The PCR Dilemma

chubbdarter · #1 11-24-2011, 09:57 PM

I have never fished the Resevoir but read alot of posts.
Are the fish starving?
Are fish cropping their off spring to a zero factor?
With the consumption warnings on the fish...whats the solution?

What the solution?

WayneChristie · #2 11-24-2011, 10:16 PM

bored too eh?

I dont think in any case the government would allow keepers in PCR, since they have a consumption warning for the mercury, would it not open up liability issues? Then again, you can keep pike and burbs there, and Twin Valley and they have a mercury warning as well.

chubbdarter · #3 11-24-2011, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

bored too eh?

I dont think in any case the government would allow keepers in PCR, since they have a consumption warning for the mercury, would it not open up liability issues? Then again, you can keep pike and burbs there, and Twin Valley and they have a mercury warning as well.

If walleyes were netted and transferred to another body of water would their mercury content lessen?

BeeGuy · #4 11-24-2011, 10:26 PM

The bioassay results are available online.

Burbot have higher Hg levels than the walleye. However, there is a wide range of Hg reported for all of the assayed species, and I suspect this is due to an insufficient sample size.

All of the fish in PCR are within the range of commercially available store bought fish.

The fish are 8 years old, and average 15-17". They are lean and muscular little torpedoes.

PCR seems fine the way it is. IMO

WayneChristie · #5 11-24-2011, 10:27 PM

I really have no idea, but that would be a good solution if it did, actually why dont they net a couple million of them and ship them up to Wab, its already full of tainted fish anyways

chubbdarter · #6 11-24-2011, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeeGuy

The bioassay results are available online.

Burbot have higher Hg levels than the walleye. However, there is a wide range of Hg reported for all of the assayed species, and I suspect this is due to an insufficient sample size.

All of the fish in PCR are within the range of commercially available store bought fish.

The fish are 8 years old, and average 15-17". They are lean and muscular little torpedoes.

PCR seems fine the way it is. IMO

So there is recruitment?

happyfisher · #7 11-24-2011, 10:33 PM

i didnt know there was a warning for merc......booooooo but if u want to catch fish guaranteed.....its the place to go.....

happy

Daceminnow · #8 11-24-2011, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

bored too eh?

I dont think in any case the government would allow keepers in PCR, since they have a consumption warning for the mercury, would it not open up liability issues? Then again, you can keep pike and burbs there, and Twin Valley and they have a mercury warning as well.

lots of bodies of water in the province open to keeping your catch with merc warnings. liabilities, i don't think so wayne.

this is in the alberta regs.

http://www.albertaregulations.ca/fis...n-advisory.pdf

you want answers and solutions chub? try explaining to the kids catching as many fish as you want all day long, most days you venture out. year to year the same deal. help me answer some of these questions."daddy why are they all the same size? why aren't they growing from year to year? if there's so many, why can't we keep a couple? they're must be starving, we're catching them on everything."

Dace

chubbdarter · #9 11-24-2011, 10:39 PM

So if opened to harvest would you guys fish and chip some?

chubbdarter · #10 11-24-2011, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daceminnow

lots of bodies of water in the province open to keeping your catch with merc warnings. liabilities, i don't think so wayne.

this is in the alberta regs.

http://www.albertaregulations.ca/fis...n-advisory.pdf

you want answers and solutions chub? try explaining to the kids catching as many fish as you want all day long, most days you venture out. year to year the same deal. help me answer some of these questions."daddy why are they all the same size? why aren't they growing from year to year? if there's so many, why can't we keep a couple? they're must be starving, we're catching them on everything."

Dace

Dace..... so just 1 year class?

wildman · #11 11-24-2011, 10:42 PM

Thisll be calling lake in a year or two as well

slivers86 · #12 11-24-2011, 10:43 PM

I say keep it as it is. Its a great place for families to go, within distance of both lethbridge, calgary, okotoks, highriver and surrounding areas. You can camp overnight, catch plenty of fish from shore (for those who cannot afford a boat). I've seen plenty of happy faces when children catch fish there non-stop.

Keep it C&R, and leave it as the lone place other than a couple of ponds where a 3 yr old kid can sit on the dock, and be guaranteed he'll catch his first fish, like most of us, under a bobber with grandpa at his side

happyfisher · #13 11-24-2011, 10:44 PM

so if i go this sunday....just bring long rods?

slivers86 · #14 11-24-2011, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by happyfisher

so if i go this sunday....just bring long rods?

Happy, if you go this sunday, and by chance its frozen enough to drop something through the ice, bring the stinkiest bait you can find, smelts work well for eyes, but I think herring steaks might nail the burbot there. Cat food works there, worms, powerbait, you name it.

Just beware of the hamburgler

chubbdarter · #15 11-24-2011, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildman

Thisll be calling lake in a year or two as well

Wild.....explain furthur please

chubbdarter · #16 11-24-2011, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slivers86

I say keep it as it is. Its a great place for families to go, within distance of both lethbridge, calgary, okotoks, highriver and surrounding areas. You can camp overnight, catch plenty of fish from shore (for those who cannot afford a boat). I've seen plenty of happy faces when children catch fish there non-stop.

