Canyon Ferry Caommercial Fishing

[BourbonSnowCone]

http://fwp.mt.gov/news/publicNotices/fishing/pn_0004.html

Just wondering about everyone's feelings on this.

[fishinwithbrittanies]

go get em....

[Cornbread]

It is with actively pulled seins(sp?) not gill nets so fish get pulled up live and non-targets get returned to the water immediately. Sounds like a nice way to get rid of a lot of carp to me, I say go for it. I had no idea there was a commercial market for carp, what do they use them for, fertilizer, or dog food or something else?

[lookinforpanfish]

It is with actively pulled seins(sp?) not gill nets so fish get pulled up live and non-targets get returned to the water immediately. Sounds like a nice way to get rid of a lot of carp to me, I say go for it. I had no idea there was a commercial market for carp, what do they use them for, fertilizer, or dog food or something else?

Smoked carp are quite popular back east.  I believe the carp  from Montana taste better than carp from muddy warm water, but I wouldn't know personally. Have always been tempted to smoke one and find out.

[fishinwithbrittanies]

I've thought about looking up recipes to make dog food with em.  Of course dog food is not a huge expense and dealing with a ton of em to make some dog food has marginal benefits.  We used to shoot lots of em and it be nice to do something with them other than feeding birds. 

[missoulafish]

The bycatch:( everytime, in everybody of water is ever been done in.
They used to net Lake Helena for carp. There was an outfit right by the causeway.

[Bodie]

I am all for it. Lord knows we can always use more jobs injecting money into our local economy. As far as the commercial fishing goes, you cant ask for a better species to target. We have A LOT of them, they breed fast and get big quick. Perfect criteria for harvesting.

[Born Late]

"Only one commercial operator is allowed on each waterbody unless additional harvest would be beneficial."  If only one operator is allowed on CF, he's gonna need a bigger boat.

I'll be curious to see the by-catch numbers but carp numbers are so visibly and ridiculously high on the south end I'm hopeful the benefits of carp removal will greatly outweigh gamefish losses. Doing anything is better than doing nothing...which is currently the case.

[BobberdownMT]

Think they really will release the big walleye and perch they accidentally catch in their nets?

[BourbonSnowCone]

Think they really will release the big walleye and perch they accidentally catch in their nets?

Not until after a bunch of photos have been posted to Facebook and the fish are stressed from being stuck in a net for hours then handled roughly. I'm all for some removal of carp but not at the expense of game fish. From what I read it looks like most of the netting is happening north of White Earth. Won't have much of an effect on populations near the dikes.

[wirehairman]

We used to shoot lots of em and it be nice to do something with them other than feeding birds.

A know a few guys that target them to use as fertilizer in their gardens.

[Born Late]

From what I read it looks like most of the netting is happening north of White Earth. Won't have much of an effect on populations near the dikes.

The proposed season for south of White Earth is 4.5 months longer than that to the north and includes the spawning season. You can practically walk across the carp on the flats in the SW and SE parts of the lake, even north of a WMA buffer. Can't imagine why a commercial operator would bother with the deeper north end.

[Jig like a spider monkey!]

The bycatch:( everytime, in everybody of water is ever been done in.
They used to net Lake Helena for carp. There was an outfit right by the causeway.

I vaguely remember that... didn't they operate out of that little peninsula right by the causeway?

[Jig like a spider monkey!]

Not until after a bunch of photos have been posted to Facebook and the fish are stressed from being stuck in a net for hours then handled roughly. I'm all for some removal of carp but not at the expense of game fish. From what I read it looks like most of the netting is happening north of White Earth. Won't have much of an effect on populations near the dikes.

I'm sure that FWP is aware that this may be controversial and assign some fish techs to check on operations.  Inevitably their will be bicatch casualties, but in the big picture, removal of Thousands of carp will dramatically improve the aquatic habitat and therefore have a much more positive and longer term impact on game fish than the negatives of losing a few during netting.  Sometimes you have to lose a little to gain a lot. 

[missoulafish]

Yes sir.

[missoulafish]

Jig, you know of anything online anywhere similar to this. Meaning what was the results after a bunch of this type of carp were removed from a water body. Was there something gained?

[Jig like a spider monkey!]

Jig, you know of anything online anywhere similar to this. Meaning what was the results after a bunch of this type of carp were removed from a water body. Was there something gained?

Let me look through some stuff, and I'll post it if I can find it...

[Strippnthedream]

I vaguely remember that... didn't they operate out of that little peninsula right by the causeway?

Ya the old timers name was nephi. Awesome guy.

[MTwalleyehunter]

Bravo Bravo.  And heck yes its about time they brought a guy back into Canyon Ferry.   I can only imagine how good this lake would be without a few million egg suckers.  They provide nothing for this lake, except maybe for the Ospreys. 

[Born Late]

Something to keep in mind is that this is merely a set of regulations for the one guy who apparently has applied for a commercial permit.  This is not a carp management or reduction plan.

[MTangler]

Bowfishing  2 at a time.

MTA

[MTwalleyehunter]

Something to keep in mind is that this is merely a set of regulations for the one guy who apparently has applied for a commercial permit.  This is not a carp management or reduction plan.

One less carp is a good thing.  A hundred less carp is a great thing.  All the carp gone is most excellent.

[mackdog75]

One less carp is a good thing.  A hundred less carp is a great thing.  All the carp gone is most excellent.

I agree way to many carp. But don't take them all. I have almost 6 grand into a boat with lights so I can bow fish those sons of a guns lol.

[mtgrzlys]

 Doing anything is better than doing nothing...which is currently the case.
[/quote]
FWP has permitted commercial fishing on CF for at least the last 8 years.

[Jig like a spider monkey!]

Something to keep in mind is that this is merely a set of regulations for the one guy who apparently has applied for a commercial permit.  This is not a carp management or reduction plan.

Born late makes a very good point... These are regulations to allow carp harvest without damaging the fishery, not to intentionally put a dent in the carp population... I did a literature search through our scientific journal system at work, and there are extensive study results related to this...   In a nutshell, carp eradication is essentially impossible without killing out the whole system, (rotenoning a lake).  But,it appears that often carp removal improves water quality and habitat conditions for other fish populations...  Essentially I interpret that the studies suggest carp removal is a good thing, but to see a measurable improvement, it's got to be a fairly rigorous effort.  I'm not sure that one guy harvesting fish is going to have much of an effect on anything... Now if there were 30 guys out there seining carp in the shallows, I bet there would be some effects of some sort. .. 

[Born Late]

FWP has permitted commercial fishing on CF for at least the last 8 years.

I understand that the commercial harvest opportunity isn't new.  The issue is that no one's actually been out there harvesting for a while nor has FWP taken steps toward managing carp.

I'd happily give up bowfishing at CF if carp were eliminated but I wouldn't put the gear on Craigslist quite yet...or in your lifetime.  Carp are pretty well entrenched (literally) and not going away.

[weigand]

Personally I say take a few walleye out too. I'd love to have that ripping trout fishery back.

[lundin-loading]

Personally I say take a few walleye out too. I'd love to have that ripping trout fishery back.

Lol

[chucknduck]

Personally I say take a few walleye out too. I'd love to have that ripping trout fishery back.

That's just down right funny

[Jig like a spider monkey!]

Personally I say take a few walleye out too. I'd love to have that ripping trout fishery back.

It seems counterintuitive, but I agree...