Author Topic: Why no panfish hatcheries?  (Read 1554 times)

Offline No Trout Please

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Why no panfish hatcheries?
« on: Nov 29, 2015, 02:00 PM »
I Know Idaho has always been a state that loves its trout but everywhere I go I run into people looking for panfish! I know the trout are planted for the kids and are easy to catch but so are perch and crappie! There are some lakes and reservoirs like Magic, Winchester, Manns  and many others that used to be good but have not been for years! I Know perch and crappie are very prolific and self sustaining but sometimes itd be nice to have some to restock those waters that need a hand along with trout. Those species are a huge draw to an area just look at Cascade, and heck im on a site devoted to icefishing so im definitely interested! So I was wondering if anyone can tell me why there are no hatcheries like this in Idaho?

Offline hooknhunter

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #1 on: Nov 29, 2015, 03:56 PM »
IDFG is very careful to not so anything that will jeopardize fragile native species.  I think that has a lot to do with it.

Offline No Trout Please

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #2 on: Nov 29, 2015, 04:19 PM »
That is true! But in the case of say Magic reservoir a hatchery trout is what about 8 inches you put a couple thousand perch that size back in there your back in business! They have already been in there before as is the case with a lot of these other waters instead of getting them from other states like we did at Cascade.

Offline tbone4444

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #3 on: Nov 29, 2015, 05:07 PM »
The fish and game has told me that the cost is too high and there is not enough demand. Both for a warm water hatchery and to purchase fish from our of state as well. Believe me, I and many others have expressed our concern on many occasions. The do still purchase walleye fry for SFCR and Oakley but no panfish recently that I am aware.....and that is why bucker brigaders exist. Ririe walleye as a prime example...

Offline No Trout Please

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #4 on: Nov 29, 2015, 05:22 PM »
I can understand the cost issue but it takes money to make money! I think the demand is there I don't know maybe its just me and a few others I don't really know for sure but if you could devote a small facility to this and jumpstart a few of these fisheries I think its not a bad idea!

Offline tbone4444

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #5 on: Nov 29, 2015, 07:12 PM »
Me and my friends agree 100%. We've all caught enough slime rockets to last a lifetime. What IDFG doesn't take into account is that we spend thousands of dollars a year to go after other species out of state. The ice fishing at Boysen and Fort Peck is incredible and worth the trip. Canada has 100 walleye days and Lake Powell offers a different species every cast, just frustrating......

Offline No Trout Please

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #6 on: Nov 29, 2015, 07:31 PM »
You got that right! I Don't know all the logistics or whatd it take to do something like that but itd be worth a shot! I know id rather make fish tacos out of a crappie or perch than try and choke down a rainbow!

Squarehog

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #7 on: Nov 29, 2015, 07:38 PM »
I think when Idaho Fish and Game feels the need to plant panfish that they get them from the large prolific bodies of water that produce major panfish ,I've heard of them doing that quite a bit.. the pan fishing around here is pretty dang awesome by the way..

Offline No Trout Please

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #8 on: Nov 29, 2015, 07:49 PM »
Icefishing awesome or out of a boat? If  your talking about out of a boat your right! Brownlee, Strike, Owhee in Oregon, Cascade only one of those will get decent ice! If so then do you think they'll restock Magic? Im just wondering why we don't just try and raise our own because the last big body of water we got them from was not in Idaho and we needed them and lok how popular that certain body of water has become!

Offline fishermantim

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #9 on: Nov 29, 2015, 07:53 PM »
If the issue is created by having an overabundance of predatory fish (like pickerel) then maybe the could recommend "culling the herd".
When we had issues at one particular pond (Long Sought for Pond) with lots of picks which decimated the panfish numbers, so that all the picks you caught were small and/or thin.
The state allowed anglers to remove many of these small fish which then allowed the remaining panfish to make a comeback (somewhat).
Before the "culling" you were hard pressed to catch any size bass or sunfish or crappie.
You can now catch more panfish and they seem to be increasing in size and numbers year after year.
Of course there are still pickerel, but the anglers are more aware of what the pickerel can do if they remain unchecked.

One other thing to consider is the possibility that if people are harvesting many fish, that they are having a direct impact on the fish totals / ratios in any given body of water.
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Squarehog

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #10 on: Nov 29, 2015, 07:59 PM »
 we have awesome open water and ice fishing opportunities here depending on the winters. magic has perch

Offline No Trout Please

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #11 on: Nov 29, 2015, 08:09 PM »
It does your right! When we were there last year it wasn't very many!

