Bad News on Thetis Lake
- Thread starter falcon1
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kunni
Active Member
cats and carps in thetis? I was fishing last year in thetis, and behind me I heard a huge splash. At the moment I kind of just brushed it off, and kept fishing, but looking back on it, it could have been a crap jump. That post was in 2006, the carp have not taken over at all, I have never caught one, only the splah behind me, which could have been a big bass.
kunni
kunni
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Big Green Machine
Well-Known Member
X2, there's Carp in a lot of lakes and they coexist with sport fish. I a surprised though about Catfish there. Oh we'll, go get them, both, and other coarse fish too. Let us know how they taste in a beer batter.
falcon1
Member
This is an assumption so if I'm wrong then please correct me.
I own a fish tank. There is a touchy balance between space availiable and the ammount of fish. In a fish tank, one fish can throw the balance, whether the fish prey upon another or not. Basically, the end result is some fish die. In a fish tank, it would not be of starvation, but because of stress from overcrowding, and fast buildup of toxic chemicals like ammonia. In a lake, it would take many more fish to do this, but in a lake it is worse because unlike a fish tank, there is a limited ammount of food. Fish are adaptable. I would like to compare this to what is happening in Elk Lake. Fishermen have reported catching carp on large rapalas trolled through the water. They were targeting trout, obviously. So the carp there appear to be adapting to the lack of their natural food, and learning to take small baitfish. Carp have different variants reated to diet. Carp feeding on plant matter develop thin lips, and carp feeding on foods like crayfish, (goodbye bass fishery) and other small animals develop thick lips. And we do know that invasive species can wipe out native species.
So if all this is true:
1. Each body of water can hold only a set number of fish.
2. Fish can adapt to eat different foods, taking away from other species' food sources.
3. Damn we don't want carp spreading!
I own a fish tank. There is a touchy balance between space availiable and the ammount of fish. In a fish tank, one fish can throw the balance, whether the fish prey upon another or not. Basically, the end result is some fish die. In a fish tank, it would not be of starvation, but because of stress from overcrowding, and fast buildup of toxic chemicals like ammonia. In a lake, it would take many more fish to do this, but in a lake it is worse because unlike a fish tank, there is a limited ammount of food. Fish are adaptable. I would like to compare this to what is happening in Elk Lake. Fishermen have reported catching carp on large rapalas trolled through the water. They were targeting trout, obviously. So the carp there appear to be adapting to the lack of their natural food, and learning to take small baitfish. Carp have different variants reated to diet. Carp feeding on plant matter develop thin lips, and carp feeding on foods like crayfish, (goodbye bass fishery) and other small animals develop thick lips. And we do know that invasive species can wipe out native species.
So if all this is true:
1. Each body of water can hold only a set number of fish.
2. Fish can adapt to eat different foods, taking away from other species' food sources.
3. Damn we don't want carp spreading!
sammyslabber
Active Member
Smallmouth Bass have been around local lakes long before carp came on the scene
Karma-Kazi
Active Member
Yeah Slabber and you were on the local lakes long before Smallmouth Bass came onto the scene! LOL
ChoveyRoller
Member
Which species of catfish?
Pics or i dont believe
Pics or i dont believe
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ChoveyRoller
Member
Maybe im wrong. http://alienspecies.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/eng/species/brown-bullhead-catfish
I've spent way too many hours fishing and diving on and in the SVI lakes and have never seen one. If they are there...... they sure are not taking over the place
I've spent way too many hours fishing and diving on and in the SVI lakes and have never seen one. If they are there...... they sure are not taking over the place
ha ha , don't think we would need to worry about that happening here.. Those are silver carp... we only have common carp on the island.
having being an aquarium enthusiastic myself... your a tad of... well... a lot off. A lake is such a large volume of water to fish ratio that it is almost impossible to exceed. Increased nitrates ( the bi-product of ammonia) would improve plant growth thus increasing oxygen. the lake is SO huge there would have to be an incredible amount of fish for this to happen. Also, in lakes the water is currently being relaced via inlets and drainage.
as for diet, Carp are omnivorous and rely mostly on aglae and plant life, and suckling through mud. so there diet trout are more typically preying on chrominids and small fish. Carp are not predatory.
carp have NO TEETH. i.e crayfish only as wide as there mouths could be consumed... so it doesn't effect the bass fishery at all. Bass are an aggressive territoral fish, so they would have no problem bullying a carp, that shoal and spook easily. besides, Bass are an invasive species as well. carp naturally exist in MANY watersheds of the united states with bass and trout.
I think the small mouths have developed a stable place in our ecosystems, and they've even come to be protected during their spawning months in Spider lake atleast, not sure about others. We dont have many of the other fish mentioned like catfish and carp here on the North/Central end of the island but one thing ill tell you forsure is that if I ever pulled one in one the end of my line theres no way in hell it'd be making its way back into the lake. Also the same applys with my belly.. The result would be a happy eagle or raccoon. Just my 2 cents.
