Warmwater Enhancement WDFW

[lonnie197272]

I can tell you from experience working with the WDFW when the warm water program started that it was not handled well at all. My position was at the Columbia Basin hatchery and the Meseberg hatchery. My position was funded from the enhancement money which lasted all of about a year. In that time we would travel to Nebraska to bring back crappie for brood stock and planting. Problem was that the fish had a hard time surviving the travel. We also made trips to Chico CA to bring back channel cats that we would immedialtly plant in lake (Sprague Lake) which was killed off a waste of time and money!! The Meseberg hatchery was used to raise crappie walleye and other spiney rays. Problem was that we are so far behind the ball on how to raise these fish. The walleye were lost on several occasions because they immediatley begin to feed on each other if not planted right away or put in large ponds. Guess my point is that yes something needs to be done and for the life of me I cant figure out why we didnt enlist the help from states with success on this matter, even our brothers to the north are extremely successful in stocking and management. You would think it would be beneficial to spend some money in that area so that they will stop throwing money out the window on survey after survey that shows the same thing every year.

[Stacie Kelsey]

I agree, the hatchery thing did not work out well. However, the Chico cats created a fantastic fishery for us at Kress Lake and Swofford Pond. I'm currently looking for a new distributor since the chico guy is out of business.

Bionic One - yeah, that was a slip of the typing! Oops!