Have da Perch Been Eradicated from Vegreville Trout Pond?

[Garry B]

Someone told me the people caring for the Vegreville trout pond were trying to get rid of the perch by no longer aerating. Does anyone have more info on this? Not that I would ever try catching a perch in there if they still exist ...

[Isopod]

I wasn't aware the main Vegreville trout pond was aerated. But certainly when I was fishing the Veg. pond (off the Hwy 16 bypass, not the kid's pond in town) a few years ago in October, the perch were non-stop action. All just 6" to 7" long, but I caught about 60 in 2 hours. Went back this July to the exact same spot and caught ZERO in 2 hours. I was hoping for some keeper-size perch, but something obviously changed over those 2 or 3 years.

[3blade]

I remember hearing this last winter. They shut off the aerator and let it winterkill happened naturally to Cardiff and morinville as well.

Snot rocket snobs. Those 7 in perch make tasty fish sticks. Soooo much better than swamp salmon.

[last minute]

swamp salmon yummy

[RavYak]

There was a group that went out there this spring and I don't believe they caught a thing. Turning off the aerators might have worked but my guess a few perch will survive, they seem impossible to kill off completely.

[Garry B]

Then perhaps this music is fitting: http://youtu.be/5NKMk8IpcV8

[Isopod]

I went out there today specifically to target perch. Used a variety of lures, baited mostly with maggots or tiny minnows, some other baits too, distance from shore from 10 feet from shore out to the middle of the pond. Not even a nibble. If any perch remain, they are very far and few between. The middle of the pond is 21 feet deep, which I thought was enough to overwinter fish even without aeration, but there can be a lot of algae in that pond in summer so I guess that eats up a lot of oxygen as it decays over winter, making it die off even at over 20 feet deep.

[English Setter]

Was there a couple weeks ago with my grandson. Lots on the camera. They weren't very interested though.

[CMichaud]

Originally Posted by 3blade

I remember hearing this last winter. They shut off the aerator and let it winterkill happened naturally to Cardiff and morinville as well..

What pond in Morinville are you speaking of? and do you mean that the perch winterkilled at Cardiff?

I thought they pulled out the aerator at the F&G pond? There were trout and the odd pike in there as late as February although there were few bites to be sure.

[3blade]

Originally Posted by CMichaud

What pond in Morinville are you speaking of? and do you mean that the perch winterkilled at Cardiff?

I thought they pulled out the aerator at the F&G pond? There were trout and the odd pike in there as late as February although there were few bites to be sure.

Olllldddd thread lol.

The reservoir and Cardiff, both used to have great perch and big trout. The f&g pond never had anything decent, can't say I've bothered with it in many years.

winterkills starting in 2011-2012, 4 years in a row. I fished Cardiff a lot and never caught a single perch since fall 2011. Ironically, that fall I got into a school of jumbos and got my only perch over 12 inches. Saw dead ones in the spring, started a thread on here to see if anyone else was catching them. Nada. Might go put the camera down this spring just to see.

[sureshot]

Friend of mine caught over 5o there yesterday

[Isopod]

Originally Posted by sureshot

Friend of mine caught over 5o there yesterday

Where is "there"? Morinville, Cardiff, or Vegreville?

[sureshot]

Veg

[CMichaud]

Originally Posted by 3blade

Olllldddd thread lol.

The reservoir and Cardiff, both used to have great perch and big trout. The f&g pond never had anything decent, can't say I've bothered with it in many years.

winterkills starting in 2011-2012, 4 years in a row. I fished Cardiff a lot and never caught a single perch since fall 2011. Ironically, that fall I got into a school of jumbos and got my only perch over 12 inches. Saw dead ones in the spring, started a thread on here to see if anyone else was catching them. Nada. Might go put the camera down this spring just to see.

****....should have looked at the posts further up! Missed the old dates

Hence my confusion as I never saw a perch at Cardiff last year when I fished there.

Morinville F&G had two 27" pikes taken out this winter that I saw. In the summer a monster sow was also pulled out as well as at least two younger ones.

I have found Heritage to be slow but others have done well there this winter.

[3blade]

Originally Posted by CMichaud

****....should have looked at the posts further up! Missed the old dates

Hence my confusion as I never saw a perch at Cardiff last year when I fished there.

Morinville F&G had two 27" pikes taken out this winter that I saw. In the summer a monster sow was also pulled out as well as at least two younger ones.

I have found Heritage to be slow but others have done well there this winter.

Done well on perch or trout?? I was under the impression guys are only catching last years stockies there...

[CMichaud]

Done well on trout at Heritage ie limiting out with 14-16" RB.

Never heard tell of perch at Heritage.

[3blade]

Originally Posted by CMichaud

Done well on trout at Heritage ie limiting out with 14-16" RB.

Never heard tell of perch at Heritage.

Yeah that sounds about right. Used to average 9-10 inch perch and 20+ on rainbows. Stupid winters.

[Rage.0]

Still tons of perch in the reservoir.

[Vega21]

Originally Posted by sureshot

Friend of mine caught over 5o there yesterday

The whole winter kill of the perch at Veg has been greatly exaggerated. You can still catch perch on every side of the lake with...the right stuff. oooh ooo ooo.

[Vega21]

Originally Posted by CMichaud

Done well on trout at Heritage ie limiting out with 14-16" RB.

Never heard tell of perch at Heritage.

The winter of 2012 killed the perch in that pond. I can assure you that before that awful winter you couldn't keep them off the hook.