The Good and the Bad...

The last week has brought some good news and some bad news.

Recent rains have filled Butler State Fishing Lake back to normal pool after a prolonged period of being 4 to 5 feet low. Lake access was becoming difficult, the end of the boat courtesy dock was on dry ground and lake acreage was suffering. This was very GOOD news for Butler SFL and those that like to fish there.

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Now for the BAD news. I took the electrofishing boat out on El Dorado Reservoir for a short spin yesterday. In just a couple minutes of shocking I saw MANY white perch up in shallow water. The majority of these fish are only 6 to 7 inches and of very little interest to anglers. With the crappie spawn occurring as soon as the weather straightens up the crappie will have endure egg predation and nest destruction that the white perch are known for. Please do all you can to prevent the spread of ANS species in our Kansas waters.

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That's good news for Butler, went there last fall and it was the lowest I've ever seen it, glad to see it full, should have a much better largemouth spawn this spring with more shoreline habitat available.

On the white perch, I know you can look to see if the dorsal fins are attached and stand up together to determine if it's a white perch, but what is your preferred method of determining white perch or white bass?

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Originally Posted by fishingtim

On the white perch, I know you can look to see if the dorsal fins are attached and stand up together to determine if it's a white perch, but what is your preferred method of determining white perch or white bass?

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Tim,

Checking for the connection between the soft and spiny dorsal fins is accurate, quick, and easy. This is the technique I usually use in the field. However, after seeing fifty bazillion of these nasty little creatures you can ID them from 50 yards away.

Edit: For those that haven't seen it, here's a LINK to a guide to identifying stripers, wipers, white bass, and white perch.

If the zebra mussels cause the shad population to crash, do these white perch become a secondary food source for game fish?

Can White Perch be used as bait?

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Originally Posted by DuckHuntingUSA

Can White Perch be used as bait?

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cut bait

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Originally Posted by zummy

If the zebra mussels cause the shad population to crash, do these white perch become a secondary food source for game fish?

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While larger sportfish can consume white perch, young of the year sportfish would suffer if white perch were available instead of gizzard shad. A study has been proposed to look at the diets of predator species in El Dorado and Cheney reservoirs. Hopefully this study will begin soon to give us some additional insight on the impacts of white perch on our Kansas waters.

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Originally Posted by DuckHuntingUSA

Can White Perch be used as bait?

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From the 2013 KDWPT Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary-page 31.

"...The possession of live white perch is prohibited. Dead white perch may still be possessed or used as bait on the waters where they were taken."

Interested in hearing the results of that study. When you hear about the recovery of the great lakes it seems like zebra mussels and gobies get alot of credit from anglers up there.