Re: NANFA-- "river rabbits"

R. W. Wolff (choupiqu_at_wctc.net)
Thu, 8 Mar 2001 11:39:31 -0600

Some of the most exciting fish to catch on hook and line are gar and bowfin.
This leads to the way to exterminate unwanted exotic species, make sure the
populations of gar and bowfin are not being destroyed by knot headed fools
who kill them senselessly. A 8 foot alligator gar can consume a lot of lazy
carp, and would prefer to eat these species over other native fish species
that are deemed more desirable ( bass etc). Here in the marsh, bowfin are
doing well, and the panfish and gamefish are also doing great ( as are small
non game fish + "evil" big companies use this marsh to farm cranberries).
Carp are around, but have never yet got out of hand. Get to similar water in
eastern Wisconsin were the case is different, and the populations of fish
are much less diverse and healthy. I attribute this to the 'big city'
attitude that lead to tons of carp being poisoned out, and the restocking
with the silly 10 bluegill to one bass mentality. This has created a bunch
of lakes full of 4 inch bluegills, and low and behold, carp again. Gar and
Bowfin have been part of ecosystems in Eastern North America long before the
other " good fish" came along, and there were / are plenty of species that
made a go of it having to compete against the evil devil fish.

Ray

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