Pinniped Problem

[Hatch]

I have been stuck on shore nursing a sore hip for the past month, but I finally got clearance from the Dr & Wife to get on my boat. Went to the lower AR at 0-Dark Thirty. Saw a group of stripers boiling on some bait, cut the engine and slow trolled into them, but my 5 mph wake hit them and put them down before I could get a cast off. Went up-river to my usual spots and found really cold water (52 degrees) and only one fish that was hungry. It was good to be on the water again. I fish that part of the river all the time and I was really alarmed at the number of Big Ass Seals all over the lower river. I counted 10 this morning and several were eating stripers. I often see 1 or 2, but 10...that is crazy. I wonder if they would eat a big Pole Dancer painted up like a shad or striper? :unibrow:
Hatch

[Scott V]

To quote a great movie "I think your going to need a bigger boat" if you hook one if those striper eaters. :)

[Tony Buzolich]

Hatch,

Good to hear you can get back out on the water again.

Without giving up any secret X Marks the Spot locations, how far up river have you seen these fur bags? It's common to see them around the mouths of the American and the Feather but we've had them all the way up to Yuba City on the Feather and up to Meridian on the Sac.

Obviously, these too are now an invasive species eating an easy food source. Not only do they follow the salmon, but also the shad and the stripers too and tons of catfish in the delta as well. Just about anything becomes a food source for them as they are opportunists.

[huntindog]

Hatch,

Good to Obviously, these too are now an invasive species eating an easy food source. Not only do they follow the salmon, but also the shad and the stripers too and tons of catfish in the delta as well. Just about anything becomes a food source for them as they are opportunists.

just curious how a native california sea lion is an invasive species.....

[Mr. Striper]

They dont belong in the rivers. Just my .02

[Scott V]

Seals have always gone in the rivers, the problem came when man put up dams and stopped the fish from going further up stream. So to blame the seals for what they have been doing naturally for many more years before we were here is stupid. Man is the reason for the low numbers of fish, and until man takes responsibility other species will have to accept the blame and deal with the hatred towards them.

[wjorg]

Stripers and Shad are the invasive species. Sea Lions are Native Species.

I still wish some ballsy guy would shoot a few.


I have a friend in Northern North America. He told me about how their seals "started" coming up the rivers after the Cod were wiped out from the Bays. They have to shoot the hell out of the seals to protect anything left of the Atlantic Salmon he says.

I wonder if the Seals/Sea Lions going up our rivers ran/are running out of food along the coast. With the diminishing rock cod levels, the Ocean Dead Zones chasing life away from the coast.....the Seals are just following their nose?

[Jgoding]

Probably, the way we harvest everything I wouldn't doubt the seals are just following one of the only few things left to eat and it's an easy meal right now. I recall someone might've shot one last year as they had a big one with what looked like a bullet wound to the face milling around sac somewhere. It's sad, but we've created the situation so we shouldn't whine about it.

[huntindog]

They dont belong in the rivers. Just my .02

but stripers do? wow

[Scott V]

The seal that was shot now lives in Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, I saw it on the news last week. The fisherman shot in the face because it tried to steal "his" fish. Not sure what finally happened to the guy that shot it.

[huntindog]

can we get some biology straight here...they are sea lions...not seals...there is a difference

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

:eek:

but stripers do? wow

Ummm.... did we forget this post is in the STRIPER forum? [-X

Striper-bashing in the striper forum is even more irritating than the "native" CA Sea Lions in the rivers... :nod:

[wjorg]

We humans ARE the worst offenders of the invasive species.

[OceanSunfish]

We humans ARE the worst offenders of the invasive species.

Yes indeed. The ultimate parasitic species at that.....

[windwalker]

For those that think stripers are the invasive species, go catch a bunch, bonk them on the head, and pat yourself on the back.

For those that think humans are the invasive species, stop procreating, take out a life insurance policy on yourself, starve yourself, and donate the proceeds of your insurance policy to the red eared frog foundation.

For those that think Sea Lions are the invasive species, go to the state capital, bonk a couple politicians on the head, and feed them to the Seal Lions in hopes that they get their fill before eat all of the stripers in the river.


To each his own, and get out and fish...... unless..... you are a seal lion.

[flyfish707]

you can not manage one species and protect another without dire results.

[590Mike]

Windwalker I'm with you. For those that think humans are the invasive species, you are part of the same species. Pointing a finger at someone else doesn't make you any better a human being than the rest of us.

And like Windwalker pointed out ,don't have kids, or if you do go ahead and tell them they are parasitic,invasive and troublesome. Oh yea then invite them fishing.

[Jgoding]

Hey Mike,

Anyone who has kids already knows that's the case....hahahaha

[590Mike]

J... you have that right, when they were teenagers I thought "this will be over when they move out" No more missing screwdrivers or empty fly boxes, I'll always have plenty of caddis flies, pupa's and BWO patterns. I found out I'm the "misplaced" tool and reading glasses problem. (according to the Mrs) but I'm still supplying flies and I want to know who keeps eating all the Oreos?

[Mr. Striper]

but stripers do? wow

On another note, witch one can you by law go after for sport? And I know for a fact, that sealions eat way more salmon and other fish than stripers or any other species in the river.

[Scott V]

For those that think humans are the invasive species, you are part of the same species. Pointing a finger at someone else doesn't make you any better a human being than the rest of us.

Wasn't trying to say I was a better human than the rest, just pointing out the facts that we humans created the problems.


And like Windwalker pointed out ,don't have kids.

No little me's in this world, nor will there ever be. The doctor took care of that.

[huntindog]

On another note, witch one can you by law go after for sport? And I know for a fact, that sealions eat way more salmon and other fish than stripers or any other species in the river.

"for a fact" what an asinine statement.

[Darian]

OK,.... Time for this thread to go bye - bye.... =;