Crappie Fishing

I hit Owyhee in the yak for the first time this year on saturday.  crappie are still deep and a little sluggish but i managed to catch a few.  fish tacos!

YEAH! Love them fried!

About what length are they averaging this year?

Go easy on those Owyhee Fish Tacos Mr. Jones.  They pack a punch.

Neumann said that the levels of mercury in fish from Owyhee Reservoir ranged between 0.65 - 1.77 ppm. Since mercury collects in edible portions of fish tissue, the only way to limit exposure is to reduce the amount of fish eaten from contaminated waterways. Therefore, OHS warns that pregnant women, nursing women and children up to 6 years of age should not consume any fish from this body of water. Children older than 6 years and healthy adults should limit their consumption of fish from Owyhee Reservoir to no more than one-half pound (eight ounces) of fish six times a year (approximately one meal every other month). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently reviewing this health standard.

 

The source of the mercury appears to be from natural geological mercury in the rocks and soils in this area, and possibly, past mining activities. Additional fish sampling surveys will be conducted by DEQ and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to further characterize the extent of mercury contamination.


Because sport fishing is a popular activity at Owyhee Reservoir, OHS and ODFW suggest that fishermen practice catch-and-release fishing. A catch-and-release approach allows fishermen to still enjoy fishing as a high-quality recreational experience, according to ODFW officials.

About what length are they averaging this year?

Go easy on those Owyhee Fish Tacos Mr. Jones.  They pack a punch.

Neumann said that the levels of mercury in fish from Owyhee Reservoir ranged between 0.65 - 1.77 ppm.

Whoa! that's almost doubt swordfish or shark levels... and 5 times above tuna that everyone is worried about

Just have to drink lots of green tea to chelate that mercury back out of the system

Such a bummer...

The real bummer is that for a few more bucks they could have kept that nasty genie in the bottle. Their stance is that if they have to install scrubbers they can't compete. No elected official wants their good name attached to the decimation of the local economy by holding the feet of those responsible to the fire. Guns or Butter. Toxic Waste or Jobs. Way sad.

http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/mountains-of-mercury/Content?oid=1467479


When I was a kid I used to go with my neighbor and pull crappie out of Horseshoe Lake by the bucket, right in Trojan's shadow and under the I-5 diesel cloud. That must be where my super powers came from!

That was a really good read Banger!  I had previously thought that the only major source of Mercury pollution in the Owyhee were the natural Cinnabar deposits found thruout the area. I had no idea that some of my favorite Eastern Oregon fishing grounds had concentrations like that.  

Where are my manners?
Welcome aboard Idaho Jones!  I aplogize for side tracking your thread!!! 
Thanks for the report.  We love the fishporn here!

-Spot-

Whoa, I thought it was too early for much action.  Great picture.  So...  think about Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter when you think about eating enough mercury.  The beaver hats were made pretty with, yes you guessed it, a common element around here...

those are some nice lookin slabs! Reminds me of the sized crappies we'd get back in my home state of Texas. Does anyone know of any good crappie fishing on the west side of the state?

Must be a bunch...  Henry Hagg, Horseshoe, the lower altitude warmer lakes and sloughs of course.  Wonder why there are more bluegill than crappie in the sloughs..