castaway wrote:so you dont think fisherman-sprawl (like urban-srawl) would occur if all stocking was stopped?
Answer: I think it would be more limited. Has not the lack of stocking reduced the number of folks on the river? Aren't most of these bait fishers? If the reductions result in a cleaner river corridor, then I'm for not stocking. Montana hasn't stocked in years. Granted, it doesn't have near the population, and the ones who use the watersheds seem to be much more conscientious of their environment. These folks that come to Montana also bring a lot of $$$$ to the local businesses. Do the dispersed campers along the Kern actually spend that much in town? They must if the town is so happy to see stocking again, eh? How much do you suppose they spend at Guy's shop? The Mexican Restaurant next door--Jacalitos, I believe?
All the poachers and bait dunkers would just pack it in? hang it up and go to costco?
hahaah I doubt that... They would be out searching for a new honey hole to poach... like any of your fav. creeks..
Answer: That's not what I said. I said stocking it so they could have fish wasn't that cost effective from the standpoint of them economically filling their coolers from the fish in the river. Obviously some are packing it in and going elsewhere, or why else would the Kernville merchants care about the stocking? Let them search for honey holes. At least that would disperse the garbage that is currently left along the Kern. That river has the potential to be beautiful, but not the way it is currently managed. Let's just say, it has issues.
the Kings river is a good example of this... god where would all those people go if the lower wasnt stcoked...yep... the upper. But because the lower is stocked... the Upper remains relatively nice.
Answer: I don't buy your logic. I've found that most of the poachers won't go very far to poach. They'll hit the rivers that they hear are stocked, but once they've depleted the stockers, they disappear. Case in point: The Boise River after the steelhead trucks dump. It's combat fishing until the word gets out that they're gone. Then the chuckers just fade away. They don't hit a lot of the other better rivers in the vicinity, but then, Idaho has a pretty aggressive enforcement policy (so does Oregon) unlike California's policies.
Sorry, but I'll never see stocking as a viable alternative to real fish, but everyone's entitled to their opinions. I personally wouldn't walk across the street to fish for stockers, but hey, that's me.
