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PLUMAS COUNTY — California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) biologists recovered a total of 28 northern pike during electro-fishing efforts at Lake Davis on Tuesday, July 27, and Wednesday, July 28, said Jack A. Edwards, DFG’s Chief Communications Officer.
"The Northern Pike Task Force has been notified and we are working together to develop a proper course of action, "Edwards said.
There were 22 pike caught on Tuesday and six on Wednesday. One pike caught was approximately 19 inches long and the remaining 27 measured between six and nine inches in length, said Dennis Lee, DFG^s senior fisheries biologist in charge of the sampling effort.
"The large number of pike we recovered means they are probably the result of a successful spring spawn," Lee said. "There appears to be a self-sustaining, spawning population of pike in Lake Davis."
A total of 36 northern pike have now been found since May at Lake Davis. All were caught in the shallow Mosquito Slough area by anglers or DFG biologists and most of them were of a size that indicated they were part of a spring spawn.
The Northern Pike Task Force, consisting of representatives from DFG, Plumas County, the City of Portola, and the Restore Lake Davis Coalition, among others, are supportive of the long-term monitoring effort. The task force will develop recommendations to determine a proper course of action. The next advisory committee meeting to discuss the current pike situation is scheduled for 7 p.m. August 5, at the Eastern Plumas District Hospital Education Center, 1000 Hospital Dr., in Portola.
DFG is appealing to all Lake Davis anglers to follow a set procedure should they catch a northern pike while fishing in Lake Davis. First, anglers are asked to kill the fish by cutting through the gills without removing its head. Next, DFG asks that the fish be delivered to the Portola DFG office or to any DFG personnel at Lake Davis or to call the hotline as soon as possible. Anyone with information that will assist in determining if the fish were illegally planted is asked to call the DFG^s 24-hour hotline, 1-888-DFG-CalTIP. A total of $30,000 in rewards is available and all CalTIP callers will remain anonymous.
Uploaded: 7/30/1999
Uploaded: 7/30/1999