Quote Originally Posted by Duayne View Post
Interesting take with the "mixup at the hatchery". If they are that prevalent, then they probably could set creel and size limits on them. I assumed there would be some rouge hybrids showing up when they reintroduced the whites. I didn't think there would be enough to worry with. Even still, it might be best just to leave it alone. As it is, they already have people catching 15 inch females with broken lines and throwing them in the cooler.
I used the word "may" very tongue in cheek, they in fact "know" exactly when the mixup was. And their take on it is "its not an issue of whether or not there is a population of hybrids, how big the population is etc etc, the bottom line is dont keep anything under 22 inches and the hybrid/striper issue is a "non-issue". Why someone would throw a 15 inch female in a cooler is beyond me, but your right it happens, just like the guy that couldnt believe all the 14-16 inch "spots" he was catching on a popr last year.....and then became very defensive when we congratulated him on his livewell full of short smallmouth.
You owe it to yourself to be able to identify every fish you fish for and the ones you catch by accident, if you dont know....THROW IT BACK.
From what i gather incidental, occasional catches of hybrids dont concern fisheries people, the dont reproduce so attrition of the population will take care of itself.