05-16-2013, 08:42 PM
Not quite as old and eloquent as TD, but I have been in the trenches almost as long as he has been. When I first started getting involved, Utah was a TROUT haven, stock here, stock there. Warm water species were relagated to a small number of waters that would not support trout, Utah Lake, Yuba, Willard,etc. We started seeing some new waters appear, as bucket biologists began stocking their favorite water, Pineview with Crappie out of Willard, Walleye in Deer Creek, etc, etc.
Back then, the primary reason given for not allowing live bait was they would compete with the trout and mess up the fishery. Utah lake had a lack of forage and Charlie Thompson tried to suplement it with Spot tail shinners and Pond Smelt. They have flourshed in the back water areas of the lake and in someof the canals, but not to the extent that was hoped. Willard had nothing but crappie for the channels and walleye until it was decided to put Wipers in there, then a forage base had to be established and Gizzard shad were introduced. We attempted to have them introduced in both Utah Lake and Yuba at the time, but got slapped in the face. By then the June Sucker was primary at UL and we never really got a good reason about Yuba.
The days of Trout haven are gone. We have some excellant fisheries for trout, but most of our waters are better suited to warmwater species that are self sustaining. We starve our warmwater fisheries by not establishing a forage base and utilizing some of our native fish for that.
Our club built a trap for Charlie to use on Strawberry to trap chubs to move back to Utah lake, the reasoning was that Utah chubs were indignious to Utah Lake and there for existed with the June Sucker. Unfortunatly the trap idea did not get approval from the suits in SLC. Charlie proved that hecould trap chubs and transport in the empty hatchery trucks, but could never get approval for the project. He also needed to beef up the hoist on the release boat because the traps weighed to much when full. So rather than spend a small amount of money on trying the trap and transport, we spent millions of dollars to poison the Berry. We now have the same problems on both waters, to many chubs at the Berry and no forage at Utah Lake.
We need to really look at the live bait issue and utilize the overabundance of forage in some of our waters to supplement the lack of forage in others. Live chubs and shinners would make great walleye and catfish bait in UL, and not compete with the blessed june sucker !!!
Back then, the primary reason given for not allowing live bait was they would compete with the trout and mess up the fishery. Utah lake had a lack of forage and Charlie Thompson tried to suplement it with Spot tail shinners and Pond Smelt. They have flourshed in the back water areas of the lake and in someof the canals, but not to the extent that was hoped. Willard had nothing but crappie for the channels and walleye until it was decided to put Wipers in there, then a forage base had to be established and Gizzard shad were introduced. We attempted to have them introduced in both Utah Lake and Yuba at the time, but got slapped in the face. By then the June Sucker was primary at UL and we never really got a good reason about Yuba.
The days of Trout haven are gone. We have some excellant fisheries for trout, but most of our waters are better suited to warmwater species that are self sustaining. We starve our warmwater fisheries by not establishing a forage base and utilizing some of our native fish for that.
Our club built a trap for Charlie to use on Strawberry to trap chubs to move back to Utah lake, the reasoning was that Utah chubs were indignious to Utah Lake and there for existed with the June Sucker. Unfortunatly the trap idea did not get approval from the suits in SLC. Charlie proved that hecould trap chubs and transport in the empty hatchery trucks, but could never get approval for the project. He also needed to beef up the hoist on the release boat because the traps weighed to much when full. So rather than spend a small amount of money on trying the trap and transport, we spent millions of dollars to poison the Berry. We now have the same problems on both waters, to many chubs at the Berry and no forage at Utah Lake.
We need to really look at the live bait issue and utilize the overabundance of forage in some of our waters to supplement the lack of forage in others. Live chubs and shinners would make great walleye and catfish bait in UL, and not compete with the blessed june sucker !!!