White Perch Update

How many white perch are in Copper Dollar Lake?  Answer: "Lots".  The other day a resident caught 29 during a two hour outing on the lake.  During the week, he and his fishing partners have caught over 125 white perch all in the 10 to 11 inch class.  Once again, the Nebraska Fish & Game Division recommends that we do not harvest any bass, bluegills or crappies from Copper Dollar.  They are the fish that are hopefully keeping the baby white perch in check.  Please spread the word.  Thanks.

Size & Possession Limits

As far as I know, Copper Dollar Cove has always used the fishing rules and regulations set by the State of Nebraska.  Since the question of size and possession limits comes up fairly often, I thought I'd put some information in this blog.  These limits apply to both lakes.  Bass must be 15 inches long and only a total of four per licensed angler may be kept each day.  Channel catfish have a limit of five each day.  Crappies must be 10 inches in length and are considered to be panfish as are bluegills, green sunfish, white perch, etc.  A total of 15 panfish can be kept each day.  Therefore, these different species can be mixed but only a total of 15 can be taken from the lake each day per angler.  Another rule that should not be ignored is releasing baitfish into the lakes.  If you fish with minnows and do not use them all, please do not release them into the lake.  Once again, Copper Dollar Cove lakes are really more like big ponds and can easily be fished out if not fished responsibly.  The Nebraska Game & Parks recommends we practice catch and release on the big lake to help control the population of the white perch.  The F&W Committee recommends catch and release of all large bass on either lake.

2011 Fish Transfer Completed

For 2011, we were once again granted a permit from the Nebraska Game and Parks commission to make a fish transfer at Copper Dollar Cove.  As in the past, 300 crappie and 300 bluegill were taken from Copper Penny Lake and transferred into Copper Dollar Lake.  If the fish are not taken out by anglers, we hope to help increase the populations of these fish to what they used to be in years past.  If you would like to see more and bigger panfish in Copper Dollar Lake, please do not harvest these fish.  Let them grow and have the chance to spawn next spring.  There are still plenty of crappie and bluegill in Copper Penny Lake for residents to catch and enjoy for eating.  Thanks.

White Perch - Good to eat?

I've been asked many times if the white perch are good to eat. From all the articles I've ever read about them, the answer would be yes. Last night I decided to try some for myself. Here's my report.

Filleting white perch was very similar to any other panfish. One thing I did notice was a little more blood on the first cut behind the gills. The white perch also seemed to be a little more oily than crappie or bluegill. When I was done cleaning the fish, my left hand felt a little like I had used hand lotion on it. If you've ever cleaned and/or eaten white bass, these are very similar.

I fried them in butter using a light breading with seasoning salt and onions. They have a stronger flavor than crappie and once again, very similar to white bass, stripers and wipers. If you've never eaten any of those, it would be like comparing the taste of crappies to catfish. White perch are not my new favorite fish to eat but I'd like to try them again using some different recipes.

New Signs at Boat Ramp

New signs have been posted on each boat ramp gate concerning specific weeds, white perch and zebra mussels. Instructions are given on how to maintain your boat so these species don't get introduced into our lakes. A few residents at CDC have their own boat ramps. If you are friends with these people and you think they may not read this website, please pass on the information that is written on the new signs. Some residents also invite their friends owning boats and/or jet skis to use our lakes by obtaining a guest pass (or maybe not). These visitors should also be aware of the importance of cleaning their boats. When it comes to zebra mussels, one careless boat owner can totally ruin the lakes for everyone.

All About Zebra Mussels

Be sure to scroll through and see some of the pictures - unbelievably destructive!

http://snr.unl.edu/invasives/documents/Zebra%20Mussel%20-%20Public%20Meeting%20Omaha.pdf

Zebra Mussels Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHXeIbjcr5I

Spawning Season

One of the biggest projects that the Fish & Wildlife Committee has been working on over the years is to increase the population of bluegills and crappies in Copper Dollar lake. We still have good numbers of the species in Copper Penny lake but Copper Dollar is nowhere near what it used to be according to some of the long time residents. We have been transferring fish from Copper Penny into Copper Dollar for three years now with the approval of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Although a lot of the fish have already been taken out by anglers for food, we think we are making some progress. This time of year is the spawning season for these fish and any fish taken out now could mean the loss of hundreds of new ones. If anyone feels the need to keep bluegills and crappies, please take them from the small lake. There are plenty there and taking some out will actually help to increase the size of the fish in the future. So far this year, the crappies I've caught in the small lake have been pretty decent and seem to be bigger than last years. Also, if you are going to practice catch & release fishing on either lake, please don't use live bait. Panfish have a tendency to inhale minnows and worms and take them down deep into their gullets. Many will die even if they are released looking healthy. If you still feel you have to keep the bigger bluegills and crappies from Copper Dollar lake, please consider waiting until later on in the year and at least give these fish a chance to naturally reproduce. It will benefit everyone in the long run. Thanks.

Beaver Damage

This morning while checking the wood duck houses for the upcoming nesting season, I came across a lot of fresh tree damage caused by beavers. Although the area is located across the road from CDC property, a beaver would have no problem accessing either one of the lakes and the surrounding areas. If anyone has any expensive ornamental trees that they would like to keep, you might want to protect the trunks with some wire mesh or fences. Please notify any F&W Committee member or give me a call or send an email if you see any beaver or muskrat activity in your area. Thanks.