This question is purely for my own curiosity. Did anyone get checked or talk to F&G at all during the ice season this year at Henry's? Reason I ask is that I fished up there quite a bit this season at various times during the week and weekend and I personally only saw them one time and all they did was put binoculars on us from their truck. Last year when we were there we got checked 3 or 4 different times. Did I just miss them or something or were they just not around? I called them one day when we talked to some guys who were clearly not interested in the regulations and had a boatload of fish they were keeping, "the wife and kids will be up later so we're good on how many we're keeping". F&G said they would "check it out if they were in the area", I was a little blown away.
Anyway, like I said, more curiosity than anything else. My prior experience with the wardens has been just fine. Seems like last year they were pretty darn interested in what was being caught at Henry's, maybe not so much this season?
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I fished Henry's twice this winter and was not checked.
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I noticed the same thing . Last year I fished it 5 times and was check 4 of them . This year 5 times and not checked at all ? The fishing was a lot better last year for me . Curt G.
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We fished 3 days and never was checked, I told every one in our group to keep there licence handy because of last years posts. Maybe the survey last year told them what they wanted and they relaxed a little to much this year
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I fished the ice 5 times this season and never saw F&G. I did see them several times in their boat checking fishermen in boats but was never checked while in my pontoon.
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Fished 32 days in 2012 and did not get checked a single time.
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Maybe the over population of trout now existing, they are not quite as concerned.
I feel they dropped the ball with that lake a couple years ago...wait and see, but it does seem to be happening sooner than I thought it would.
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I agree there are way to many fish in the lake . Only so much food . I wonder what F&G plan is to get things back in balance ? Curt G.
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Since Damon left, I too wonder what their plans are. I know it is n ow on a three instead of two year watch before change schedule.
There is plenty food, the problem will be the lack of huge fish, but the fish will be healthy.
I am guessing, eventually they will open it year round. It is no longer that Blue Ribbon fishery to me. A Blue Ribbon fishery is one that requires technical skills and the reward is big trophies. Henry's is now a family lake just like Island Park. Great for the economy I guess.
We didn't have our big get together there this last year and not sure this year looks any better. However, Pyramid, NV is looking really good these days. Like the old Henry's pre ice fishing days[laugh]
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I don't know that it is just the ice fishing. I think the pressure on Henry's has about doubled in the last five years all season long.
Overall it is holding up well. Judging from the numbers of fish caught and the weight of those fish, they aren't stunted and there are plenty in there. They are certainly fat and healthy. It looks like quick growth for all of them.
The question is are there fewer large fish?
Is it a case that the biggest fish are going home to dinner with more people? Or is it a case of the smaller, faster, less cautious fish being caught first? The big fish are still there, just not being caught? Or is it a bit of both?
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I was told they will not get as big as they are all feeding the same. Enough food for all though.
Like having a 20 lb turkey for a family of 10 or 2. Plenty of food, but obviously the smaller numbers will get larger.
I refer to ice fishing as that was where the more fish planted was put into play. Then the natural source being released meant a lot of fish all at once. Could take a few years for the huge fish again unless taken at 24 or 26 inch instead of C&R.
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Good discussion and thanks for the comments, more or less confirmed what I was thinking. Still a little mystified why the wardens aren't out and about, or at the least why some of the interns aren't out doing surveys. Budget issues maybe? Who knows I guess. [bobdumb]
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Talk to IDFG about Henrys!
The amount of fishing pressure in the winter on the ice is NOTHING compared to the pressure during the boating seasons. The info they gathered last year told them that the open ice fishing season didn't even make a dent in the total population nor did it effect the amount of trophy fish in the lake. Check you tube. IDFG posted a summary video of their survey results taken during the ice fishing season last year. I had a link emailed to me. Ill go back and see if I can find it and post it again. The data was solid. The video also explained the statistical package they ran all their data through in order to estimate harvest numbers, ect.
Hearing that the ice fishing has somehow taken to many quality fish from the lake is ridiculous without any scientific data to back it up. In fact all the data collected says the opposite.
