Senator Roach's Sept. 25 Meeting On Lake Tapps Tiger Muskies

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Craig Bukowski on September 10, 2013 at 5:04pm

If we don't join forces with all musky clubs, people and outdoorsman on this issue, and lose the tiger musky fishery on Lake Tapps because one disgruntled gentleman with a lot of money and influence, this would be an epic failure!  Please listen to Don's wise and experienced advice - this is political and if you alienate the Senator and let the water skiers and wealthy get the upper hand we are finished.  It is hard to compete with millions of tax dollars from waterskiing, wakeboarding, golfing Lake Tapps residents when most of us visit Tapps because we can't afford a house on the lake.  I wish I could attend but will be out of the country on business.

 

Thanks again Don for all your help, time and efforts spent on keeping us in the loop.

 

I really hope the WDFW can do a great job presenting the fisheries and biology data that will show the decline cannot be blamed on the tigers.

Permalink Reply by Mike Floyd on September 10, 2013 at 5:17pm

I just read that guy's letter to the senator and it's obvious he's an idiot. The decline of the Osprey (if there is any decline) is probably due to all the pleasure boaters. I don't believe there is any decline in the numbers of smaller fish in the lake as I've seen plenty of Bass, Crappie, perch etc. in the lake when I've been out fishing. I find it hard to believe that the senator is having a meeting after getting a letter from one individual!

Permalink Reply by Don Wittenberger on September 10, 2013 at 6:34pm

Mike, you're a lovely guy, and I love you.  Please, please, keep your emotions in check and keep Don Wittenberger's First Rule Of Politics in the forefront of your mind:  "Never piss someone off unless there's a profit in it."  We'll all be better off if we can win that guy over to our point of view.

Permalink Reply by Craig Bukowski on September 10, 2013 at 7:51pm

Here is a link to State Senator Roach's announcement concerning the meeting and agenda:  http://pamroach.src.wastateleg.org/sen-roach-to-host-meeting-on-rec...

BTW, great quote Don!

Permalink Reply by Don Wittenberger on September 10, 2013 at 9:57pm

Here's a quick tutorial on ospreys.  (When you argue with someone, it helps to know what you're talking about.)  http://fresc.usgs.gov/products/fs/fs-153-02.pdf 

Summary:  Ospreys migrate south for the winter, so they're seen in this area only from April to September.  They live near water and their diet is 99% fish, preferably large-scale suckers.  They tolerate humans well and can live in urban environments. Ospreys nearly disappeared from the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s because of pesticides -- not competition for food from predator fish -- but have recovered and western Washington's osprey population isn't reduced at this time.

I'm not a biologist, but here are my thoughts based on common sense.  If ospreys aren't as common at Lake Tapps as they used to be, it's probably not human activity per se that drove them away.  More likely, it would be loss of nesting sites resulting from people cutting down trees to make room for more houses.  

Ospreys help keep the sucker population down, which is good for the panfish that kids like to catch, but so do tiger muskies.  If panfish have declined, that's most likely due to crowding out by suckers and squawfish.  In that scenario, you want more tiger muskies, not fewer, to keep the sucker and squawfish populations under control.  Ospreys and tiger muskies both help the panfish population by keeping the suckers and squawfish from taking over the lake.  Ospreys and tiger muskies share the same forage base, but that doesn't mean one will crowd out the other; the reality is that ospreys and tiger muskies together can't eliminate the suckers and squawfish, which would get out of control if either the osprey or tiger muskie populations were reduced.  As for arguing that tiger muskies gorge on panfish, that's just not factual; the diet studies WDFW has done on tiger muskies show tiger muskies don't like spinyrays and won't eat them where suckers or squawfish are available.  So if you get rid of the tiger muskies, you're not going to have more panfish and spinyrays; you're going to have more suckers and squawfish, and fewer panfish and spinyrays.  As for tiger muskies competing with ospreys, they don't eat each other or compete for habitat -- ospreys don't live underwater and tiger muskies don't live in trees -- so the presence of tiger muskies shouldn't have any effect on the osprey population, unless someone can prove they're wiping out the suckers and squawfish, but that hasn't happened at any of our tiger musky lakes.

 

Permalink Reply by Mike Floyd on September 11, 2013 at 3:37am

I'm a little concerned that one home owner (probably with money) can write a letter to the local senator and she's ready to shut down the planting in the lake! WTF! The whole thing seems a little shady to me. I get tired of the prima donna's that live on the lake thinking they own the whole lake.

