Comments on: Lake Trout Netting Program to Begin at Swan Lake
By Speak4Yoself on 08-23-10
I am really confused…we spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to gill net “invasive” lake trout out of swan lake…yet as an ANGLER, my limit is ten lake trout? It makes no sense, and even though several people have suggested to our region one FWP folks that they need to remove or raise the limit, neither is addressed in the 2011 regulation changes. Is it any wonder we have so little confidence in the “system” these days?
By Lucky on 08-24-10
Yep, I agree. There should be no limit on angler harvest of lake trout anywhere in the Flathead basin. While our native fish populations face many obstacles to recovery, lake trout have been found to be the number one native fish predator and populations of these nonnative fish should be reduced in every way possible.
The first two years of the Swan Lake netting program have been an unqualified success in reducing lake trout numbers. While not directly comparable in size, the effort in Swan Lake should provide a useful roadmap for ways to reduce these predators in Flathead Lake as well.
Lake managers should consider a regulation change to remove the slot limit on larger lake trout in Flathead Lake. There can be no justification for protecting the largest of the very fish that have been shown to be the biggest threat to our native salmonid populations.
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