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[#0000FF]Over the past three years there has been a growing number of folks who are soaking mussels from the shore and harvesting large numbers of wipers. This was not a factor in wiper numbers in the past but some think it might be now.
I have had several reports of "happy harvesters" catching multiple limits of wipers in a single day...either taking the fish home and returning or handing them off to others who came up over the dikes to collect them. And these witnesses also claimed to have called DWR without getting any followup or response.
I addressed these issues with Chris Penne, of DWR. Here is his response. Once again, thanks Chris.
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I've seen a lot of reports of wiper catches coming in from shore in the past few days, so the action at Willard is certainly warming up. Regarding your questions, I haven't been able to tease out what impact the success of shore angling in recent years has had on the wiper fishery. I don't think it will be something I will be able to figure out from our netting surveys alone. While the wiper population has been coming down in the numbers since about 2015, its hard to separate out what part of that reduction in numbers is due to shore angling and what is due to reductions in stocking by DWR to let the population go down and get our predator numbers more in line with typical forage availability. There is also the confounding effect of the big 2014 year class of wipers that has been dominating the reservoir population for several years. It seems this year class of fish has been so dominant that it appears to be reducing the success of our stocking efforts on new wipers as well. I think the best information we'll get on the shore catch will be when we conduct another creel survey on Willard Bay, as that will give us an estimate of the number of shore anglers and how many fish they harvest. We currently don't have a creel survey scheduled for Willard Bay in 2018 or 2019, but we may get one on the books sometime around 2020 or shortly thereafter. The last creel survey we conducted at Willard Bay was in 2010, which predates a lot of the shore fishing for wipers with mussels.
Regarding the happy harvesting, I talked with one of our law enforcement officers about the overlimits and they encouraged me to let the anglers know they are happy to talk with people about how often they are out patrolling Willard, what they see when they are out there, etc. They didn't want to give out their individual phone numbers, but did say that if an angler was concerned and wanted to provide his or her contact info, they would be happy to contact that person and talk. I think this is probably the best way for people to get clarity on how often our law enforcement officials are out and what they see when responding to calls and patrolling as I am a poor intermediary - in my role as a biologist I'm either in the office or out in the field and I don't get a chance to talk with the law enforcement officers as much as I'd like as they are almost always out patrolling somewhere. I do see the law enforcement captain in our office a lot and talk with him regularly, but its always best to talk with the people doing the "on the ground work" out patrolling. You can feel free to funnel me the number of any people that want to talk with one of our officers.
Chris
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I get down to Willard about 3 times a year with my grandson I use mussels to catch wipers I keep my limit for dinner but its sounding like the shore fisherman are being blamed here I have seen people coming in on there boats with more wipers then they are supposed to have and boaters have more of an advantage then shore anglers so why are we just hearing about shore anglers and not boaters or tubers like your self and I know you are great fisherman and a honest person seems like some is always the blame on this site.
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I just got home from being at Willard. There were quite a few boats on the water and most were working the dike along Freeway Bay. I didn't catch any wipers and I didn't see any caught this morning. In fact, I didn't see any fish of any species caught today. Did have a short friendly chat with fellow BFTer R2D2 on the ramp just after I launched. Saw him again and a few other boats out around the island. But as of the time I left at 1230, he had not had any fish love either.
Was a pretty day weather wise, but not catchin - wise, for me anyway.
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[#0000FF]Nobody is throwing rocks at anglers who use mussels for bait. Mussels are legal and they work...and they allow some folks to catch wipers that don't have boats or other means of catching them. Not a bad thing.
The hardcore harvesters are the target of this inquiry. Coincidentally, this is the same group of "anglers" who show up for snagging walleyes, catching multiple limits of crappies when they are in and then take home as many wipers as they can catch on every trip...regardless of the limit. It would seem that a lot of these folks do not have jobs and are strictly subsistence fishing...treating Willard Bay as their own private fish markets. To them it is not sport and it has to have an impact on the fishery for licensed, law-abiding sports fishermen.
I have no doubt that there are fisherfolk among boaters and float tubers who sometimes violate the regulations. But I know a lot of both and by far the greatest percentage release more fish than they take home. That cannot be said of the group under discussion. All they release is gas...and trash.
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Sadly the wiper fishing seems to have gone down hill for me as well over the past few years. I was out yesterday and only landed 2 large carp. Not the intended catch but boy do they put up a good fight. Are there any plans to dump more structure into the bay to help the smaller fry survive? One would think it would help but I’m no biologist. Plan on giving it another try tomorrow.
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I fish Willard Bay almost daily and I have seen this problem going on for myself. If the fish are biting someone gets on their phone and 5 carloads of people show up and start hammering the fish.I've seen multiple limits thrown in their trunks then it's back to fishing. And any size fish will do. Nothing gets released. This fishery can only hold up to this pressure so long before it is ruined. And they don't really care. They will just show up at another lake.
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"Are there any plans to dump more structure into the bay to help the smaller fry survive?"
[#0000FF]I do not know of any plans to add more structure. In the past a group got together and dumped some bundles of Christmas trees at several points around the lake. But those have long since rotted away. And a little over a year ago there was an organized effort to dump some rock piles out off the south marina. Those are proving to be attractive to larger fish but are not designed to protect fry.
