Ok, speaking hypothetical - like. Say Newton were to die off completely, like freeze so solid, not even a perch was stirring, what THREE FISH VARIETIES would you choose to see restocked.
NOT that such a survey would have any impact on reality, just be curious to stir the potential pot, and see what folks would think, prefer, and why.
There's been suggestion that having such a mix of panfish and baby bass leaves the lake challenged. Even with the top predators, still lots of bitty bites. Know some folks preferred the days before the toothy ones came.
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Is it too flippant to say "whichever three are cheapest because this may happen again at any time."
My opinion about Newton is the same as Yuba. Where the state has no control of the water resource, minimalist approaches to fishery management are wise.
Because as we've seen both places, the water rights holders may drain the place dry wasting the entire management investment.
I'd rather the money went into more plantings in Hyrum, the Pig, or even Cutler.
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40 years ago the trout and catfish did really well there. I think there were perch there also.
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Rotenone the he-- outta whatever is left, dump in a few perch, wait a couple years then put in one male and one female northern pike. The bucket idiots will do the rest.
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I wouldn't call it flippant, but I would call it myopic.
I think these discussions of Newton should be considered from the perspective of the cliche "it's the journey, not the destination".
While I really DO get what you're saying, how many thousands upon thousands of folks between draw-downs have gone up there, enjoyed themselves, and caught fish? I have, repeatedly. I love it. It's one of the few bodies of water where I can camp, beach the boat, relax... FOR FREE. So rare an experience here in Utah it's disheartening.
My kids love being able to rip crappie, perch, BG, and little LMB out of the water on virtually every cast. They even love when those pesky TM clamp onto one of their little guppies at the end of their Zebco 33's.
So what if the fish die? We have the funding in the system to rebuild. And I'd rather rebuild it every decade than NOT have it as a resource.
The Catch 22 of suggesting we focus on the other lakes and leave these fluctuant (that might be a new word) ones behind would yield even greater pressure on fewer bodies of water. Utah already has a high fisherman-to-lake ratio. Increasing density because we have to restock every decade doesn't seem to make a whole lotta sense from where I'm standing.
Just my two cents.
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If we start with a no fish advantage, then let's stock it with frogs.
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I just wish we knew how often their going to draw water levels this low, first off it should be a NO wake lake and for now i would plant lm bass perch and channel cats those fish can usually comeback from low water levels, but thats just my opinion
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[quote bigfish6]I just wish we knew how often their going to draw water levels this low...[/quote]
Well, you talk to God and then let the rest of us know how the rainfall, snowpack, and heat are gonna play out for the next 30+ years.
The farmers are fairly predictable in what they'll use, so the wildly fluctuating variable isn't the farmers. Nor is it the UDW (because, as established before, that reservoir exists for the farmers - fishing is merely a perk we get to enjoy).
The wild card is in the clutches of the capricious whims of Mother Nature.
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[quote Pharticus][quote bigfish6]I just wish we knew how often their going to draw water levels this low...[/quote]
Well, you talk to God and then let the rest of us know how the rainfall, snowpack, and heat are gonna play out for the next 30+ years.
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This is not the complete answer, but it is a start
[url "http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/multi_season/13_seasonal_outlooks/color/churchill.php"]http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/multi_season/13_seasonal_outlooks/color/churchill.php[/url]
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[quote Pharticus]. . .that reservoir exists for the farmers - fishing is merely a perk we get to enjoy.[/quote][font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Exactly; and this is true for the vast majority of the large water bodies in Utah. Except for the community ponds, I know of no reservoir that was designed and built that had fishing as the prime reason for establishing it. Fishing is a side benefit in just about every case.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Be that as it may, I think Newton is a poor choice for tiger muskies due to its small size. I don't ever fish Newton on the soft deck, so from an ice fishing standpoint and flavor qualities, I'd favor perch, crappie, and tiger trout if they can co-exist successfully in the same small pond.[/#800000][/font]
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Wow - lots of votes. Not surprised to stir a discussion, glad it's all civil discord. It's an interesting notion - if you have a clean slate, what do you do?
Appreciate all your inputs. Some interesting ideas.
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This is off the topic a bit. However I wish they would drag some nets through there and salvage the tigers and move them to Hyrum. Now we are talking!
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