03-26-2011, 12:27 AM
As far as I'm concerned the decision has already been made. We just need the fish. We have purchased wipers for years and years from Arkanas. Last year we experimented with white bass and striped bass last year and they have both been health approved. There is a timing issue between the two species but our researchers have been able to extend the milt at least two weeks so we think we have the time issue covered. A group of us will be going down to the Hite area the first week of May and collecting striped bass milt and hopefully eggs and then stopping by Utah Lake and getting white bass eggs and milt if we need it and then the fertilized eggs will go to our Springville Hatchery for incubation.
We may still purchase wiper fry from Arkansas just to make sure that we cover all our basis. We have some ponds in the Northern Region that we will use for growing out some fry a little larger just for Willard Bay to ensure that we stock our quota (which we haven't been able to do for the last couple of years). We will also stock fry in Willard as well and hopefully compare survival of fry and fingerlings so we can maximize our management in the future. If things work out we will stock mostly fry throughout the state and stock higher rates of smaller fish. Other states back east have this down to a science and we will be in contact with them throughout this transition.
This will be a first in Utah and I am sure we will have a learning curve but based on last years experiments I have confidence.
Drew
[signature]
We may still purchase wiper fry from Arkansas just to make sure that we cover all our basis. We have some ponds in the Northern Region that we will use for growing out some fry a little larger just for Willard Bay to ensure that we stock our quota (which we haven't been able to do for the last couple of years). We will also stock fry in Willard as well and hopefully compare survival of fry and fingerlings so we can maximize our management in the future. If things work out we will stock mostly fry throughout the state and stock higher rates of smaller fish. Other states back east have this down to a science and we will be in contact with them throughout this transition.
This will be a first in Utah and I am sure we will have a learning curve but based on last years experiments I have confidence.
Drew
[signature]