Fishing Forum

I have read several comments on here about an increase in the percentage of rainbows being caught at Strawberry. I have also experienced this myself. I had read that the management plan had recently been changed to plant fewer but larger rainbows, with the thought that more would survive being eaten by the cutthroats. I analyzed the data and found that the data supports what I had recalled reading:

Year 2004:
Rainbows planted - 965,192
Average length - 4.44 inches

Year 2005:
Rainbows planted - 978,608
Average length - 4.69 inches

Year 2006:
Rainbows planted - 679,055
Average length - 5.90 inches

Year 2007:
Rainbows planted - 691,533
Average length - 6.27

Year 2008:
Rainbows planted - 418,032
Average length - 8.19

Year 2009:
Rainbows planted - 528,222
Average length - 7.63

Year 2010:
Rainbows planted - 529,028
Average length - 8.22

Year 2011:
Rainbows planted - 410,926
Average length - 7.65


The attached PDF document provides data on all of the fish species planted during the above years.
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I asked Drew Cushing (dowhatwecan on BFT) recently why there were more rainbows on the Soldier Creek side of Strawberry and after asking the biologist for the Strawberry fishery this was his reply:

"I was provided two reasons for more rainbows being there.

1. They tend to stock more rainbows on that side because historically there have been few cutts on that side.

2. There are is a water quality difference between the two that tends to attract rainbows to that side."
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should of ask him why not throw in 100k tiger and cut out 100k of them bow
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Wow, it has been four years since they started stocking the larger bows. Looks like it is working. Thanks for the info Kent.
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Good stuff Kent, thanks for compiling this.
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Definitely explains why the increase in consistently catching larger rainbows. Thanks for the report. Any ideas as to how this may affect the cut population and catch rate? Seems like a new challenge for fishing the berry. I like it!!! Learning to think more like a cut vs a rainbow. I think it will be nice having the best of both worlds to choose from. Especially if the bows continue to grow like they are.
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