Squarehog

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #12 on: Nov 29, 2015, 08:21 PM »
Last year was a bad ice fishing season hopefully this season will be better magic was drawn down to repair the dam  so there'll be a recovery process  and they need good water years to support the ecosystem I for one can't wait to fish for trout as I fish for panfish all spring summer and fall my freezer is full of perch bluegill and crappie from several local bodies of water the crappie fishing was great last week even at Brownlee and I was the only boat at the ramp I love the fishing this state has to offer and the opportunities are virtually limitless aside from an ocean..

Offline tbone4444

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #13 on: Nov 29, 2015, 08:29 PM »
Haha, Couldn't disagree more Square hog.

Offline No Trout Please

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #14 on: Nov 29, 2015, 08:34 PM »
Exactly! they worked on the dam now fishing is terrible! What im saying is whats wrong with putting in more perch and giving it a boost! Id save more trout for you when im out there but they always swallow the hook and I gotta keep them

Offline Chasing fish through ice

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #15 on: Nov 29, 2015, 08:34 PM »
We need more panfish in this state.  We also need to put some larger game species such as walleye or pike into some of these systems to keep the panfish populations in check. If you put these bigger game fish in, it will allow for new fisheries and will allow these panfish to become bigger.

Offline panfishman13

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #16 on: Nov 29, 2015, 09:02 PM »
if their complaint is money, why do they keep making put-and-take fisheries? those have to cost a lot of money to maintain, and the quality of the fish is terrible; but if they were to stock the ponds with a couple hundred 6 inch bluegill or perch, in a few years you'd have a fully sustainable fishery that you don't have to pour money into every 3 months.

i'm of the opinion that the Idaho Fish and Game is really very out of touch with what the anglers want. trout are great, don't get me wrong, but unless i'm fly fishing on a picturesque stream somewhere in the mountains for truly wild trout, i really don't care to catch them and i almost never keep them. they swallow the hook, they're almost impossible to get a grip on, and the stocked ones only taste good if they've been in the water for more than a year, so i don't eat them very often.

my point is, put and take fisheries are the fast food of fishing. you'll catch fish, but it won't be as much fun or as interesting as fishing somewhere with a variety of species to target. it's less environmentally friendly, and more costly in the long run than taking the time and resources to build and stock a fishery with self-sustaining species like panfish:

the panfish will give any trout in the fishery a breather from fishing pressure, and a rich food source so the trout can grow larger faster. largemouth bass easily keep panfish numbers in check without competing with the trout; and catfish keep the pond clear of fish that die due to mishandling by inexperienced anglers, subsequently growing to massive proportions and giving young "worm-drowners" a chance at a truly massive fish. after only a couple of years, you have one heck of a fishing pond. meanwhile the put-and-take trout fishery is due for its 8th refill of "meh" sized trout, that will all be gone in another 3 months and will have to be re-stocked again.

Offline No Trout Please

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #17 on: Nov 29, 2015, 09:21 PM »
You hit the nail on the head! your post makes total sense trout hatcheries have their place and some areas cant be stocked with perch or crappie but if a panfish hatchery is out of the question then its true go get some and replace the ones lost and then watch em grow!

Offline Bearsfan

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #18 on: Nov 29, 2015, 10:13 PM »
I'm on the same page as you panfishman.

Offline Doofus22

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #19 on: Nov 29, 2015, 10:20 PM »
I have to agree that the state needs more species for fish than trout, and perch. I am to the point that I consider trout a trash fish because I can not toss a line in without pulling one out. I love fishing for walleye, catfish, and sunfish, but I have to drive for hours to get to water that has any of these in it. I fish Ririe often and through a minimum of 10 each trout, and perch back daily.
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Offline Idajarhead

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #20 on: Nov 29, 2015, 10:50 PM »
Panfish aren't native west of the Rockies.  Billions and billions of salmoniods feed the sturgeon for thousands of years.  Lots of good fishing in the Snake.  I think the problem with magic is the sewer water from the "valley".  2 inches of ice at big sand bay Saturday, I hope cj freezes again this year.   

Offline Reel trouble

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Re: Why no panfish hatcheries?
« Reply #21 on: Nov 29, 2015, 10:57 PM »
Lot of the local ponds around Burley have bluegills in them  salmon falls creek has crappie. didn't magic even have crappie at one time? I think perch are about in all the waters in the magic valley. we have caught them at magic, salmon falls creek the snake river and Oakley

 



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