When the water is high...as it is now...there is a lot of flooded brush and the water is well up into the rocks along the dike. That provides a whole lot of spawning area for some species and shelter for the fry of all species. Couldn't ask for better. But during low water years the newly hatched fry are unprotected and vulnerable...poor recruitment...and poor fishing in future years.
DWR plants wipers...and now walleyes. But all the other species are at the mercy of the varying weather patterns...and the needs of the water users. Willard was not created as a fishing lake...but it is a good fishing lake when Mama Nature and the water users take it easy on us.
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[#0000FF]That's what I am talking about. I have seen it and have had quite a few other incensed anglers tell me about the abuses they have seen.
The problem does exist, but you would be amazed at how many people doubt it...usually the ones who fish Willard once or twice a year...out in the middle of the lake...in between sessions with water skis and loud music.
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I get to willard often and will have phone and camera in hand. I will us it to catch those that are stealing our fish. A picture of action and license plate can stop them.
This is happening inside the north marina too.
Does some one have the phone number for the officers in the north state park? Do the state parks people write tickets?
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435-734-9494 is the number for the Parks folks at the North marina but they rarely pick up the phone. You can leave a message but I guess is that they will tell you to call the poachers hotline, that number is 800-662-3337 or *deer on your cell. I called the office and ask them if the poachers hotline was the same number for fish as it is for wildlife and they said yes, same number.
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Heck ya thats why wipers are put in wiilard . What is your setup when using mussels? I bet your grandson has fun catching a wiper,they are a hard fighting fish.
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we use a Carolina rig we put mussels on the hook instead of plastic he has a blast he has had to chase he pole in water a few times ha ha
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I'm sorry to see Wiper stocking being cut back.
As much as I enjoy taking home some Walleye for a good meal, the fight of a Wiper is why I fish at Willard Bay.
Funny how things can't stay the same.
Change isn't always the best thing.
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tubeDude, I have followed your posts for a long time and find your biological council to be spot on but I think you are not being insight on the issue of shore fishermen hauling out massive numbers of wipers and substantially impacting the fishery. It appears to be a scapegoating exercise by those that are looking to blame others for their lack of success. I fish Willard a lot (three times this month and one walleye in the boat) but I don't believe for a minute that shore anglers are the culprits. Regards, D
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[#0000FF]Shore fisherman soaking mussels are decidedly not the only factor in the current low levels of wipers in Willard. The reduced stocking by DWR has to be the primary reason. And they are just trying to manage the balance between predators and prey (shad). Unfortunately, nature does not always follow a predictable schedule. So shad numbers were down one or two years and DWR planted fewer mouths to feed. Then BOOM...the shad had a good spawn year and the population exploded. Too much food last year and the fishing was poorer because the fish were overfed. Just can't win...but you gotta keep trying.
My comments on the UNLAWFUL practices of SOME shore anglers is directed at reducing the wholesale harvest of wipers by non-sportsmen. To me it is the same as those same people (often the same ones) who show up at the inlet to snag walleyes. Both scenarios DO happen...and both contribute to decreasing the number of fish available to law abiding sportsmen.
There are regulations against "wasting" protected species in Utah. Allowing subsistence fishing, without regard for limits, is the worst kind of wasting fish resources.
Sorry if I offended anyone, but this practice does exist and it HAS TO have some effect.
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DWR Wiper Seminar was held Thurs. p.m. in SLC...Chris Penne gave a great presentation, as well as several others...One of the other presenters was involved in the multi-dump loads of rock near the So. Marina for structure (like TD says, not for fry rearing) and he said there are currently no other plans for doing it again....I believe DWR is making that seminar available, like the recent Kokanee seminar....Guluk..
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I'm not offended Tubedude and I'm not defending chronic violators. I just think that allegations to that fact are way over stated as is the snagging problem in the inlet. It seems to me that given the proliferation of i phones I would think we would see a few pictures illustrating that activity if as prevalent . Respectfully, D
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I have had a slip at Willard for 5 years, except the year the water was too low. I did not lease a slip this year because of the decline of the fishery ! We used to catch hundreds of wipers a year. Not that it matters but we probably only kept 10% at best. The last 2 years have been bad to worse. It sucks because its only 5 minutes from our doorstep.
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I have been at Willard the past week.... Fishing was good early in the week then came to a complete halt wednesday.... No over limits we're taken... In fact Thursday and Friday combine 5 total wipers we're taken.... I've had friends fish evenings while I fished mornings. The good news in the average wiper is over 4lbs this year due to reduced numbers. I think boaters get very jealous of bank fisherman catching wipers this time of year. However bank fisherman only really get a few weeks of good wiper action then it's better for boaters the rest of the year. Just providing my 2 cents on the last week of wiper fishing from the north marina. No over harvesting and pretty damn slow fishing.... As to people who don't have a job and fish have no idea how this relates to anything but whatever.
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So the problem is illegal harvest over the limit.
It has nothing to do with mussels, which have no more impact than fish finders and down riggers do. I bet they have more impact because they are mobile.
Let's put the blame where it belongs, Poachers, not mussel bait fishers.
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