Comments on: Are stripers a threat to salmon? http://www.fishwithjd.com/2008/03/07/are-stripers-a-threat-to-salmon/ The web's best fishing magazine Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:27:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Davehttp://www.fishwithjd.com/2008/03/07/are-stripers-a-threat-to-salmon/comment-page-1/#comment-206054 Dave Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:45:15 +0000 http://fishwithjd.com/2008/03/07/are-stripers-a-threat-to-salmon/#comment-206054 No doubt stripers do eat juvenile salmon and steelhead--but they also consume large amounts of other fish as well-- among them the "pike minnow" (or squawfish, hardheads etc).I once read a study on predation on salmonids in the Columbia River basin by smallmouth bass.It turned out that where smallmouth were introduced there was NO EFFECT on salmon numbers and on several streams salmon numbers actually increased. The reason for the 'surprise' outcome was that bass actually consume large numbers of pike minnows and other fish that prey heavily on both salmon eggs and juvenile salmon.I suspect that because stripers (unlike smallmouth) are migratory their net impact may be less than the pike minnows they consume (which not only feed on juvenile fish, but also eat plenty of eggs since they are in the rivers all year).More on Pike Minnows and their impacts: http://www.pikeminnow.org/info.htmlI haven't seen in California studies, but I would not be surprised to see a similar effect. No doubt stripers do eat juvenile salmon and steelhead–but they also consume large amounts of other fish as well– among them the “pike minnow” (or squawfish, hardheads etc).

I once read a study on predation on salmonids in the Columbia River basin by smallmouth bass.It turned out that where smallmouth were introduced there was NO EFFECT on salmon numbers and on several streams salmon numbers actually increased. The reason for the ‘surprise’ outcome was that bass actually consume large numbers of pike minnows and other fish that prey heavily on both salmon eggs and juvenile salmon.

I suspect that because stripers (unlike smallmouth) are migratory their net impact may be less than the pike minnows they consume (which not only feed on juvenile fish, but also eat plenty of eggs since they are in the rivers all year).

More on Pike Minnows and their impacts:
http://www.pikeminnow.org/info.html

I haven’t seen in California studies, but I would not be surprised to see a similar effect.

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