14" and deep in the body.

[horsetrader]

Originally Posted by BeeGuy

You'll find that all of the fish in PCR are healthy.

The eyes are not skin and bones. They are muscular and feisty.

The few we caught today were 14" and deep in the body.

As you say PICS!!!!!!!!!

[npauls]

I wouldn't say the eyes in pcr are unhealthy but they aren't fat either like other walleye lakes.

I really think some sort of bait fish would take the pressure off of the eyes a bit and you might start to see more age groups in the future.

[BeeGuy]

Originally Posted by npauls

I wouldn't say the eyes in pcr are unhealthy but they aren't fat either like other walleye lakes.

I really think some sort of bait fish would take the pressure off of the eyes a bit and you might start to see more age groups in the future.

x2

Maybe even crayfish would be a decent food source.

There is a crazy amount of gammarus in the lake, anything that would eat the shrimp and could hide would be a good bet to get more biomass moving up the food chain.

Burbot guts today were packed with gammarus, caddis, and chironomid larvae.

[horsetrader]

Originally Posted by BeeGuy

x2

Maybe even crayfish would be a decent food source.

There is a crazy amount of gammarus in the lake, anything that would eat the shrimp and could hide would be a good bet to get more biomass moving up the food chain.

Burbot guts today were packed with gammarus, caddis, and chironomid larvae.

I would agree with you there I think crayfish would be an ideal food source to introduce. And should be easy to control to that area.

[BeeGuy]

Originally Posted by horsetrader

I would agree with you there I think crayfish would be an ideal food source to introduce. And should be easy to control to that area.

Ya, I was thinking about the issue of dispersal, and I really don't know anything about crays in AB, so I won't speculate.

Just thinking there might be an alternative forage of some kind we haven't thought of.

I fished a lake trout lake in Northern ON once which was full of crays and the lakers fed on them as a primary food source. Medium sized and very plentiful fish. kinda cool