There is pressure coming from the fly fishing community in IP to shut down the ice fishing regardless of any scientific data. I know for a fact this pressure is part of the reason Damon left. To bad. Really liked that guy.
The science doesn't lie people. Your experience at the lake and visual indications might lead you to believe otherwise but IDFGs survey results are statistically sound and include the results of thousands of hours of angling.
ICE FISHING DOES NOT HURT THE FISHERY
PERIOD.
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I would be curious to know if there is any data on water temperature as henrys is pretty shallow, larger fish have a tough time in warmer water anyone think the last few summers could have taken a toll on some of the larger fish ? I would also be inclined to agree with trout maniac c pierce The ice fishing season is pretty short compared to the open water season.
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Ice fished Henry's 4 times. Never checked.
As for the other debate...the lake is different in the last two years. There is a mostly missing year class of fish...it could be ice fishing. The big fish are being cherry picked...when was the last time you saw a 24" hybrid released? I know some do release the big guys but most don't from my observation. It doesn't take a biologist to see that most Henry's fish are fat and healthy so there has to be another reason for lack of size other than overpopulation.
Wind river
By the way I still love fishing there summer or winter.
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I was checked by FG this year near the hatchery. It has been the only time in my life being checked by IDFG in any waters in Idaho.
I have only actively fished in the past 4 years but I would say that out of the 10 years I have held a license it was about a month ago that I was checked by fish cops at Henry's.
Match
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I didn't fish Henrys, and I really must tend to fish the less popular spots. In all my very long fishing life, I have never had my license checked.
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Unfortunately, maybe the F&G are not telling us the entire truth.
I do feel with the budget cuts they really don't care about Henry's anymore and it is all about the $$$$.
Anyone know if Jessica is still there?
The Gill Netting they post and what was real can be two different stories
ly.
The issue was never about the impact of ICE FISHING or that they are taking all the trophy trout. It was about them planting more to compensate for the longer season, then coupled with the natural dams being opened thus flooding the Lake with fish.
There is food there however, but thinking that the fish will keep the CHUB in check is really amusing. But F&G say that the trout have switched their diet from scuds leeches and other small bugs to chub-lets and they know, right?
The fact that the chub I caught were 16" to 18" did not seem to interest them.
In closing, I will say it again, it is a great little family lake now with tons of fish to be harvested and who knows...there might be that occasional 30+"
I want to know, what happened to all the three to five year olds?
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Your Wrong Your experience at Henrys amounts to what? Maybe a 100 hours and that's if you fished 20 days 5hrs per day. IDFGs survey results taken from the ice last year amounted to over 100,000 hours. IDFGs 100,000 hours of angling data says ice fishing had an almost 0% effect on the total fish population and a 0% effect on the amount of trophy fish in the lake. As tempting as it may be to look at your own experience and make a solid judgment its almost meaningless.
The amount of trophy fish in the lake has been slipping since the early 1950s.
INFO taken directly from IDFG
Average length of a 4 year old cutthroat in Henrys Lake
1950 20"
1977 18.6"
1986 17.2"
1994 16"
The average length continues to decline.
Clearly Ice Fishing is not the problem. The Lake had 0 ice fishing hours during the years above yet the size of fish continued to decline. Again you can argue with solid data all you want but IT DOES NOT LIE.
I dont KNOW why people are not seeing trophy fish like they used to but if I had to GUESS. I would say its a combination of water quality issues and over harvest due to increased pressure and land development. Anything we anglers with very little data suggest as a reason is just a GUESS. Nothing more.
I fished Henrys maybe 20 times this year including my time on the ice. Only saw or heard of three fish over 5lbs pulled out in my direct circle. Only one of these fish was through the ice and I didn't even see it. Just saw a pic which I've posted below.
Do not guess and assume ice fishing is killing all your big fish. Its not and its going to ruin all the ice fishing opportunities for all of us on Henrys. There is enough pressure to shut it down already. Cmon!
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The posted picture is not a cutt; it is a hybrid and almost all fish in Henrys over 24 inches are hybrids and not cutts.
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