Permalink Reply by Don Wittenberger on September 11, 2013 at 11:43am

Mike, I understand your frustration, and you're in the right:  The lake is public property and the fish are a state-owned resource.  But I'm goal-oriented, I want to keep tiger muskies in Tapps Lake, and I'm weighing the realities of how we get from Point A to Point B.  The more influence people have, the more important it is to be diplomatic, that's the way the world is, and if I have to low-crawl under barbed wire to accomplish a goal I'll do it.  Regarding Senator Roach, I'll simply say the last time I had business with her I got what I wanted by being nice and doing things her way.  Being abrasive never works in a situation like this, and just one angry angler blowing off steam at the wrong time and place could screw things up.  So please, my friend, don't ventilate until this is over and it's safe to express your feelings.  That will make my job easier and do yourself and your fellow anglers a favor.           

Permalink Reply by Mike Floyd on September 11, 2013 at 2:27pm

Don't worry Don. I'll stay calm. The more I read on it the more it looks like they may be exploring other fish planting opportunities for the lake such as Trout. I'm not sure they have much say either way as the lake is owned by a private company, cascade water Alliiance.

Permalink Reply by Don Wittenberger on September 11, 2013 at 4:11pm

Cascade Water Alliance is a municipal corporation, not a private company, which means the public can influence what they do.  Its member-owners are the cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Issaquah, Kirkland, and Tukwila, plus the Sammamish Plateau Water & Sewer District and the Skyway Water & Sewer District.  The current board chair is Redmond Mayor John Marchione. 

Permalink Reply by Todd Reis on September 12, 2013 at 6:01pm

I think that its a bit ironic that some guy, one guy who serves as a community leader can get a state rep to come to Bonney Lake for an informal informational get together to discuss what we fishermen are casting lines for on Lake Tapps. I have read the initial report from Mr. Castille. And by the reaction from Mr.Floyd , and I agree, this Castille guy sounds a little shady at best and possibly has some dough? Maybe he ought to try fishing on the lake? I just logged my 300 hours on Lake Tapps yesterday evening. I'm sure Mike has just a few more than me. And saw plenty of small perch and a bunch of dink smallies chasing my musky baits to the boat. So idk where the Mr. Castille fishes but I will for sure offer him a fishing trip on my boat.

As far as the ospreys. I saw plenty this year. I do think the eagle population is down a bit. I have not seen the one bird that lands on the road at North Park for quite a while. The last musky I ate kinda tasted like bald eagle so..maybe that is where that bird of prey ended up. I heard muskies taste like eagles from some one  just cant quite remember who told me that..that is a joke..okay.?

There are plenty of osprey nesting areas on Lake Tapps. Maybe Don, when you fish Lake Tapps you will see them for your self. What I find ironic is this gent saying the osprey population is down. I heard lots of shrieking from them when I've gotten within 200 yards of them. And then a jetskier/waverunner  cut inside of my boat and the nesting areas and rip around the tree stumps and scaring the birds off. And to me anyway, the birds seemed irritated and stressed because some goons on the watercraft thinking it was funny so to do so. I think if Mr. Castille had seen the actions of these folks disrupting the nesting birds he might change his stance a little bit. And possibly the reason why the ospreys are either leaving the area. those lake lice..aka jet skiers get under everyone's skin at times. So leaving an area is probably the best thing to do.

I also still find it funny when I talk to the homeowners about the tiger muskies they all seem unaware of the fish even being in the lake. Then you get the folks that tell stories of the 5 footer under their dock that have eaten their pet carp. And will kill the muskies when they catch them. But then there are the informed folks that care and catch and release them and know why they are in the lake. So hopefully a few of the folks I know and will ask to show up and educate Mr. Castille and Ms. Roach. So we will see I guess.

Maybe both musky clubs can unite on this. Idk...

I am nor is my wife affiliated but we will be there as will a bunch of my good buddies.

Hope to see a bunch of us fishermen there.

Todd Reis

Extreme Musky Guide Service

Permalink Reply by Todd Reis on September 23, 2013 at 5:01pm

Remember you all. Please get up to the Bonney Lake safety Bldg. Right next to the Police station and voice your opinion. Pretty important. One guy is trying to put the kabosh on the musky program on Lake Tapps. Lets show the guy the muskies are a good thing here..thanks