I read an interesting article a while back on Ster

[Otto]

I read an interesting article a while back on Sterkfontein Dam, wherein the author who happens to be very involved with Sterkfontein Dam suggests that when Bass are caught in this specific dam that they should be killed. The impact that they will have in the future will be devastating to the Yellows. Since I read that article I have been more alert to the statements made regarding Bass and the impact that they have had on certain species.

Approximately 2 years ago a friend of mines dam wall broke on their farm and they lost a huge amount of fish etc. The dam was re-built with new structures etc and was then stocked with all kinds of fish species with the assistance and guidance of a Professor from Tukkies. Bass was the only species that was excluded from the re-introduction of fish, why? His opinion, "they would take over the dam as the dominant species". 

How do you feel about Bass in general and their presence in almost all of our dams?

 

[The Owner]

Hi Otto

I am not keen on bass being in our dams, but yet they are and always will be. My personal opinion is if you look at how aggressive bass are and how much you catch of them in a day, it doesn't take a guiness to know that they can seriously damage the population of our indigenious species. Look at Renosterkop, the dam never had bass. Then it slowly started getting bass, but was never a hotspot for them and now everyone goes their and catch at least 10 bass for the day(I have personally coaght 50 bass each time on 3 different trips in the same week at this venue). We saw hunderds of bass last saturday on the dam and most of them was in schools that range from 8 to 20 per school. Now imagine how much fish they must eat in a day alone! People can say what they want, but bass do have a negative impact on our water's biodiversity. The problem is that most bass lovers just don't give a damn. As long as there is bass to catch they are happy, and they are such good environmentalist because they release all their catches. And if you dare not release a bass and give it to an hungry person for food, they won't hesitate to get on your case. People will always try to justify what they love to do and once they get hooked on something you are going to struggle to change their view. Last point I want to add is that Rust de WInter dam use to have dwarf tigerfish(silver robbers), but since their was bass introduced(especially the florida strain) the numers have dropped and it has been a few years since someone caught a DT at Rust de WInter.

 

[*el-diablo*]

I say get rid of the carps, keep the bass, its much more fun cathing Bass anyhow.

 

[The Owner]

Both are alien, so both need to be removed from our waters. But Carp don't eat other fish and thus they don't do as much damage to indigenious species. Yellowfish are way more fun to catch than bass and yet we have very few lakes to catch them in(most of the dams that had plenty of them is now infested with bass). SO maybe bass are more fun to catch, but that is the same excuse that most bassfisherman use. At the end of the day most people just say screw everything except bass and some of them will even refer to themselves as conservationists...

 

[braailegend]

In Western Cape, any foreign specie is bad in our rivers. Most of the indegenous fish are small (baitfish size) or slow growing.

 

[Enigma]

Carp silt up dams preventing certain indigenous fish from spawning and they raid other fish's nests and destroy whole populations before they hatch

Both fish although not indigenous are endemic as they are naturally occurring and breeding in our rivers and dams for 100 years or more already

In the fishing trade they are both good for us, the carp the most and the bass are just another fish for fishermen to catch but they decimate baitfish and crab populations

 

[AYOBA!]

baber also eat other fish, they are just as bad as bass, but I love to catch both...

 

[The Owner]

That's for sure, Braailegend. EVen the Vleikurper are bad for the indigenous species. The barbel are smacking the bass now, but now the bass just know how it felt for all the other species they devoured. The Cape use to have huge nombers of witvis and clanwilliam yellows(weighing up to 8kg and 14kg respectively and giving a much better fight than carp or bass and they are more beautifull). Because both these fish are good for the economy, they have the right to live in our waters. Money makes the world go round...even at the loss of our interesting variety of species or must I say "baitfish". Baitfish is a term used to define all the fish that bass eat a.k.a their only importance is that they serve as the bass's food. If the "baitfish" are wiped out no one gives a damn, as long as the bass populations are good. Take Maguga dam for example, all the "baitfish" are gone - it is basically just a bass dam. Use to have a huge variety of species and good yellowfish populations, then bass was introduced and now its just another bass dam. I feel very strongly about this matter and this is why I might come over a little harsh. Why do people care more about alien species? Oh and barbel feast on kurper and carp, they don't have nearly such a big impact on our indigenous species, which is not surprising as they are indigenous to most of SA.
Another interesting notion is that when our water gets a heavy dose of pollution it's our indigenous species that takes the knock the hardest, bass and carp seem to not be affected nearly as bad.

 

[Ant86]

AYOBA! wrote:

baber also eat other fish, they are just as bad as bass, but I love to catch both...

