How may fish are killed by summertime weed harvesting?

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How may fish are killed annually by summertime weed harvesting in a <250 acre lake?

  • <250

    Votes: 2 11.1%
  • 250 - 500

    Votes: 3 16.7%
  • 500 - 1000

    Votes: 5 27.8%
  • 1000-5000

    Votes: 4 22.2%
  • 5000-10000

    Votes: 2 11.1%
  • 10000 - 15000

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 15000+

    Votes: 2 11.1%

  • Total voters
    18

wasilvers

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Location
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Found a report on weed harvesting that was done on my local fishing lake. It's a smaller lake < 250 acres which is well known for great numbers of bass. The lake association harvests weeds in the summer (only) so the lake doesn't get to overgrown for the skiers. How many fish do you think a mechanical weed harvester collects (and kills) in any given year?

I'll post a link and the highlighted results on Sunday afternoon.

Happy Voting!
 
Unless the mechanical harvester is using a suction device to collect the weeds, I'd say the direct impacts are relatively small. However, the indirect impacts (loss of habitat) has the potential to be severe as smaller fish are more susceptible to predators. I'd imagine the weeds grow back in time for next years spawn though. Just my 2 cents.
 
OK- the long awaited results are below - and YES I was blown away by the count. This is a mechanical weed harvester, it cuts the weeds and they flow back onto a conveyor belt and pile up in the boat. There is no suction to the system.

Highlights: ONE YEAR of "harvesting removed about 39,000 fish from Lake Keesus."

Fish removed by type:
  • Bluegills - 46%
  • Largemouth Bass - 24%
  • Crappie - 8%
  • Unidentified - 16%

The source - found surfing the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources webpage...
https://www.apms.org/japm/vol37/v37p34.pdf
 
Where the hell is PETA on this? :roll:
They complain about tons of other crap, but I guess 39,000 fish from 1 lake is just , "ehhh" to them.
 
Did some math on it. There are 10 parking spaces for boat trailers - yes that's all - it is a smaller lake.
If you have 20 fishermen keeping fish each day on Fri, Sat, Sun - and 6 fishermen keeping fish each Mon, Tues, Wed, & Thur, And they did this every day for 365 days in the year (impossibile with ice cover).

They EACH would have to keep just about 9 fish a day, every day to get to 39,000. :evil:

I think the harvester is 'overharvesting' the lake. :evil: Granted these are young fish the harvester is killing, but young fish either grow up or feed the larger fish.

Maybe next time I'm going to fish behind the harvester, as often as they harvest, there have to be predator fish following it. :?

EDIT: The next time the boat launch guy starts lecturing me for keeping fish from HIS lake - and going on and on about how terrible I am for eating HIS fish, I'm going to reach in my car and hand him a copy of this report. He can have something else to worry about than me. BTW, I keep fish about 3-4 times a year - for the 30+ times I go - even then it is usually when fishing with kids or people who never get to go fishing.
 
I'd tell that guy at the access to "pack sand". Do you have fisherman and hunter harassment laws in WI? We do over here and I'm sure he would be in violation.
 
That sampling was done in 1996 and the report released in 1999. Has there been any changes to the way they harvest weeds since then?
 
Popeye said:
That sampling was done in 1996 and the report released in 1999. Has there been any changes to the way they harvest weeds since then?
Basedb on the method they describedb in the test, and what I observed on the water, there is no difference in the method, except I don't know if they usea rubber pad on the conveyor. I think they do, but I've seen several harvestors, some have pads, some don't.
As to the method, they harvest all the weeds they can reach. so from 1 foot to about 5 feet, they keep it 'trim'.
 
Too bad they can't disturb the area in front of the cutters to spook the fish away. Seems like a lot of loss. But I wonder what would happen to the fish, if there was no loss at all? Wonder if it would get over populated or if the predatory fish would keep it in check? Is this a heavily fished lake?
 

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