Goldfish showing up in Lake Tahoe

Time to bust out the canned corn Tahoe anglers:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/move-over-jaws-huge-goldfish-turning-lake-tahoe-172803403.html

Sad! Its likely locals. The funny thing is many locals form the area are against fishing and hunting! 

They're probably also advocates of "Keeping Tahoe Blue" as well.  I'm not sure if it's due to ignorance or they think their little Goldie goldfish won't do any harm.  We already have enough non-native fishes in California!

What is the point scale for goldfish on AOTY?

My buddies were catching them in the "Tahoe Keys" on fly gear 10 years ago.

Next they need those invasive flying carp and some mussels to round out the destruction of the lake.

 

  I surprised the gold fish have survived the bass & trout.  I would imagine that a gold fish would be fillet Mignon to both species

Sad! Its likely locals. The funny thing is many locals form the area are against fishing and hunting!

This is true. I am a local here and all I ever here about it TRPA this TRPA that... (Tahoe Regional Planning Agency) (aka "Tree Huggers")  however, I dont believe its from people simply putting gold fish in the lake from their homes in the Keys or off the beaches... Lake Tahoe holds a great number of deep dwelling Mackinaw (Lake Trout).. Jigging minnows is an effective way catching them or jigging ORANGE lazer minnows produces well also... that being said. It leads me to believe that maybe some of the people fishing the lake are using Goldfish on their jigs instead of a plain silver minnow... Goldfish are much hardier than a Minnow and will swim much longer after having a small octopus hook through its dorsal fin. so jig goes down.. angler jigs... goldfish comes off jig... and bam! Goldfish populating lake tahoe! just my theory...
 

Slayer makes sense.  The local feed stores in El Dorado County sell 'feeder' goldfish 10 for a buck.  That's some cheap bait!  I stock the water plant ponds at my house with them to keep mosquitoes down and if the raccoons don't get them they continue to grow and grow. 

the other day i made a joke in the pet store while buying feeder goldfish for my cichlids, I said to the guy that he outta put a sign on the gold fish tank saying "please dont release into the lake" he chuckled and said "im pretty sure ive sold fish knowing they were going straight to the lake"    and that it was a good idea to put a sign up... im assuming he seen a guy decked out in fishing gear come in and buy 10$ worth in goldfish... thats 50 gold fish!!!

Wondering if there are any population studies done. 

I was part of the invasive eradication crew at Tahoe during a blitz effort last year.  We saw quite a few goldfish, and some nice looking Koi come out of the keys. Tomorrow I am going fishing with the guy who shocked the big goldfish that has been getting all the press.  I think his is a bit bummed that the UNR student is getting all the media facetime 

Wondering if there are any population studies done. 

Marine biologist from UNR have been going out and catching these bad boys about 400ft!! also they are finding them in the keys and such... as far as population number goes.. that lake is so massive and deep it'd be hard to even come close to an accurate number...

DrDave, Seen you are from Palo! I grew in Palo.. Went to Foothill High School, etc... Glad to See another fellow from PC on the forum!!

Wondering if there are any population studies done. 

Marine biologist from UNR have been going out and catching these bad boys about 400ft!! also they are finding them in the keys and such... as far as population number goes.. that lake is so massive and deep it'd be hard to even come close to an accurate number...

DrDave, Seen you are from Palo! I grew in Palo.. Went to Foothill High School, etc... Glad to See another fellow from PC on the forum!!

Fellow PC! I am actually a transplant. Grew up in OC...received my BS from Humboldt State in Wildlife Mgt w/ fisheries option, went back to OC for 5 years working as a Park Ranger...wife and I said let's head for the hills and get into education ...moved to Paradise for 15 and now been in PC for 9 years. Three of my kids went through Foothill HS and 4th starts next year. Not too many know where PC is so we usually just say Redding with a smile.

Interesting stuff about the goldfish! I am not really not a tree hugger (however did spend some field time with a spotted owl ) but darn do we leave heavy foot prints where we go.

You wouldn't believe how much of a footprint people leave up here in Tahoe, even with all the environmentally knowledgable people living here... I believe they are going to have a hard time eradicating all the goldfish in the lake. I don't know if having them on the fishing report is a good or bad thing..? Do they put up a fight?? if so i say open season!!!