Cuts at the berry cleaning stations

[PACMEN]

Fished the Berry the other day and as I walking past the cleaning station to get the truck I saw lots of slot cuts being gutted.  If the DWR would spend a bit of their time at the cleaning stations it would make me happier.
They might say they are to busy with the hunts I don't buy it.  This goes on all year.
Even if they didn't write tickets but warned and educated folks.

[BYUHunter]

On the one hand, the lack of sportsmanship and regard for the regulations boils my blood.

On the other, bringing up my Kokanee rigs for the fiftieth time of the morning, for another 17" wet sock of a cutt does too....

[Cowboypirate]

On the one hand, the lack of sportsmanship and regard for the regulations boils my blood.

On the other, bringing up my Kokanee rigs for the fiftieth time of the morning, for another 17" wet sock of a cutt does too....

I am about as far from an educated fish biologist as they come but it sure seems like allowing a limited harvest of the mid range cuts would help improve overall size without negatively impacting the incredible current cut population. 

Is there somthing simple I am missing in that assumption?

[FishfulThinkin]

On the one hand, the lack of sportsmanship and regard for the regulations boils my blood.

On the other, bringing up my Kokanee rigs for the fiftieth time of the morning, for another 17" wet sock of a cutt does too....

I am about as far from an educated fish biologist as they come but it sure seems like allowing a limited harvest of the mid range cuts would help improve overall size without negatively impacting the incredible current cut population. 

Is there somthing simple I am missing in that assumption?

I was there the day fishing at Jordanelle opened for the first time knowing that there were over 2 million untouched rainbows that had been stocked while the reservoir was filling but was closed to fishing. Everyone easily caught limits (8 back then) of 2+ pound rainbows at will. That went on for several weeks until the fishing slowed noticeably. I spoke with a biologist who who estimated that 1.5 million rainbows had been harvested during the first several weeks of fishing. I could see the same thing happening at the Berry if they removed the slot limit on relatively easy to catch cuts.

[BYUHunter]

On the one hand, the lack of sportsmanship and regard for the regulations boils my blood.

On the other, bringing up my Kokanee rigs for the fiftieth time of the morning, for another 17" wet sock of a cutt does too....

I am about as far from an educated fish biologist as they come but it sure seems like allowing a limited harvest of the mid range cuts would help improve overall size without negatively impacting the incredible current cut population. 

Is there somthing simple I am missing in that assumption?

In my opinion, you are not missing anything.

The intent of the Cutts is to keep the chubs in check, and not let the babies grow up and make more babies. This plan seems to be working. However, the DWR is not resting on their laurels, they continue to pump hundreds of thousands of Cutts per year into Strawberry, and keep in mind these are not sterile like rainbows, so there is natural recruitment in addition to the stocking numbers.

The Cutts are completely overpopulated, and while they are mostly healthy, they could be a lot healthier (and bigger) if there was less competition for food. I would fully be in favor of the removal of the slot limit.

[wiperhunter2]

The Cutts are completely overpopulated, and while they are mostly healthy, they could be a lot healthier (and bigger) if there was less competition for food. I would fully be in favor of the removal of the slot limit.

Or they could modify the slot, to include some bigger cutts, say up to 18".

[Cowboypirate]

The Cutts are completely overpopulated, and while they are mostly healthy, they could be a lot healthier (and bigger) if there was less competition for food. I would fully be in favor of the removal of the slot limit.

Or they could modify the slot, to include some bigger cutts, say up to 18".

Or maybe they could harvest one or two in the slot but not a full limit. Probably not a perfect answer to be had but an interesting issue to ponder

[Dirt Bag]

I think that more anglers harvest more Koks then Cutts on the Berry.  


The Cutts are completely overpopulated, and while they are mostly healthy, they could be a lot healthier (and bigger) if there was less competition for food. I would fully be in favor of the removal of the slot limit.

Or they could modify the slot, to include some bigger cutts, say up to 18".

Or maybe they could harvest one or two in the slot but not a full limit. Probably not a perfect answer to be had but an interesting issue to ponder

[wiperhunter2]

I think that more anglers harvest more Koks then Cutts on the Berry.  

The Cutts are completely overpopulated, and while they are mostly healthy, they could be a lot healthier (and bigger) if there was less competition for food. I would fully be in favor of the removal of the slot limit.

Or they could modify the slot, to include some bigger cutts, say up to 18".