Keep it C&R, and leave it as the lone place other than a couple of ponds where a 3 yr old kid can sit on the dock, and be guaranteed he'll catch his first fish, like most of us, under a bobber with grandpa at his side

Sliver...without recruitment is the lake not on a one way road to........?
A self cropping population is doom

happyfisher · #17 11-24-2011, 10:53 PM

i take smelts.....put them out for 2 nights.....they stink and burbot come on in....!!!!!

happyfisher · #18 11-24-2011, 10:55 PM

do u think i can ice fish it by dec 3rd?

slivers86 · #19 11-24-2011, 10:58 PM

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/fou...qlink_st_14day

looks promising, perhaps by the 3rd

happyfisher · #20 11-24-2011, 11:06 PM

silver thanks....but u think that looks promising? actually i built a shack and putting it on mcgragor that weekend...if there is ice.........i got private land to access it....boo-ya!!!!

every year lots of hammerhandels.....walleye....decent pike .....but im gunna sleep in it so im hopin for burb to......i bought a little me heater.....its still too cold i guess i need a bigger heater......its a small shack only 40" by 100"......

lol

BeeGuy · #21 11-24-2011, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chubbdarter

Sliver...without recruitment is the lake not on a one way road to........?
A self cropping population is doom

There appears to be only a single age class of walleye in the lake.

Apparently walleye can live nearly 30 years. If this is the case, we may have another 20 years to enjoy the fishery as it is.

The walleye population may be on a one way road, however there is more in the lake than just walleye.

They count too.

As it is, the walleye are lean, but very muscular, and I wouldn't say they are starving. As the population declines due to fishing pressure and predation, we may see some larger fish and recruitment.

For the next decade or so I don't really see any dilemma, of course that is, unless the only purpose of stocking walleye is to develop a trophy fishery.

But, who would want to try and target trophy walleye with a hundred jet boats screaming around? And if the fishery was managed for that, then it wouldn't be the family friendly fishery it is now.

chubbdarter · #22 11-24-2011, 11:09 PM

Im not sure asking fisherman for real life data will work.............unless Bio's want smelt secrets

npauls · #23 11-24-2011, 11:16 PM

Chub I think they are starving.

That is the only place I have ever been where I have caught eyes on anything I have dropped down.

The fish seem to be staying the same size or barely growing and I am not seeing any sort of new year classes.

I haven't fished the lake for a year or more and rarely head there but I think something needs to be done to get it to the self sustaining fishery that it should be.

I don't know if they could introduce some sort of bait fish to try and get the fish to grow more. I would think a stocking of white fish, shiners, or chubbs may work but who knows how many they would have to dump in there to keep a population in there long enough to spawn and also have a self sustaining bait fish population.

chubbdarter · #24 11-24-2011, 11:21 PM

If you believe a fish isnt getting its full nutritional requirements...can it live for the 30 years as posted above?

Daceminnow · #25 11-24-2011, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chubbdarter

Dace..... so just 1 year class?

in the two seasons i've fished it, i've seen nothing to lead me to believe anything otherwise. same, same.

npauls · #26 11-24-2011, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chubbdarter

If you believe a fish isnt getting its full nutritional requirements...can it live for the 30 years as posted above?

Nope. I think that lake will go down hill fast if something doesn't change in the next few years.

Commander B · #27 11-24-2011, 11:24 PM

Chub i would say there are three year classes. 10" to 14", 15" to 17" majority, and the odd 18" ,19" or maybe they are more productive feeders. wondering if this corrisponds to previous stockings as natural recruitment is questionable?. Clearly this will never be a trophy lake,i think the major food source is shrimp. the pike on the other hand have excelent potential.

wierd that the burbs are all relitivly similar in size aswell.

B.

BeeGuy · #28 11-24-2011, 11:26 PM

Well, it has been shown in many studies that smaller size and weight significantly increases longevity.

So, yes.

As I suggested above, although the fish do not have an excess of food, they are healthy and not starving IMO.

I believe their willingness to take almost any presentation is a response to very high competition due to the sheer magnitude of the fish population.

I have not seen any fish which have starved to death. The fish fight like crazy and are extremely vigorous.

chubbdarter · #29 11-24-2011, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Commander B

Chub i would say there are three year classes. 10" to 14", 15" to 17" majority, and the odd 18" ,19" or maybe they are more productive feeders. wondering if this corrisponds to previous stockings as natural recruitment is questionable?. Clearly this will never be a trophy lake,i think the major food source is shrimp. the pike on the other hand have excelent potential.

wierd that the burbs are all relitivly similar in size aswell.

B.

The 19" to 10" could possibly be recruitment depending on growth rates.

Have you seen much skin abnormalities?

BeeGuy · #30 11-24-2011, 11:34 PM

We pulled well over 500 fish from PCR this summer and every fish was between 13" and 17". Probably 80%+ were 14.5-16.5"