10-10-2012, 03:22 PM
[cool][#0000ff]Your personal recollections seem to be just the opposite of the findings of the DWR surveys and stocking program. Before the implementation of the aggressive cutt plantings and slot limits the average size of all species netted in Strawberry was under 15 inches. Since then it has grown to exceed 18 inches. And before then it was almost unknown to see fish much over 20 inches. Now the larger fish are a significant percentage of the showing.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And until about 3 years ago rainbows were far less common in the catch. They were planted as 4 inch fry and most went into the food chain without getting any bigger. Only since DWR has begun planting the larger rainbows have enough survived to provide a significant rainbow fishery. There are lots of folks who now fish the Berry just because of the increased numbers of rainbows. Some folks don't like to fish for cutts and some just plain don't like to fish for fish they can't keep.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Not challenging your previous catches of large rainbows. Strawberry does produce some big ones. But it has never produced large numbers of big rainbows...in a ratio greater than cutts. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We all have our own memories but sometimes they become "selective"...or slanted to make a point. And there are plenty of 20 inch bows in Strawberry these days. It is just harder to get through the numbers of smaller ones with the planting program dumping in so many footlongs. It also takes some changes in tactics, techniques and locations to offset changing conditions in the lake. If the water level or water chemistry changes you can't expect to still keep catching fish in the same places and using the same approach.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are a few big fish specialists who fish Strawberry just for the bigger cutts and bows. They don't post their favorite places or techniques but they DO catch plenty of bigguns...some say more than ever. Hmmmm?[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And until about 3 years ago rainbows were far less common in the catch. They were planted as 4 inch fry and most went into the food chain without getting any bigger. Only since DWR has begun planting the larger rainbows have enough survived to provide a significant rainbow fishery. There are lots of folks who now fish the Berry just because of the increased numbers of rainbows. Some folks don't like to fish for cutts and some just plain don't like to fish for fish they can't keep.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Not challenging your previous catches of large rainbows. Strawberry does produce some big ones. But it has never produced large numbers of big rainbows...in a ratio greater than cutts. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We all have our own memories but sometimes they become "selective"...or slanted to make a point. And there are plenty of 20 inch bows in Strawberry these days. It is just harder to get through the numbers of smaller ones with the planting program dumping in so many footlongs. It also takes some changes in tactics, techniques and locations to offset changing conditions in the lake. If the water level or water chemistry changes you can't expect to still keep catching fish in the same places and using the same approach.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]There are a few big fish specialists who fish Strawberry just for the bigger cutts and bows. They don't post their favorite places or techniques but they DO catch plenty of bigguns...some say more than ever. Hmmmm?[/#0000ff]
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