Fishing Forum

The story is that the Vernal express had a article about Red Fleet and how they DNR is going to poison it to kill the Walleyes off. I didn't get to see or read the article though, I was at work and had stuff to do. The thing is on the sixteenth they had a public meeting, I didn't make it there but was lucky enough to run into some biologist at pelican later that week and gave them my opinion about it. I talked to the one biologist about it and told her that me and many other fishermen I knew would like to have something other than rainbows to catch. I also told her that they could just put in some more walleyes and some perch and it would make me very happy. She laughed a little about it but didn't say what exactly they were going to do. The bad thing is, they will kill more than just the walleyes, but will also kill them big rainbows, big browns, big largemouth, big small mouth, and everything in between. There is not a large amount of them I don't think, but that lake has been a good fishin hole for as long as I can remember. I have seen and cought fish in the 20 to 30inch range. I understand there is a balance that has to be kept but the lake would have some exciting venues with perch and Walleye.
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I think poisoning any lake is a bad idea, especially when it will totally destroy a good fishery for years to come. Do you ice fish Redfleet? If so would you mind pointing me in the right direction? Me and a buddy tried it last year, fished all day and never got a bite. I hear the fishing there is awsome.
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Have you ever fished a lake or reservoir after it has been poisoned? More often than not, the fishing is better within 12 to 18 months. Growth rates are off the charts for the first 5 years or so. Think of a vegetable garden that is choked with weeds. After a good herbicide and a rototiller you get your best crops.
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You may be right, unless they ruin it by only stocking trout.
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The cove by the boat ramp can be good at times, the depth varys from 20 to 40 feet depending on the how full the lake is and were you are, use jig heads that are pink with white, pink, green or brown tube or curly tale jigs, use the ones made by Berkley, they come pre scented and work good every were. Berkley also makes what is called a atomic teaser and its usually my first pick for trout through the ice. I haven't fished there yet this winter so I can only tell you what I know from years past.
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I have never fished after a lake has been poisoned, there is naturally reproducing fish there though and they get big and there is certain places and certain times of the year you can catch them. The fish have very bright colors, hook jaws, and are very frisky when hooked, they are not the same as stocked fish. I know Walleye are top of the food chain but there is walleye, perch, bass, trout, carp, bluegill in starvation so why cant there be the same in Red Fleet
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Gotta get rid of the vermin to restore the trout aquariums of the state. They give you all kinds of options for fishing. You can catch 12" planted rainbows from one lake then the next day catch 14" planted rainbows from another. What other options could you want?[fishon]
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It is the only Walleye lake within an hour of Vernal. I think they should let it play out, and see how it works out in ten or so years. It would save the tax payers some major funding. Funding they could use for improving a lake in a positive way, not killing a lake because one of the best eating fish made its way there. Why not throw some of there new tigermuskie, or Pike, and some perch in it while there at it?
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Its amazing how the dwr will propose poisoning a lake over walleyes. And let a lake like Scofield go on and on being choked out with chubs and continue to implement the "slot limit". Why would they not just put a no limit on walleye/keep and kill for the lake. And then see how things go. They might find out that walleye exist well with the trout. In my opinion starvation is the best rainbow lake in the state right now and it obviosly has walleyes.
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yep the trout the trout the trout and there could be a awesome opportunity for a challenging tasty fish but the dnr loves them trout. I actually like the trout too, and take my wife and kids out fishin for them often. Trout are great because there is many different ways to catch them and a family can have some serious fun. The problem is I love to challenge myself with something that takes the right presentation and some skill. It took me 3 years to figure out the walleyes in starvation, and the perch took some figuring too just had to find them. I hope that when red fleet is restocked its stocked with some other fish than trout.

Walleyes are way better eatin too
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You mean like this?
From the current proclamation:

Quote:Red Fleet Reservoir, Uintah County • No limit on walleye.

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Funny that you should mention Starvation. I don't have any statistics, but sure feel like Starvation has seen a LOT more fishing pressure since the "Starvation Steelheads" have made their presence known. When it was just Walleye and Small Mouth Bass you didn't hear as much about Starvation. Seems like some folks like to have a three year challenge trying to figure out how to catch Walleyes, and some folks would rather just catch fish.

