Silverwood stripers - catch & release, or catch & keep?

[Ultralight]

A lot of our fishing is C&R when we fish for trout. Except in areas where there are mandatory catch & keep or where there are an overpopulation of fish and the lake biologist ask us to keep the fish. (i.e. Crappie in Gregory.)

Is there an over population of Stripers in Silverwood or if we do not plan to eat them, should we release them?

Apologies for this basic question.

Thanks,
UL

[ghost2uu]

http://www.sbsun.com/health/20130811/state-issues-dont-eat-warning-for-silverwood-lake

You will glow in the dark if you eat a limit of them.

[DarkShadow]

Release them?

When Mike Guisti was still on this board, there was an interesting impromptu Q&A where he definitely noted that if any lake in SoCal was to sustain a striper population, anything within the limits should be taken, simply because they are a voracious predator and will eventually turn a lake into Pyramid Lake, where you have a huge population of undersized fish, simply because the larger one starve themselves trying to sustain their caloric intake, and the population of other species falter because of predation and lack of food.

DFG has been pretty silent on the affect of stripers in our lakes lately though. Curious if Guisti's sentiments still rings true. It's almost like it's an issue that's way too far ingrained in our fisheries that it cannot be dealt with efficiently, so the DFG doesn't even bother realizing that it's still an issue.

I'm surprised that the drought hasn't been used as an excuse on why our freshwater fisheries have taken a tumble, while we ignore the elephant in the room.

[twin22s]

It should be noted that this was published 2 years ago, I have been eating every striper i have ever caught out of silverwood.
The size of the striper and LMB in theory will increase if more striper are taken from the lake. I say kill them all!! lol


http://www.sbsun.com/health/20130811/state-issues-dont-eat-warning-for-silverwood-lake

You will glow in the dark if you eat a limit of them.

[parkermann2]

Striper are my favorite fresh water fish to eat. I catch and eat them all the time from silverwood

[ghost2uu]

They actually reissued the do not eat warning again this year. Mercury and PCB's don't leave bodies of water or human bodies to quickly. But hey eat up.

[kwin]

biologically speaking, striped bass are a density dependent species which means the more of them there are the smaller they will be. If the management objective is to increase the number of larger fish, then their numbers have to be reduced. this is difficult with a highly fecund species (striped bass; 100,000 eggs per pound of body weight) found in a lake that affords optimal breeding conditions most of every year (Silverwood, Castaic, Pyramid, DVL, Skinner). that being said, there are consumption warnings in regard to methyl mercury and PCB's for predatory fish in most lakes in California. All of the "toxins" are bio-accumulated in the fish tissues. That being said, larger fish are in theory older and have potentially accumulated more of the "toxins" than smaller fish. a 1 lb fish has not had enough time to accumulate as much as a 10 lb fish and is relatively less likely to contain as much of the toxins.

Personally I choose to eat smaller fish (1-5 lbs) more readily than I eat larger fish and in moderation I don't eat anything over 12-15 lbs. My choice. You can make your own choices.

[Stinkbait]

So Kwin when you do your shock surveys does any striper that floats go in the kill barrel.
Talk about a tomato garden!

[etucker1959]

biologically speaking, striped bass are a density dependent species which means the more of them there are the smaller they will be. If the management objective is to increase the number of larger fish, then their numbers have to be reduced. this is difficult with a highly fecund species (striped bass; 100,000 eggs per pound of body weight) found in a lake that affords optimal breeding conditions most of every year (Silverwood, Castaic, Pyramid, DVL, Skinner). that being said, there are consumption warnings in regard to methyl mercury and PCB's for predatory fish in most lakes in California. All of the "toxins" are bio-accumulated in the fish tissues. That being said, larger fish are in theory older and have potentially accumulated more of the "toxins" than smaller fish. a 1 lb fish has not had enough time to accumulate as much as a 10 lb fish and is relatively less likely to contain as much of the toxins.

Personally I choose to eat smaller fish (1-5 lbs) more readily than I eat larger fish and in moderation I don't eat anything over 12-15 lbs. My choice. You can make your own choices.
Thank you for such a great answer!!!!!

[seal]

I think that the warnings specify concern more for pregnant individuals and the young. At my age I believe a healthy consumption of striped bass would not change my fate but I believe in the old adage sung by the worlds best rock and roll group "I hope I die before I get old, talk'n about my generation".

There is no solid answer, those that want bigger stripers are shooting themselves in the butt by not keeping the bigger models per Kwin's post but most of us that chase the bigger ones would rather let um go to be caught another day. The striper size as Silverwood has become stunted compared to just a few years ago but the health of the individuals seem to be just fine, they are finding plenty to eat although they have done a number on the shad population. No doubt they are eating some of the freshwater shrimp (whatever their scientific name is I'm sure Kwin knows but there are millions of um) and most fish this year we've opened up have been loaded with LMB fry but for some reason the largemouth just keep trucking on.

[seal]

I'm surprised that the drought hasn't been used as an excuse on why our freshwater fisheries have taken a tumble, while we ignore the elephant in the room.

The drought has had no effect on Silverwood. Water levels were great all throughout the summer. Water level now low. I'm assuming maintenance being done on the aqueduct could be the answer cause the DWR really wants water in Silverwood (DWR likes money, Silverwood generates power, follow the money).

[Ultralight]

So concensus is....? :Big Grin:

I should keep then? I can always give them away for those who care to eat them.

UL

[Ian]

biologically speaking, striped bass are a density dependent species which means the more of them there are the smaller they will be. If the management objective is to increase the number of larger fish, then their numbers have to be reduced. this is difficult with a highly fecund species (striped bass; 100,000 eggs per pound of body weight) found in a lake that affords optimal breeding conditions most of every year (Silverwood, Castaic, Pyramid, DVL, Skinner). that being said, there are consumption warnings in regard to methyl mercury and PCB's for predatory fish in most lakes in California. All of the "toxins" are bio-accumulated in the fish tissues. That being said, larger fish are in theory older and have potentially accumulated more of the "toxins" than smaller fish. a 1 lb fish has not had enough time to accumulate as much as a 10 lb fish and is relatively less likely to contain as much of the toxins.

Personally I choose to eat smaller fish (1-5 lbs) more readily than I eat larger fish and in moderation I don't eat anything over 12-15 lbs. My choice. You can make your own choices.

In your opinion, why haven't the striper taken more of a foothold at Perris? We still see only the occasional big one caught but not the smaller schoolies.

[ghost2uu]

In your opinion, why haven't the striper taken more of a foothold at Perris? We still see only the occasional big one caught but not the smaller schoolies.

Ian, the guys pulling flies are getting a fair amount of two to eight pound fish.

[kwin]

So Kwin when you do your shock surveys does any striper that floats go in the kill barrel.
Talk about a tomato garden!

I rarely get them and those that I do get go back.

[kwin]

In your opinion, why haven't the striper taken more of a foothold at Perris? We still see only the occasional big one caught but not the smaller schoolies.

They don't move enough water through Perris for them to spawn successfully most of the time. When they do move water it is more probable for them to try to spawn but I think most fish come in as small fry able to swim and not sink to the bottom from the source water i.e. Silverwood or Castaic. That is why there are few but larger than "normal" fish when compared to the other waters I mentioned.