Fair enough barbel do eat other fish but they are indigenous apart from the W Cape,so they have a "right" to eat other fish lol

 

[The Owner]

Thanks Antjar, that some sensible reasoning

 

[FRITZABU]

Enigma wrote:

Carp silt up dams preventing certain indigenous fish from spawning and they raid other fish's nests and destroy whole populations before they hatch

Both fish although not indigenous are endemic as they are naturally occurring and breeding in our rivers and dams for 100 years or more already

In the fishing trade they are both good for us, the carp the most and the bass are just another fish for fishermen to catch but they decimate baitfish and crab populations

Carp has been in our dams for many years and have not affected the other species in the same dam . Yet ever since the "Bass Guys" stocked all our dams with the bass . Most of the dams have changed for ever .

Have to agree .Its good for business :fishn

 

[The Owner]

I think carp's definetly have a smaller impact on our indigenous species in comparison to bass. Not like I am picking sides, because I will always vote for the indigenous species anyway. I have been around and fished enough venues to form a informative opinion. Dams like Bloemhof and Vaaldam, even Baberspan are supposed to be loaded with yellowfish. But except for the occassional yellow here and there, the dams are flooded with carps and grasscarps. The big problem with carp is that they overbreed and take up the living space of other freshwaterspecies. Now some may argue, esspecially the carp fishing facets - not that they are objective. Personally I think most dams can keep their carp populations. I just think that we as anglers should keep some of the carp we catch, to trim the populations a bit. WIth regards to silver and grasscarp I have no sympathy, kill them all.

Oh and here's another hit against bass. Clanwilliam dam is famous for being a top notch smallmouth bass destination, yet very few anglers worry or even know that it is supposed to be the home of the endangered Clanwilliam Yellowfish. This specie is one of our most beautiful species and is also the second biggest yellow. But now there are very few left in the dam, yet every bas angler is happy and cheerful because at least the dam has big smallmouth bass. I find it absolutely repulsive. Its just like gamerangers stocking parks with tigers that kills lions and the majority of peolpe supporting this stupid move. Here is another one for the bass lovers; a group of researchers approached the bass facet and asked them to mark all the destination they would like to keep for bass and also some venues that they won't mind giving up for reintroduction of some of our indangered yellowfish species. These fisherman were happy to assist. They mapped out all the major dams and rivers, but were happy to give the small streams and smallest rivers for yellows. Because the bass just did not get big enough in these systems. Now the yellows can live here and can reach like 20cm, even though they can easily reach like 3 to 6kg in a large enough watersupply. I was at this Yellowfish Conference last year. Oh and Clanwilliam was marked as a must keeper for smallmouth bass...

 

[mipretorius]

i have a simple way of thinking. If it was not there 150 years ago then it should not be there now. Imagine being able to go to different parts of SA and catching fish that you only get there. Imagine being able to catch eastern cape rockies or being in joberg and catching yellowfish.

However we are in a situation were we have these alien fish in our water including barbel in areas were they should not be there. We need proper management of our water by not moving bass into dams so that guys have a dam close to there house were they can catch bass becuase they watch to much espn and dont know the power and excited of our indigenous fish.

We also need more programs the breed our indigenous fish and relocate them back into our waters. We need to help our fish and not just really on their love making skills alone.

 

[mipretorius]

i have a simple way of thinking. If it was not there 150 years ago then it should not be there now. Imagine being able to go to different parts of SA and catching fish that you only get there. Imagine being able to catch eastern cape rockies or being in joberg and catching yellowfish.

However we are in a situation were we have these alien fish in our water including barbel in areas were they should not be there. We need proper management of our water by not moving bass into dams so that guys have a dam close to there house were they can catch bass becuase they watch to much espn and dont know the power and excited of our indigenous fish.

We also need more programs the breed our indigenous fish and relocate them back into our waters. We need to help our fish and not just really on their love making skills alone.

 

[The Owner]

Mipretorius, you are my hero.  "If it was not there 150 years ago then it should not be there now", this is exactly how I feel about these alien fish. The sad thing is that most anglers don't even know what an Eastern Cape Rocky is or the fact that it is endangered or tyhat it can reach 26 cm. The Cape may not have had a lot of species, but it had huge populations of witvis and clanwilliam yellows, both being stronger fighters than bass and both reaches a bigger size and they look beautiful! These fish are only found in the Cape, nowhere else in the world. Yet almost every country has bass. Bass fishing is just such a big facet because America does it and spend millions of dollars on it. In a lot of countries, like Australia, alien fish are killed and indigenous fish are protected at all cost. Its just in our messed up country that people prefer bass over other indigenous species!

"We also need more programs the breed our indigenous fish and relocate them back into our waters. We need to help our fish and not just really on their love making skills alone."I support this notion to the max!

 

[Jake1]

Unfortunately bass is not indigenous- I am pro -indigenous for all the right reasons.

When Bass negatively influence our indigenous species like Yellowfish etc, Bass should be treated like the weed(onkruid) they are.

(Dont get me wrong I like catching bass but lets face it, they arent supposed to be here!)