06-28-2013, 07:24 PM
[#0000FF]Those appear to be fine healthy fish. The first white bass I caught this year...at the bubbleup...were all between 12 and 14 inches...6 of them. They were all very healthy and a couple even had the remnants of baby white bass in their innards. They were big enough to eat larger fry and were able to make a living.
Smaller white bass around the lake are not able to eat their brethren after they get much over about 2" long. And the spawns for all species...including bluegills and crappies...were poor last year in the low water. Add into that the mud flats that produce midge larvae and leeches were dried out and lifeless and you can see that the grocery stores were mostly closed.
Fortunately, there are a few areas that still produce enough food to sustain the local white bass populations...even if they don't get big and fat. That is enough to hold them until better water and food conditions. After that they will repopulate very quickly and we will see a lot more of the larger and healthier fish.
Utah Lake has cycles, just like all the other lakes in this desert state. And it always seems to bounce back.
Glad you guys found a few gooduns and that you are keeping the whole fambly afloat.
Thinking about Starvation soon?
[/#0000FF]
[signature]
Smaller white bass around the lake are not able to eat their brethren after they get much over about 2" long. And the spawns for all species...including bluegills and crappies...were poor last year in the low water. Add into that the mud flats that produce midge larvae and leeches were dried out and lifeless and you can see that the grocery stores were mostly closed.
Fortunately, there are a few areas that still produce enough food to sustain the local white bass populations...even if they don't get big and fat. That is enough to hold them until better water and food conditions. After that they will repopulate very quickly and we will see a lot more of the larger and healthier fish.
Utah Lake has cycles, just like all the other lakes in this desert state. And it always seems to bounce back.
Glad you guys found a few gooduns and that you are keeping the whole fambly afloat.
Thinking about Starvation soon?
[/#0000FF]
[signature]