And don't forget about all the smallmouth, out competing the native brook trout
populations in Maine. Most Northwesterm Maine rivers have a mandatory kill law
in place for smallmouth.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Staples [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thu 2/17/2005 12:28 PM
To: [email protected]
Cc:
Subject: Re: [VFB] Nasty invasive fish
Come on down to South Florida. We have one or two invasive species.
Heck, I think we have them all except the trout!
FWC encourages anglers to filet & release all of them except the
peacocks. A lot of times you'll find exotics lying on the banks where
people caught them & let them die (saw an armored catfish the other
day). Lots of people eat them though. They sure can rack up the
tallies in our fly fishing club's species contest though!
Mayan cichlids are some of the most common. To be honest they're a
heck of a lot of fun on a 5 or 6 wt. Fight like peacocks in a
bluegill's body with a snapper's teeth. Then there's the tilapia which
I can't get to take a fly.
Many people are starting to target them as "sport" species including:
snakeheads; clown knifefish; oscars; jaguar gapotes; and midas
cichlids. I've hooked into some big jeweled cichlids that fought like
crazy. As pervasive as these things are supposed to be many of them
are actually hard to find (at least for me). I think I've seen some
snakeheads but they could have been bowfins; it was hard to tell.
Haven't found the clowns or midas yet.
One of the scariest, in my mind at least, is the establishment of
burmese pythons in the everglades. I haven't seen one live yet but I'm
hearing more and more reports. I love snakes but that's something that
could really upset the ecosystem down there. They can actually prey on
gators & crocs.
Then of course there's all the snowbirds... ;-> (D'n'R)
Ken
On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 10:19:00 -0500, David Murphy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
> Eddie,
> This is a very interesting subject for debate. I ran up to read the
article
> quickly after seeing the first post. Much to be said about invasive
> species. I miss the days that schools of brookies were in almost
every
> stream in PA. Today, the more dominate brown trout has had an
undeniable
> efect on their populations. Or is it man's forestry and other land
use
> practices? -Murf
>
> >From: "Eddie D" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Reply-To: <[email protected]>
> >To: <[email protected]>
> >Subject: RE: [VFB] Nasty invasive fish
> >Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 21:33:30 -0500
> >
> >Jack,
> >The "brutal" truth of this article (although i have not read it, but
the
> >agruement has been argued before between friends) is that these fish
ARE
> >invasive. They do take over the "native" fish's natural habitat.
But
> >being invasive does not necesarrily mean that it is a bad thing.
Although
> >I was much too young to actually remember this ever occuring,
biologists
> >said that the Hydrilla that was invading the potomac river would
kill the
> >river beyond repair. Now it is one of the best bass fisheries
availible.
> >Personally, I would like to see the Snake Head make a home in the
Potomac
> >and surrounding areas. They are a very aggressive eater, and a very
strong
> >fighter, almost like a Pike i've been told (By Ken Penrod, fishing
guide).
> >I dont see anything wrong with that. And Folks, the stories about
them are
> >NOT true. I was there with Ken after he brought a LIVE snakehead to
the
> >boat ramp, and so were a few reporters. For those of you who do not
know
> >Ken, he is a very popular fishing guide in the Potomac (PAMARVA area)
> >region. Ken laid the fish on the grass to demonstrate the "walking
> >abilities of this fish". "It looks like its flopping like a fish"
said
> >penrod. The reporter said maybe a harder surface, so they placed
him on
> >the pavement. Still no walking. And after 20 minutes in the shaded
grass,
> >the fish was dead. So much for its iron lung.
> >
> >Just my 2 cents.
> >
> >
> >-Eddie
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>From: Jack Morris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >>Reply-To: <[email protected]>
> >>To: <[email protected]>
> >>Subject: [VFB] Nasty invasive fish
> >>Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 19:45:14 -0500
> >>
> >>The March issue of National Geographic Magazine has an article on
invasive
> >>species and the problems they are causing. Included is a list of
the 100
> >>"worst". Only 8 fish made this list which includes, along with the
walking
> >>catfish, brown trout, rainbow trout and largemouth bass. So
everyone, get
> >>out there and help curtail this invasion. One question; should we
all
> >>abandon "catch and Release"? Fat chance!
> >>
> >>Jack
> >>"The worst day on the stream is infinitely better than the best day
at the
> >>office."
> >>
> >
> >
>
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