makomakoman wrote:
Chris
It has to do with the last time they opened the gate and had an alewife run, the fishing for the Smallmouth was horrible that year. They believe the 2 species eat the same food and would compete. One year does not make a study and they need to let this run its course.
Smallmouth is not a native species for that region, but it does bring a lot of revenue to the guides and camps of that depressed county.
I figured it was something like that. I do not know enough about the alewives and smallmouth bass to say for sure, but I just find it hard to believe that alewives are that problematic. Do they really eat the same things? Apparently some guys up there think so...
Since the smallmouths are real important to that area they should probably be careful but I still find it hard to support purposefully blocking alewives from accessing the river just to maybe help out the smallmouth bass fishery. It would be one thing if I believed alewives and smallmouths competed, but I have my doubts about that. But again, thats just my 2 cents, I do not know enough about the issue there to say what should or should not happen. I would think that alewives would be a good food source for smallmouths and other predator fish in the river.
And like you, I am not sure what the tribe is thinking going against this. It may be about politics and sovereignty and not fish, so who knows.
This post edited by twofinbluna 11:59 PM 04/09/2008
Chris
It has to do with the last time they opened the gate and had an alewife run, the fishing for the Smallmouth was horrible that year. They believe the 2 species eat the same food and would compete. One year does not make a study and they need to let this run its course.
Smallmouth is not a native species for that region, but it does bring a lot of revenue to the guides and camps of that depressed county.
I figured it was something like that. I do not know enough about the alewives and smallmouth bass to say for sure, but I just find it hard to believe that alewives are that problematic. Do they really eat the same things? Apparently some guys up there think so...
Since the smallmouths are real important to that area they should probably be careful but I still find it hard to support purposefully blocking alewives from accessing the river just to maybe help out the smallmouth bass fishery. It would be one thing if I believed alewives and smallmouths competed, but I have my doubts about that. But again, thats just my 2 cents, I do not know enough about the issue there to say what should or should not happen. I would think that alewives would be a good food source for smallmouths and other predator fish in the river.
And like you, I am not sure what the tribe is thinking going against this. It may be about politics and sovereignty and not fish, so who knows.
This post edited by twofinbluna 11:59 PM 04/09/2008
