Pesky pike winning public relations battle in Sierra town (Or, "Common Sense Eludes CA")

sacramento bee ^ | 9-8-03 | don thompson

[hoosierskypilot]

PORTOLA, Calif. (AP) - The voracious northern pike that have survived every effort to eradicate them from a scenic Sierra Nevada lake now appear to be winning the public relations battle as well.

State wildlife officials poisoned Lake Davis six years ago in an unsuccessful attempt to kill the foreign fish they fear will devastate the lake's trout population and could endanger downstream salmon. They've since tried shocking, netting, trapping, hooking and even blowing up the toothy pike, only to see the population keep growing.

[hoosierskypilot]

The govt blew $11 million in yet another typical incompetent display.

The answer? Leave it to the outdoorsmen. Place a bounty on the fish and save $11 million. Outdoorsmen will eradicate the problem. We're the only ones with sense, anyway, when it comes to nature.

[1066AD]

Pike are fun to catch, why not promote the lake as a Pike fishery.. give prizes.. hold tournaments, needn't cost the taxpayer anything much.

[Ditto]

Want to control Northerns? Bring in some Muskie.

[Onelifetogive]

"Where are the animal rights people when we need 'em? Don't those pike have a right to live too?"

There is a significant contingent of people in this country (enviros, Dimocrats, etc) that believe that invasive, non-native species (like these pike or white people) have no rights to remain in certain ecosystems.

[The_Victor]

They've since tried shocking, netting, trapping, hooking and even blowing up the toothy pike, only to see the population keep growing.

Sounds like a job for me, a boat, and my rod and reel. They can pay me to eradicate (or at least try) these pesky pike.

[ZGuy]

Lake Davis Northern Pike Web Page

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[hoosierskypilot]

I was recently on a guided fishing trip in Oregon for trout. The guide said we could keep the planted fish but not the native fish. You tell the difference because the dorsal fin is clipped (by hand, individually) on the planted fish.

So I ask him why? His explanation was that the native fish have an existential connection with the planet and they belong there. The planted fish do not.

I turned around to look at him, expecting to see him grinning. He was dead serious.

I wanted to ask him, "What's the weather like on your planet, anyway?" But I didn't.

[snarkpup]

Northerns are mighty good eatin'. I used to live in Minnesota where these were the principal game fish.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Hmmm. Why don't the crack government scientists try to save the fish?

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Does one ever conclude the leftist gov types can't stand success of any species that thrives on it's own?

A few years ago the crack of rifles, the use of traps and distribution of poison was rampant as the gov fur, fin and feather types sought to eradicate the ravens in the Mohave Desert of CA, NV and AZ. Why? Well it appeared the ravens after eating road killed tortoises with crushed shells on the highways for a few decades had moved things up a notch. They were taking the small tortoises for a airborne ride, and then dropping them onto rocks breaking open their shells. FFF solution, kill the ravens for being so uppity and intelligent.

Fast forward to society, liberals hate individual success. Note to uppity intelligent people, don't go on helicopter rides with gov types.

[tubebender]

This one must be dear to you ???

[Grampa Dave]

Better yet, feed the top management of Ca Fish and Game to the pike and then have some Pike contests next year. As noted in the article.

""Keep the pike and get rid of Fish and Game," agreed bar owner Brian Hudson. "Where are the animal rights people when we need 'em? Don't those pike have a right to live too?"

Personally, I will buy some Tywire leader material to make wire tippets for my bigger fly rods. Then I will tie some varmit size flies to go to Davis lake next summer/fall.

It will be a blast to catch, kill and eat some of these Pike.

[Grampa Dave]

The upper management of Ca Fish and Game and Oregon Fish and game are graduates of Watermelon U of Jihadism.

If these fools just disappeared from the face of the earth, the critters and fishers/hunters would be better off immediately.

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.

Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

[thedugal]

California is trying to avoid the fate of areas like Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, where illegally introduced pike have devastated the trout and salmon populations. Some lakes there are barren of any fish but the pike, which then feed on each other.

How many of these government weenies believe in evolution? Seems to me like this is the perfect example. Keep those pike in those lakes for a few million years and they'll start voting democrat. After a few million more years they may even evolve into republicans...

[Mike Darancette]

Well it appeared the ravens after eating road killed tortoises with crushed shells on the highways for a few decades had moved things up a notch. They were taking the small tortoises for a airborne ride, and then dropping them onto rocks breaking open their shells.

LOL - Evolution in action!

[okie01]

My youngest daughter is majoring in Wildlife Biology.

This looks like an excellent article for her. And for her professors...

[Iscool]

I live in Michigan...On an inland lake...The lake has pike in it...I know, I've caught 'em...

The lake has Speckled Bass, or Croppie, or Crappie, depending on where you are from...Also has bluegills, sunfish, and bullheads...Largemouth as well as Smallmouth bass...Yellow bellied perch..."Big" ones...Been some brown trout caught out of there...
I'd like to see these moronic fish and game people out there explain that...

The rivers in the State that empty into lakes that then have channels into the Great Lakes are loaded with pike and "all" other kinds of fish...Right exactly now, hundreds and hundreds of boats are lined up at the mouths of these rivers pulling in Chinook and King Salmon...In a couple of weeks, these Salmon will head upstream in these rivers (which are also loaded with pike) and spawn when they reach their destination...The little Salmon will then head out into the Great Lakes again to start the cycle over...

Sounds like those gov't guys have come up with a real fish story of their own...

[StriperSniper]

Sounds like a job for me, a boat, and my rod and reel. They can pay me to eradicate (or at least try) these pesky pike.

Sounds like a big job, I'll give you a hand. ;-)