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As a trout junkie myself, I love casting flies that are not measured hook size, but in inches to big, aggressive pike. But, there is nothing more fun than having a native trout, which you have been watching sip blue wings for the last ten minutes, take your fly. I feel like there is a place for pike, but our beautiful trout streams in Montana is not it. I am curious to see where some of our rivers will be in ten years, they have found pike in the Jefferson, which we all know is fed by the Beaverhead & Ruby (two of my favorite rivers). I have heard of some in the East Gallatin, which I guess was a result of a stocked pond full of pike which flooded into the East. What is to be done? I have no idea, but I won't accept the answer of "get used to it." Indivuduals who bucket stock fish should be fined on a much larger scale if they are caught. If only we all knew how much money and effort it takes to clear a fishery of a non-native fish, I believe the current average fine if caught in Montana is a whopping $355. That would almost pay for...well about absolutely nothing. There is a current bill in Montana which is trying to increase this fine to $10,000 and the loss of all fishing and hunting rights for life in Montana. I don't know about you, but I feel like maybe these individuals would think twice about planting fish. Rivers are fragile and it takes very little to upset them, I believe that it is our duty as fishermen and sportsman to take an active roll in taking care of them because after all, nobody appreciates them more than we do. Over and out.

Well put Sid. The biggest problem with the introduction of warm water species into trout streams is obviously the threat that they pose on populations of ALL SPECIES within the system. Warm water species are predators, meaning it is their job to clean up the system by preying on the young, the old, and the dying. A lengthy study has been conducted on the feeding patterns and behaviors that predators exhibit when introduced into a freshwater system and the overall results indicate that predators will eat fish up to half of their body length as often as they can. When you break this down, that means a 40" pike (which are not that uncommon) will prey on fish in the 20" class as often as they can. Predators are also non-discriminating feeders. This means that they will not pass up a meal if it is presented to them; whitefish, trout, baitfish, or its young...it doesn't matter. I've talked to people here in the Missoula area that are totally for having pike and bass in our trout streams because their mentality is "well they feed on whitefish and suckers, meaning there will be less of them for me to catch." That is the stupidest mindset for anyone who knows anything about fishing to have. Whitefish (which are native to Montana) and suckers have their role in freshwater systems too. They are bottom feeders. Their jobs are to help maintain the overall quality of our streams by feeding on organic sludge such as algae and other crap. The biggest problem that I see with the illegal introduction of warm water species into a freshwater system is once they have an established population within that system, there is no way to eradicate them. They are too strong. They have developed a niche that has made them too difficult to get rid of. This is the same issue that is happening with the introduction of wolves in Montana and Idaho. The only thing we can do to help our trout populations is kill predatory warm water species when we catch them. That my sound morbid to some of you, but think of the overall results. As for bucket biologist, they should be put on death-row, they're murders in my mind (I'm not being serious, but Montana does need to increase the penalties to those caught doing this). Warm water species have their place within the ecosystem...lakes, reservoirs, and golf course ponds.