[cool]Here's a great story on KSL tonight - an update on the Carp removal on Utah Lake. Making good progress! 2.5 million so far, with an estimated 3.5 million more needed over the next three years. Hope they get the funding needed for this:
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=2844331...featured-1
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These guys sure are better at fishing than me! I just catch a few fish at a time. I figure I can catch up in a few tens of thousands of years.
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I would love too know where they are pulling them out so I can catch and kill some as well. Especially for that the lake is only like 18-20 miles away from me. There tons of fun catching on a light rod for sure through the ice [
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Do you have any clue where some good ice carping spots are???
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They are netting them not catching them on a rod. Its a fun operation to watch. Worth going out to see.
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Can anyone just go out and watch? If so, where are they doing this?
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Great question. I do not know where a great spot is tonice some carp, but you might want to p.m. TubeDude.
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I would think that they do this out where not too many people icefish, so as to avoid people falling in where they make those huge holes. I would venture out towards the Southern part of theblake, like down by Goshen, etc...
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I watched them last year and they were out in Goshen Bay. Very entertaining operation. All of the "unwanted" fish go back in the water. Saw a couple of super nice wallys come out last year and a few nice cats.
Worth the ride out to watch 'em if you get the chance.
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Anyone else read the comments on the article?
Really pathetic how many entirely wrong ideas people have about Utah Lake and its biology!
That and so many people have such negative connotations when they think of Utah lake, it's going to take a lot of education and likely an entire generation for the perceptions to change!
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I have some questions about this project that maybe one of you more educated folks could answer:
-After they remove the 75 million pounds of carp, what other species will keep them in check? I know all the bass and walleyes are predators, but are they eating anything bigger than an 8 inch carp?
-If there is more food to go around to the more desirable species, won't that mean more food to the remaining carp as well? To my understanding carp grow faster individually, reach sexual maturity earlier and produce substantially more eggs when spawning than most desired species.
-Once they stop removing carp is it possible that the carp population will explode and return to its current state within a few years?
-Is the state wasting money?
Maybe we should invest in Sharks with laser beams on their frickin' heads.
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The idea is that once the carp population have reached their estimated "tipping point" that the catfish, walleye, white bass, largemouth bass, crappie, blue gill and northern pike ([
]) will be able to get enough of a foothold and put enough of a hurt on the young of the year carp that they won't explode.
As the carp are fewer in number and root around in the mud less, vegetation suitable for the aforementioned species will recover allowing their young to grow up protected.
You're right though, carp are the most prolific and hardy of all the UL species so keeping them in check is going to be quite a task! The hope with all this is that nature will find a new balance in the lake once other species have been given a chance!
An yes, we need sharks with laser beam in every Utah body of water!
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[#0000FF]The goal is not complete eradication of carp. That would be almost impossible...even if they poisoned the lake. There are so many carp in tributary streams and back in inaccessible backwaters that they could never be completely removed.
The aim is to reduce carp numbers to the "tipping point"...at which the predators will eat enough carp young each year to keep the numbers at least constant and manageable. That kind of ecology exists is such lakes as Pineview, Deer Creek and Starvation. Plenty of carp but plenty of predators to keep them in check as well.
If enough carp can be removed to reach the tipping point, then future nettings should not be necessary. But Mama Nature is always the one in charge...not humans. The ups and downs of water levels, nutrient inflows and other factors can alter whatever we might consider normal.
Here is a Utube video put up by the June Sucker Program:
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Is this the first time they've tried to 'manage' the carp in Utah Lake? Probably the first time using this method.
I'm hopeful that it works. I love fishing Utah Lake. I'd like to see it improved.
Maybe it will work. Imagine if they could return that lake to it's original state with crystal clear water and a trophy fishery to boot.
Is that the 'power squadron' I hear revving their engines?[
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It is wasting money, hopefully they run out of funds so they won't drain and divert the provo river. Utah lake is lovely the way it is. When people start to manage it, it will never be as good as the good ol days. Phragmites control has already destroy some of my top crappie, bluegill, and lmb spots. Pretty soon there will be nothing but suckers if and when they succeed. I'm sure they'll hunt down the other non-native game fish if they get the chance. Anything for the june sucker.
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[#0000FF]Back in January of 2010 I was invited...along with a few other conservation-minded folks from several Utah groups...to observe the ice-carpades. I posted a report on this board. [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=559003;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;page=unread#unread"]LINK TO POST[/url] But the Loys do not want the general public out on the ice with them while they are working. Besides the liability factors there is the problem with unknowing people running across the ice where the fish are and spooking them out of the nets.
The Loys have been harvesting carp commercially for several generations...until they were found to have levels of PCBs that made them unsafe for human consumption. They would have been out of business if not for the fed money to net carp for the June Sucker Recovery Program.
I have observed their operations for many years. It is my opinion that they have been removing as many or more carp annually before as they are now with fed money behind them. Hasn't dried up the carp population before. Hope they are more successful with this program.
Utah Lake was never a pristine mountain lake, ringed with pine trees. It has always been a shallow desert pond surrounded by barren ground and sage brush. But, before carpkind, it was cleaner and had a lot of aquatic vegetation for young fish and invertebrates...food and shelter. The carp pretty much destroyed all that and turned Utah Lake into the silty pond it is today. Not likely it will ever fully recover. Ditto as a cutthroat fishery. Ixnay.
The good news...if any...is that in spite of the carp, Utah Lake has always been a good fishery...for quite a few species. In fact, I would rate it as good these days as it has ever been...until the next great drought. Maybe this coming year.
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=559003;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;page=unread#unread"] [/url][/#0000FF]
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I'm all for less carp in Utah Lake, I'm just worried that if/when the water clears, all of the larger game fish will be removed by spear fisherman.[:/]
The carp murk up the water and it's basically impossible for spear fisherman to "fish" in Utah Lake.
If the water in Utah Lake was clear, large fish would be very, very, very easy picking for spear fisherman.
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Even if this is successful, it will be many years before the general ecology of Utah Lake will change, and it will not change that much. Utah Lake is a shallow bowl, with a very fine silty bottom. The wave action will continue to stir up the bottom keeping the lake fairly turbid. Eventually, there will be a return of some rooted vegetation, which will hold the bottom in the areas where the plants grow, but it will have a minimal impact on the overall turbity. Utah lake has NEVER been a clear body of water and never will !!
One last thing, they did not mention any eagles on the ice in the article the other night. Wonder if they are out there this year !!
I saw 2 eagles at deer creek last week and dang that was a great treat.
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I doubt the spear fishers will have a chance. Those predatory gamefish are enemies of the "precious" june sucker. If and when the carp are all seined out, the next step will likely to be predator control, they said they need a top predator so walleyes will stay unmolested……..maybe. But already, every white bass caught in the carp nets is already being killed! No by-catch whites are released! That is occurring right now! And no one seems to care! Sure there are tons of white bass……..but every one netted is one we're not going to catch. Before people get upset about sledfuls of white bass leaving secret spots like the abyss, they have to realize white bass are being killed along with carp every day in the "restoration" program. Or shall I say the UL destruction program. I can't ever support a program that destroys my white bass fishing!
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They should introduce more walleye in the lake so they can eat up all the small carps. Just curious why they don't want pikes in the lake if there any still lurking around.
Ya they should return the white bass at least. Just kill the carp. I just think it's so funny for how big of groups of white bass are in the abyss area. Just watching the flasher going from 20 ft to 15 or 10 ft depth radar for how thick of a group comes around someday.
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