Originally Posted By: Todd3138
 Originally Posted By: JKB
I must really be ignorant. I don't even know what a Rich Rod is, cept' for that awakening time in my chair. I thought it was an Infomercial and changed the channel to Gunsmoke.


Former WVU football coach who turned traitorous and left for Michigan's head coaching job. He was forced to pay his full $4million penalty clause, so that hints at the cloud of suspicion under which he left. (Sorry Bob or others who may have been put off by my injection of football chat here!)

So, turning it back to HSB, what would be the reasoning that a state would outlaw them? Reading the posts here and in other threads, if they are either incapable of reproducing, or if the conditions for reproduction are insufficient, it doesn't seem like they pose an overpopulation risk. As well, I have not read anything that seems to suggest that they would become a true invasive species in the sense that I have come to appreciate that term here. I'm going to have to see if they are legal here in WV as I'd be very interested in adding them to my mix when I renovate my big pond one day.


Agreed Todd, this was my question posed a while back. The article referenced by JKB seemed rather general and vague IMO. The only reason I can figure is if there is an issue with LM forage population. It's accurate that HSB are open water apex predators with voracious appetites - but it also true they are prized game fish that will fight to the point of death from exhaustion! I thought LM had alewife, and I didn't think one could EVER run short of alewife. My knowledge of LM is nonexistent so speculation on my part isn't a useful exercise.

It's certainly not my lake and my state tax dollars don't support it I suppose if I had a great WE, SBM, Steelhead Brown Trout and Salmon fishery I may not want to introduce any additional predator species to potentially tip the balance.

I wonder if any other states ban HSB and their reasoning behind it?

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

[Linked Image from i1261.photobucket.com]