Re: Sunday funday Lakers/bows
 

So, in your opinion, was the introduction of lake trout into RV a good thing? Something obviously disturbed the food chain and thereby the ability of The Valley to maintain any semblance of its being a trophy trout impoundment. Without food for the herring, their numbers have dwindled. Without the abundance of herring, the growth of the trout is limited. A long time ago, the Valley was loaded with herring and the brown trout fishing was doing fine. The trout were large and could often be caught throughout the water column.

To what extent are the biologists responsible for the disruption in the food chain? Is anything being done to improve the situation? A laker or rainbow has to eat a lot of scuds to grow to a trophy compared to their growth potential when they feast on herring.

Re: Sunday funday Lakers/bows
 

From my understanding they didn't anticipate the lake trout being able to reproduce.

Round Valley Trout Association's meeting tomorrow 3/15 (open to everyone) will have a presentation by NJDF&W Principal Fisheries Biologist, Shawn Crouse. He will present the findings of the ongoing study of the reservoir. He also presented this topic at the Fisheries Forum in February and it was very good. I would recommend attending.

http://www.fishrvta.com/

Re: Sunday funday Lakers/bows
 

they may not admit it but, yeah, they were basically stocking lake trout in there for years based on the assumption that they would not successfully spawn. When they finally realized not only were they spawning, but very successfully, it was too late and they population is now stunted in that medium/avg size range (also because of the forage problems). basically someone really screwed up bad when they declared the lake trout wouldn't be able to reproduce in rvr haha.

Re: Sunday funday Lakers/bows
 

Jigman pretty much got it... The Lakers are kinda of like a freshwater bluefish to me they eat anything and everything.... Most of the diet of the fish over there are tiny shrimp. There's bait in there but few and far between most of the time u will mark what looks to be bait balls but are actually small Lakers which the lakers eat as well a few of them i been cleaning have had them in their stomachs....

Re: Sunday funday Lakers/bows
 

Curious to know more about the story of lake trout, such as why they initially thought lakers wouldnt reproduce. From what I hear they are currently seeing if Golden Shiners can fill in that high demand from the lakers.

Re: Sunday funday Lakers/bows
 

I'm no biologist, but i would imagine a pelagic species of bait fish (like herring) would be the best solution in a deep reservoir like rvr...unfortunately, as was said already, the lake can't support herring in it's current state apparently.

maybe there is another pelagic bait fish species they could look into, idk if that's a viable option..probably some regulation preventing it (just like everything else that makes too much sense in this state)

Re: Sunday funday Lakers/bows
 

Not pelagic but what about gobies?

Re: Sunday funday Lakers/bows
 

To Mikey's point.

Shawn's presentation showed a lake trout with 5 or 6 senkos in its gut and another one that was stuffed with young of the year sunfish.

Re: Sunday funday Lakers/bows
 

Lake trout will eat just about anything.

Re: Sunday funday Lakers/bows
 

Lol Andy wtf!!

Now my question is, what are those 20lb lakers in RVR eating? Surely they're not chasing scud?