Facts about Otters

[QUOTE=mhall;517140]...Even on Kentucky Afield on one of their call in shows the officers recognized that they can be very problomatic in small waters and in given geographic locations...[/QUOTE]

If you read what I wrote in several posts above you'll find that I agree with you on this. In small waters otters can be a problem. I found several sources of data that indicate this (listed in my first post). What I disagree with is that they'll eat their weight in fish every day and they are a problem on all bodies of water. You have yet to provide any data to back this up.

Yeah, my spelling sux! :p

Andrew

fish populations are declining, im not sure why....but its "one way or anotter"

When you have 15+ years of intimate experience with a creek that drains less than 100 square miles you get a feel for what's going on. I know you have experience with some of these small gems in KY we've both been online for about the same amount of years. I'm going to go with that over some basic facts about the river otter from various state DNRs. I don't care about big rivers or big lakes because I don't fish them. On small bodies of water, especially after dry spells they are detrimental and don't belong. That is my official stance and I will not waver.

Large bodies of water - no official stance.

We at least have to give apb credit for giving us a reason to watch our computers during the crappy weather.

Agree. I would like to see data post introduction at least in Indiana. I believe the release in the patoka lake area was 10+ years ago that's a sufficient amount of time for them to take hold.

Note how the red is spreading.....
[url]http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-2011_otter_distribution_map.pdf[/url]

fish populations are declining! I'm almost positive that are three times the bass boats as there were 10 years ago. Tax reveues are declining, and some stocking programs have been cut or lowered. I have never seen an otter anywhere!I have seen about 10 times the commorants I used to see.

[QUOTE=kygorski;517183]fish populations are declining! I'm almost positive that are three times the bass boats as there were 10 years ago. Tax reveues are declining, and some stocking programs have been cut or lowered. I have never seen an otter anywhere!I have seen about 10 times the commorants I used to see.[/QUOTE]

I see a lot of cormorants out there too. I've not seen any otters down here at Bluegrass where I fish mostly. We do have some mink and beavers though. but I'm not sure how many fish the mink eat. Beavers don't eat fish that I know about. I see where the beavers have cut down some of the trees along the shoreline though.

I'd love to see some otters. They could catch and eat some of the small crappie and help the rest of the crappie have enough to eat so that they grow up to be big fast slabs. I'd be ok with that.

I'd love to get some photographs of some of them otters.

Some people have captive otters that they use to fish with. They put a collar or harness on the otters and have them tied to a tether line so that they can't get away. They let them out of the boat and the otters do their thing and go catch the fish. Then the man just pulls the otters back into the boat and steals the fish that they caught. Stupid otters work for cheap fish. He He.

Several posters have stated that fish populations are declining. I would be curious to see the studies showing this. I know small bodies of water are not routinely sampled, but if there was a significant and measurable decline of smallmouth in a stream such as the Elkhorn, I'd bet the KDFWR would know.

[QUOTE=Denver1911;524637]Several posters have stated that fish populations are declining. I would be curious to see the studies showing this. I know small bodies of water are not routinely sampled, but if there was a significant and measurable decline of smallmouth in a stream such as the Elkhorn, I'd bet the KDFWR would know.[/QUOTE]

Talk to any farmer with a pond close to an otter.