Perch Netting With Fyke Nets...

[Guest Sundancefisher]

We have all heard about stocked rainbow trout lakes becoming infested with illegally introduced yellow perch. Down in Calgary, Lake Sundance was targetted many years ago. Rather than give up we started an active netting management and mitigation program to combat perch. Since Stocked lakes don't have native predators like pike and walleye survival of young of the year in perch is high. As the population of perch explode two things happen...they run out of food and space. Nature evolved perch to deal with this by stunting...so that more individuals can live in a lake with less food.

 

The unfortunate effect is also reduced food and growth for rainbow trout. As you net the perch you in effect remove enough the remaining perch start to grow again making them an angler target and using more people to act as predators.

 

We are now in our 4th year and in response to people asking what the process is I attach this video.

 

 

Any questions, please ask.

 

As for current results.

 

The netting results are as follows:

 

In 2009 - 31,565 perch were captured and removed

In 2010 - 6,619 perch were captured and removed

In 2011 - 5,653 perch were captured and removed

 

(average weight of 0.04 kg/perch) total removed to date by netting is 1,753 kg of perch.

 

In 2012

 

Week one - 1047

Week two - 707

Week three - 527

Week three.five - 60 (netting concluded for the Spring as fewer spawning perch were captured.

 

 

Additional harvest of perch via angling is also signficant although not tracked. Loons, grebes and mergansers may also take some perch. When the perch are in their pelagic larval stage they may be predated on by trout feeding in the middle of the lake. As perch get larger...the spines likely prevent any significant predation by trout, regardless of size. There are bugs, fathead minnows and lake chub that are easier to eat than a fish covered in barb wire.

 

Average sizes are going up and catch rates both netting and angling are going down. Relative condition factors of trout seem to be better and they seem to be getting more food.

 

Hopefully word gets out to stop spreading perch!

 

Cheers all

 

Sun

[snuffy]

Well done.

[ham]

Impressive numbers, amazing what you can do with a little perseverance.

[Guest Sundancefisher]

Impressive numbers, amazing what you can do with a little perseverance.

 

It seems like we may be able to net less after the initial couple years as the population gets beat down. While it is interesting and only takes about 2 hours to pull and reset...it is a shame it has to be done at all.

 

It has been kind of an event over the past 4 years and people get some perch to take home and also see how netting works.