Fishing Forum

Okay, you learn something new every day! I just learned that there is a fish called a JUNE SUCKER. And it is protected! So how can you tell the difference?
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[black][size 3]Hey Joni, [/size][/black]
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[size 3]Check with TD, he is the resident expert and advocate of the June Sucker.[/size]
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[size 3]They are one of those worth while critters, like mosquitoes, but they are endangered. They inhabit Utah lake, where I think that they are indigenous.[/size]
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[size 3]I don't know for sure, but I think that they are the real reason that there are no more commercial carp operations on UL.[/size]
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[size 3]I'm sure that they are being saved for their beauty and eating qualities (NOT).[/size]
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This may help:



From [url "http://www.junesuckerrecovery.org/index.html"]junesuckerrecovery.org[/url]
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[cool][#0000ff]June suckers are native to Utah Lake...and ONLY Utah Lake. In the "olden days", they coexisted with Bonneville cutts, chubs, Utah suckers and probably a few mountain whitefish. They numbered in the bajillions and just about crowded each other out onto the bank during their annual JUNE spawning runs up the Provo River. Early pioneers harvested large quantities to smoke and pickle for winter provisions.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Then came the carp...and the predatory species like walleyes, largemouth bass, white bass and catfish. The carp ate the eggs and fry of the June suckers...and either ate or killed the aquatic vegetation needed by the fry of all species to escape predators. The predators slurped up the young suckers until they got to be over about 8" long. That is still the condition of the June sucker survival situation.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But, a few years ago, politicians and ecologists decided "Wouldn't it be nice if we could restore the June suckers to their former "glory"?" Simple. All we have to do is get rid of all the carp, walleye, white bass, largemouth and catfish. Piece of cake, right?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Several years and millions of dollars later, we have fewer June suckers, more carp and no prospects for ever restoring that worthless fish. it contributes nothing to our fisheries and has gone far past the point where it is viable to restore it. Conditions in Utah Lake are not going to change, with the wave of a Fed's magic wand.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]None of us really wants to see the extinction of any species, especially a fish. But we gotta face reality here, folks. It is a lost cause. Unlike in Jurassic Park, nature will NOT find a way with the June sucker. It is doomed. I for one, resent the heck out of all the dollars being thrown away on a lost cause. There are a lot of hungry people that could be fed with that money. Or, there are a lot of other worthwhile projects right here in Utah (fishingwise) that could use that money too.[/#0000ff]
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[black][size 3]Don't hold back, Pat[/size][/black]
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[size 3]Tell us how you really feel about the June Sucker. ha ha[/size]
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[cool][#0000ff]RABBLE-ROUSER[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One point I neglected to make, since you raised it, was that June Suckers are indirectly responsible for the cessation of commercial carp harvesting on Utah Lake.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The Loy family has maintained a commercial carp seining operation on Utah Lake for several decades. In the past they netted truckloads of carp on a daily basis. Obviously, that was one form of keeping the population down...although even that did not seem to diminish the ugly hordes. As recently as two years ago, it was estimated that carp made up 90 percent of the biomass of Utah Lake.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]When the feds stepped in to save the June suckers, they proposed to remove millions more carp from the lake, as a means of giving the underdogs more of a fighting chance. In exploring all possible markets for the surplus carp, they had a large sampling of carp analyzed for nutritional value, and for any potential chemical residues. BINGO. Utah Lake carp were found to have unsafe levels of PCBs and were instantly rendered as not fit for human consumtion. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]That pretty much killed the only non-natural source of carp removal that had been working (somewhat) to reduce carp numbers. Suddenly, there is no active method of carp reduction in the lake. So...the very fish the feds are trying to protect...by killing carp...killed off the carp killing program.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Another fine example of our tax dollars at work.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]But...let me tell you how I REALLY REALLY feel...[/#0000ff]
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come on now TD you know you approve of the DWR June Sucker palnting operation @ UL.

How much has it cost this year so far? I heard they have spent 50,000 in raising finlerlings for UL this spring. I know they are actively planting them. I say leave DWR alone. Its just more food for the eyes.
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[cool][#0000ff]If they paid me the same money they "invest" in THEIR walleye feeding program, I could dump large quantities of chubs and carp minnows into the river and make a tidy profit to boot. The walleyes would eat better.[/#0000ff]
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Reading up on the Suckers it was fairly obvious that their reduction in numbers had a lot to do with restricted spawning areas. A 3 1/2 mile section of the Provo was the only place they can successully spawn -- and that area shrinks on dry years. Yet they still plant them and want them to be "native" to Utah Lake. I think their heading the way of the passenger pingeon was a sign from nature saying that this really is not a good home for them anyway. Why don't the conservationists try to spend their money to plant them in places where they would have a better chance to self populate -- and let nature run it's course (one way or another) at Utah Lake?
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There ya go with the carp thing again. And you call me a crap lover. Like there isn't enough carp in the lake already!! Sheeesh you could have walked across them at Lindon over at carp island today.

So we gonna add more carp to feed the eyes. Throw in a few chubs for good luck.

Hmmm some we going to switch from cats and eyes to thropy chub and carp?! I wonder how big the chub can get, I know how big the carp will be by then. LOL Gonna have to up my line weight again 4# and 6# just wont be heavy enough any more Dude.
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If you want to see a live June Sucker, they have one at Hogle Zoo. I noticed it earlier this year when I took my son there.
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