I've seen some hogs this year that would eat the Browns in oliver. I'll be dammed if I can't get one, but one of these days
No surprise there with the smelt gone from Oiiver. For consistent trophy browns you need a coldwater forage base. Tried to get the INDNR to allow us to reintroduce smelt through NEITA and a hatchery supplier in Maine, but was told no. I produced a proposal and argument via a formal paper, just like I did to allow NEITA to plant browns, and produce an 18 inch size limit, of which that was a success.
The argument against the smelt was that smelt are detrimental to native fish eggs and fry in the lake. I respectfully disagree as when the native fish are spawning, with the possible exception of yellow perch (not a significant population in the lake anyway) the smelt are in deeper colder water. I think it was more pressure from someone to not reintroduce a nonnative fish. Never mind the lake trout planted by the INDNR in '79' most likely wiped out the smelt AND native cisco in Oliver. Lots of studies in the northeast showing lake trout are capable of that in smaller bodies of water.
Ironically other states that support trout angling in lakes actively introduce smelt to bolster their trophy fisheries. An old survey of Oliver, when the lake had abundant smelt and cisco coexisting in '68,' showed more than one gamefish species taking advantage of the smelt forage. Northern pike for one.
