12-03-2008, 02:23 AM
[inline "Fish surgery 006.jpg"][inline "Fish surgery 002.jpg"]I played hokey from work today and headed up to Floyd Lamb State Park for some R&R. My luck they were stocking trout as I rolled up. I quickly caught a limit on a Kastmaster and gave the fish to an old man who was not doing too well.
Wanting some Bass action I headed down to the lower pond where I have done well in the past. As I arrived so did a whole team from NDOW and as I later found out from BYU. They were there to capture some of the Razorback suckers that they have planted in pond. They have used the lower pond as a nursery of sorts since the 80’s. I was aware of the presence of the endangered fish having had caught one there a few years ago. They ran nets the length of the whole pond and within a few hours had the eight suckers they were wanting. They did an “operation” on the fish, knocking the fish out in a cooler with a special knock out drug mixed in the water. Then implanting Echo locators under their skin, stitching the implant site closed and weighing and measuring the fish. The fish were then placed in holding tanks for the ride to Lake Mead. These were to be set free to join the estimated 500-600 Razorbacks that survive and reproduce there, the only place in the world that they still do. I gave up on the Bass fishing and picked the brains of these biologists and other experts, I even got to help them out some with pulling the nets! I thought it was pretty cool.
Neat to think that these fish are now free in Lake Mead. Hats off to the NDOW and Professor and students from BYU. Nice guys and they are doing good work, trying to keep alive what our dams and waste have all but made extinct. The population of razorbacks in Lake Mead is eight higher today….and I kind of helped.
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Wanting some Bass action I headed down to the lower pond where I have done well in the past. As I arrived so did a whole team from NDOW and as I later found out from BYU. They were there to capture some of the Razorback suckers that they have planted in pond. They have used the lower pond as a nursery of sorts since the 80’s. I was aware of the presence of the endangered fish having had caught one there a few years ago. They ran nets the length of the whole pond and within a few hours had the eight suckers they were wanting. They did an “operation” on the fish, knocking the fish out in a cooler with a special knock out drug mixed in the water. Then implanting Echo locators under their skin, stitching the implant site closed and weighing and measuring the fish. The fish were then placed in holding tanks for the ride to Lake Mead. These were to be set free to join the estimated 500-600 Razorbacks that survive and reproduce there, the only place in the world that they still do. I gave up on the Bass fishing and picked the brains of these biologists and other experts, I even got to help them out some with pulling the nets! I thought it was pretty cool.
Neat to think that these fish are now free in Lake Mead. Hats off to the NDOW and Professor and students from BYU. Nice guys and they are doing good work, trying to keep alive what our dams and waste have all but made extinct. The population of razorbacks in Lake Mead is eight higher today….and I kind of helped.
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] They also caught a handful of carp. I too saw that pic on the NDOW site... It was taken in the guys driveway... [:/] A shame... If anyone out there wants info on the fishing there feel free to PM me.