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(Ione) The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) teamed up with Project Kokanee of the California Inland Fisheries Foundation,to release 54,800 kokanee fingerlings into the middle of Lake Pardee on March 30. Ralph Rose, Lake Pardee's Marina Manager, along with the DFG and members of Project Kokanee took a pontoon boat carrying a 700 gallon tank holding 54,000 fingerlings out to the middle of the lake. At that point, the kokanee were released into the water. Another 50,000 fingerlings are expected to be released in late April, or early June. According to Bob Pool, of the DFG's American River Hatchery, the reason for splitting the kokanee into two batches is simply due to the amount of space available in the hatchery. "Usually we release them when they're a little bigger, but if we split up the batches, it will give the fish a chance to grow faster and bigger," he explained. Rob Browning, president of the California Inland Fisheries Foundation Inc., explained that the goal was to "cut down the mortality rate of the kokanee." |
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In the past years, kokanee have been released at the marina boat ramp where many of them are eaten by predators. Pool explained that dumping the fish off the ramp keeps the kokanee trapped in the cove, which leaves them as vulnerable as forage for the rainbow trout and bass, increasing their mortality rate. "Right now only about 28-30 percent of the kokanee make it to maturity," said Browning. "Hopefully in two years when the fish are catchable, the mortality rate will be almost nil." The fish are expected to reach catchable size in about two years, ranging from 11-13 inches long. Most of how they grow depends on the richness of plankton in the lake, according to Browning. The California Inland Fisheries Foundation Inc. has helped raise funding for projects such as Project Kokanee, and teamed up with the DFG in creating larger quantities of king salmon, rainbow trout and king salmon for anglers. "Before we started, there were kokanee to fish for, but not like there is today," explained Browning. "If it wasn't for these guys (Project Kokanee), we wouldn't have the population of kokanee we have today. We just don't have the budget to do it," added Pool. "It gives you good feeling to know that you're doing something good for the anglers of California," exclaimed Browning. |
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