Cormorant population at our lakes

[×lightline×]

Omg its getting out of hand. More and more cormorants are populating our lakes, is there any solution? I fished rancho jurupa twice the last couple weeks and counted over 60 cormorant at the big lake alone. They were taking turns in groups of 8 to 10 sweeping the lake for trout. I read on a article these birds can eat up to 1 to 2 lbs of fish daily.. not only that they seem to to be scared of humans. What do you guys think?

[Ifishtoolittle]

Humans are the problem. I think they need to leave the fish alone. The birds are doing what they've always instinctively done. Plus, they might have come from habits that were destroyed to build homes or businesses that will indefinitely fail. So I think the most logical solution is to stop fishing.

[×lightline×]

Humans are the problem. I think they need to leave the fish alone. The birds are doing what they've always instinctively done. Plus, they might have come from habits that were destroyed to build homes or businesses that will indefinitely fail. So I think the most logical solution is to stop fishing.

I agree for the most part but fishing will never stop.

[Ifishtoolittle]

I agree for the most part but fishing will never stop.

lol. The most environmentally friendly solution would be to construct more bodies that contain fish or revitalize existing waterways that have been polluted and trashed beyond belief. From what I've seen these cormorants tend to nest in tall trees. A lot of their young tend to kick the bucket since the weight of the juvi- often breaks the branches that they're nesting on.

[×lightline×]

I've also read some hatcheries have issues with cormorants aswell to the point they have the green light to take them out.

[etucker1959]

Here's a radical idea, stop stocking trout!!!!!!! Stock larger catfish instead, it takes the biggest cormorant in the flock to even have a chance at eating a catfish. After awhile the cormorants will figure out these lakes and ponds aren't what they use to be and LEAVE!!!!! The other part of the equation people don't realize is the stocking of the trout is what attracts the cormorants. Which in turn the cormorants not only eat the trout, but the other species of fish like bass and bluegill. So if you don't stock trout but catfish instead, these smaller lakes and ponds will fish so much better for all species of fish except trout!!!!!

[×lightline×]

Here's a radical idea, stop stocking trout!!!!!!! Stock larger catfish instead, it takes the biggest cormorant in the flock to even have a chance at eating a catfish. After awhile the cormorants will figure out these lakes and ponds aren't what they use to be and LEAVE!!!!! The other part of the equation people don't realize is the stocking of the trout is what attracts the cormorants. Which in turn the cormorants not only eat the trout, but the other species of fish like bass and bluegill. So if you don't stock trout but catfish instead, these smaller lakes and ponds will fish so much better for all species of fish except trout!!!!!

Yes I also do believe trout stocking is the major issue specifically at our city lakes and ponds. Its either larger trout these birds cant eat or all catfish like you say tucker. I actually seen a cormorant dead with a catfish stuck in his throat.

[Lightning]

12 Gauge solution

[dday07]

Yes..you hardly see cormorants at Santa Ana Rivers...the best they can do is take some chunk out of the bigger trout

[Marley]

Humans are the problem. I think they need to leave the fish alone. The birds are doing what they've always instinctively done. Plus, they might have come from habits that were destroyed to build homes or businesses that will indefinitely fail. So I think the most logical solution is to stop fishing.

Not sure how much of this is tongue-in-cheek, but those are Mexican cormorants and not indigenous to our local lakes. Without getting too politically incorrect, they migrated here. Not that there are a lot of natural lakes that were drained and destroyed to accommodate human activity.