My comment about crowd sourcing a rotenone treatment was intended to be somewhat tongue in cheek. My point is I don't think trying to use an invasive species as a food source for a more piscivorous strain or species of cold water game fish is going to work. I've seen this happen in BC with red sided shiners and perch and it is nearly impossible to achieve, let alone maintain, a large population of mature fish that will have an appreciable impact on the invasives. At best, what will likely happen is that it will create a "head hunter" fishery where a few very large trout exist, but the sheer persistence required to catch them makes the reward not worth the effort to many anglers.
I've heard the comment before about certain groups targeting invasive species once they are established, and I have to suspect that it is small percentage of these same folks that are responsible for introducing them in the first place. I tend to agree with Don, why do we then let them benefit from these illegal stockings? I think when the first invasive species is detected the lake (I'm only talking lakes) I think it should be treated rotenone ASAP, and then there should be a follow-up treatment. Once to kill the juveniles and adults, and then a second time after the usual gestation period (not sure if that is the appropriate word in this context) for the invasive species in question. Then close the lake to fishing for 5 years to allow the invertebrate populations to rebuild before restocking with trout.
I know this proposed action is drastic, but why in the name of all that is holy do we as a province have to ignore the work done by other fisheries managers in other jurisdictions that have faced similar issues and wait for the situation to explode before coming up with plan of action?
* sorry sparkplug, that wasn't directed at you - I was going to respond to your post and then do a general post after, but it didn't end up that way.