Or maybe they could harvest one or two in the slot but not a full limit. Probably not a perfect answer to be had but an interesting issue to ponder

You wouldn't say that if you could see the number of cutts that are taken to the fish cleaning station, that are in the slot. I've never gone to the fish cleaning station there and not seen shot cutts being processed.

[brookie]

Fished the Berry the other day and as I walking past the cleaning station to get the truck I saw lots of slot cuts being gutted.  If the DWR would spend a bit of their time at the cleaning stations it would make me happier.
They might say they are to busy with the hunts I don't buy it.  This goes on all year.
Even if they didn't write tickets but warned and educated folks.

I know this post is about slot cutts, but I have one positive take away. It sounds like the cleaning station at Strawberry is open. I haven't seen that cleaning station operational for 2 years now. The only one operational all season was at Soldier Creek. 

[chubby chaser]

Fished the Berry the other day and as I walking past the cleaning station to get the truck I saw lots of slot cuts being gutted.  If the DWR would spend a bit of their time at the cleaning stations it would make me happier.
They might say they are to busy with the hunts I don't buy it.  This goes on all year.
Even if they didn't write tickets but warned and educated folks.

I have to agree with most of the other comments on here.... I find my rule following self being bugged by people who either blatantly ignore the rules or are too dumb/lazy to learn them.  

But I have noticed that many cutts coming from strawberry tend to look a little snaky and may benefit from some harvest opportunities.  I understand the Berry is a very fertile lake, but when they drop thousands of new cutts in the lake each year, the food base can only go so far.  If we don't want to only catch swimming heads, maybe some limited harvest would be worth it.

[wiperhunter2]

Fished the Berry the other day and as I walking past the cleaning station to get the truck I saw lots of slot cuts being gutted.  If the DWR would spend a bit of their time at the cleaning stations it would make me happier.
They might say they are to busy with the hunts I don't buy it.  This goes on all year.
Even if they didn't write tickets but warned and educated folks.

I have to agree with most of the other comments on here.... I find my rule following self being bugged by people who either blatantly ignore the rules or are too dumb/lazy to learn them.  

But I have noticed that many cutts coming from strawberry tend to look a little snaky and may benefit from some harvest opportunities.  I understand the Berry is a very fertile lake, but when they drop thousands of new cutts in the lake each year, the food base can only go so far.  If we don't want to only catch swimming heads, maybe some limited harvest would be worth it.

Another option, that might help, is if they only stock the cutts every other year, then see what happens, that alone might cut down on the massive numbers of snake head cutts in there.

[catdaddygar]

Now you all know why I stopped fishing the Berry 5 years ago.   Also, the crowds and the boat launch fees.  

[joshomaru]

I wish they would put browns in there. I understand that browns are not going to be a target species for most people there, but they could also put a hurt on the chubs, and potentially get big.
They are a superior trout! I'm glad people don't like to eat them!

[TT600]

Tigers too!

[Kent]

Rather than bitching about it on a fishing forum, why don't you guys communicate directly with the biologist in charge of Strawberry? His name is Alan Ward. alanward@utah.gov

[dubob]

Rather than bitching about it on a fishing forum, why don't you guys communicate directly with the biologist in charge of Strawberry?  His name is Alan Ward.  alanward@utah.gov

  I love it Kent!  But then, that would take away all the fun of them venting to the rest of us.  

[BYUHunter]

Rather than bitching about it on a fishing forum, why don't you guys communicate directly with the biologist in charge of Strawberry?  His name is Alan Ward.  alanward@utah.gov

Because that's kind of the point of a forum?

And people wonder why this forum is dying on the vine.

[lovetofish]

Personally, I don't mind catching Cutts. The main reason I fish Strawberry is the sheer number of fish you can catch. To me it's fun catching so many, and some days it's almost every cast. I might take a bow home every once in a while, but I don't feel the need to harvest fish in order have a good day fishing. The way I see it, if you complain about catching so may Cutts then fish somewhere else. Unless you can come up with a better plan to control the chub problem then it is what it is.

[chubby chaser]

Rather than bitching about it on a fishing forum, why don't you guys communicate directly with the biologist in charge of Strawberry?  His name is Alan Ward.  alanward@utah.gov

because grass roots conversation among people with similar interests is where the conversations begin.  If enough of us know there is a common concern, that lights a fire to get us all to reach out.   If only one or two randos mention it, no one cares, but if enough people complain, it becomes motivation for action.