Squawfish as Stressors

[Tony Buzolich]

Last Tuesday I went to the Assembly meeting and voiced my opposition to the bill and at the end I added that the committee should also consider the native stressors as well as the non-natives. I mentioned the Pike Minnow (Squawfish), as well as the cormorants and the merganser ducks that all take their toll on salmon and steelhead smolt.

As I read a bit more on the pike minnow, there have been numerous studies about their predation especially on salmon and steelhead smolt. At Lake Pillsbury they were introduced which lead to a complete devistation of the salmon and steelhead on the Eel River. Oregon has had a bounty on them in the Columbia River system where there are no striped bass. The Russian River right here in California has had a bounty on them for some time. These "native" stressors are prolific in every river system they enter, and they gorge native salmon, trout, and I'm sure Delta Smelt too.

I think if anyone were to compare the damage by predation between squawfish and striped bass, they'd see that squawfish are a much bigger threat to endangered species than ever thought.

On the Sacramento and Feather rivers these things are as thick as fleas and they're not small by any means. They eat tons of smolt and fry all year long. I'd like to see more concern get placed on these pike minnows as a culprit and get away from blaming striped bass for everything.

[windwalker]

Tony, I hope you are giving those squawfish the old heave hoe on the bank when you are done with the pics. We all must do our part in feeding the coyote's.

[Rockman]

To be humane, give'em a "bonk on the head" so they don't suffer before you make them coyote food on the bank

[Charlie Gonzales]

Anybody ever keep one? In theory they shouldnt taste any different than a largemouth, or smallie; they live in the same water and eat the same thing. Maybe smoke em?

[Frank Alessio]

Too salty... Might have been in the brine too long.. I did not try a second time Charley..

[IronMtn]

We used to eat squaw fish out of Priest Lake in ID, but they were pretty fishy tasting. More so than a bass. It might sound weird, but we used to soak the steaks in whole milk for a few hours before we'd cook 'em, which would help knock down the fishy taste. After that they weren't too bad.

As for smoking them; I don't know, maybe... I'm guessing they'd be pretty hard to keep lit...

[Jgoding]

I don't know.... I can never blame something for doing what it does..... especially when it's mainly our fault the species in question are in decline. In the end, I guess nothing is wasted anyways as something recycles them...

[Mr. Striper]

they are only good for bait and fertilizer.

[OceanSunfish]

I'll preface by saying that the State and Federal water projects are the culprit, as well all know. They have created the inbalance and thus turned somethings into "stressors" where they weren't before......

A bit of irony.... Striped Bass help keep the squawfish/pikeminnow population in check. If you see that the river's population of squawfish/pikeminnow is rather robust, assume that the striped bass haven't been around in greater numbers as in year's past.....

In summary, our fisheries/ecosystem/food chain lived harmoniously together until the water projects and politics turned it all upside down.

[Darian]

Since we're considering native stressors, how about predation by Salmon/Steelhead on their own Alevin or smolts.... They pretty much eat anything in the ocean. Ever wonder why Alevin flies work or occasionally catch a Salmon or Steelhead in rivers using a Rainbow pattern