Don't get me wrong. I've caught tons of Walleye. Spent lots of time, money, and effort to figure them out. It cost me a marriage. But Walleye aren't as much fun to catch as a trout of the same size to me. Walleyes don't run. They don't jump. And once they get into a reservoir or lake they overpopulate and eat themselves out of house and home. The only way to have the "Starvation Steelhead" in Starvation is to plant fewer, bigger trout. Deer Creek is the same way. There was a time when the UDWR could plant many times more fish, although smaller, and have more fish. But now they have to curtail the numbers and grow them bigger before they plant them.
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[quote Fishrmn] There was a time when the UDWR could plant many times more fish, although smaller, and have more fish. But now they have to curtail the numbers and grow them bigger before they plant them.[/quote]

They have the same problem at Strawberry - that's not a walleye specific problem.
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Not gona side with anybody,, but the dwr has an agenda all their own, If they could manage anything it would be a blessing,,,deer ..phesants...fish,,, They only have one solution to any problem,,poison the lake, Im sorry but that is not in anyway management.. i say leave red fleet alone,,, maybe the dwr should mangae carp and skiers,, then there would not be any of them left either, just my opionion cant stand the morons that manage the wildlife in this state they dont hear YOU!!
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Now that they've got Bear Lake Cutthroats in Strawberry they can't plant fingerlings very effectively.

One thing's fer sure. Ya can't please everybody.
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Where did you read that story. I did a search on the Vernal Express site and never found anything about poisoning Red Fleet. I know that idea was part of the options at the open house they had on the 16th but they were not set on poisoning at that time. They were taking comments from the public prior to any final plan. Red Fleet is not a popular fishery based on fishing hours so from my conversations at the open house the option to leave it alone is a good possibilty. The big issue was the endangered species in the Green River and that will play in to the equation. But since Walleye, LM bass, SM bass, pike, crappie, perch, catfish, and burbot all currently exist in the lower Green from other sources, poisoning to kill out Red Fleet walleye to protect the endangered fish would be pointless without a larger plan to eradicate them from the river.
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Just a couple of things. I wonder why it isn't a popular fishery? Is it because of other boating use? Or is it because there are Walleyes in there that people can't seem to catch from shore?

I haven't heard of any Burbot below Flaming Gorge. Let's hope that they haven't been able to get past the dam there, and that they don't get any help either.
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I don't know where you get your information from. The DWR doesn't poison Lakes very often at all.
In face it's a last effort most of the time.

The DWR raises Trout and Manages other species of fish. They simply don't need to raise other species in order for them to thrive. In most cases, the other species do fine on their own..

It's when some idiot decides to take matters into their own hands and illegally stocks fish where they don't belong that the DWR is forced to react.

I don't know why so many of us anglers have so little faith in the DWR.
These are the people that know our waters and which species of fish will do best in them.

We have seen great strides in Warm Water Sport Fishing Management from the DWR in recent years.
Why?
Because there is a need and we the anglers voiced our opinions.
The DWR does listen to us. This is the way to get things done.
Not bucket biology.
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[quote Fishrmn]Just a couple of things. I wonder why it isn't a popular fishery? Is it because of other boating use? Or is it because there are Walleyes in there that people can't seem to catch from shore?

I haven't heard of any Burbot below Flaming Gorge. Let's hope that they haven't been able to get past the dam there, and that they don't get any help either.[/quote]

From what I understand it has never been a popular fishery. Trout are decent size, it has nice LM bass and tons of bluegill and now, due to illegal planting, walleye. I suspect it is because of access issues. If you don't own a boat, your shoreline options are very limited.

I have heard it from DWR personnel (friends of mine in NE region) that there are burbot below FG. Here's a link to some written evidence [url "http://wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/news/42-utah-wildlife-news/335-burbot-captured-in-green-river.html"]http://wildlife.utah.gov/...-in-green-river.html[/url] . In the new fishing regulations have a mandatory kill regulation on all burbot in the Green River.
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I guess it would be good if it killed the quagga mussle`s that might be in there. That is why I do not take my boat on it, walleye or no walleye. Fishon
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