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On this week's edition of Roughin' It Outdoors with Reece Stein on KUTV, I saw the DWR's and State Park's plan to "lure" more anglers and beginniers to fishing and state parks. They are now tagging fish at Steinaker (and maybe other spots) and come August will have a contest on who catches the biggest tagged fish or something.
What struck me as odd is what they are offering in prizes [shocked]. Would you guess, they are will be giving away Flat Screens TVs, Plasma TVs, and X-BOXs [crazy]? Why on Earth offer prizes that will keep people, and especially kids at home? Wouldn't some outdoor gear or fishing gear be more appropriate? This is what I think future fisherfolk would benefit from much more.
I don't much like this idea of tagging fish for contests. Seems to me like the DWR's fund would be better spent actually doing research with the tagged fish instead of turning fishing into a search for prizes. Perhaps some valuable info may come out of the contest regarding the fish. As far back as I remeber, prizes is not what got me into fishing.
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"I saw the DWR's and State Park's plan to "lure" more anglers and beginniers to fishing and state parks."
Exactly what we DON'T want, IMO. The more pressure our lakes and rivers get (from advertisements, etc), the more Utah's fisheries become 'second rate'.
But it's all about the almighty buck,  ly enough.
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Well, maybe that is why they are offering such prizes, to keep people away [laugh][:p].
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I missed it tonight[frown], isn't Steineker on the other side of the state by Vernal? Seems like they would plant these tagged fish closer to the Wasatch front where all the people are. Did they say anything about the info being on the DWR site? WH2
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Yes, Steinaker State Park is just north of Vernal on US Hwy. 191.
They will probably be doing this on numerous places, Reece or Brady or anyone didn't really say. The info is probably on the DWR site somewhere, becuase there was a DWR official in the program actually doing the tagging. They are thin, red tags about 2 inches wide from what I could see. They were going on pretty small fish, maybe no more than 8 inch planters.
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[cool][#0000ff]I think you have everything turned around. It is not a money contest, it is research. When DWR tags fish it is not just to decorate them. They record measurements and weight at the date of tagging and then compare that with the stats when they recover the tags. It gives them a read on survival and growth rates.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Probably cheaper and more effective to have a public catch contest than netting. Also provides something fun for participants.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Why read so much negative into it. A tagging program on one lake, near Vernal, will have absolutely ZERO effect on Utah fishing as a whole.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Fishing license sales have dropped over the past few years. Part of that is the result of increased fees and unpopular changes in regulations. DWR is trying a lot of things to increase the number of licenses and angler hours. And, it is not a profit generator...it is a suvival mode. Very little of the license revenue goes directly to DWR. They have to take whatever crumbs trickle down to them from the state budget. That's why there are too few biologists and COs to cover Utah properly, and why it so hard to keep good people in the Division. They are all overworked and underpaid...by comparison to other states.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And, I wouldn't start speculating that DWR is going to do this on all lakes. Nor would I put a lot of stock in what might be said on Reece's program.[/#0000ff]
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I'm sorry to say this but this is 100% commercial.
[url "http://www.kutv.com/content/outdoors/story.aspx?content_id=84d15476-c4be-44c4-a4bb-6166a6b12226"]http://www.kutv.com/content/outdoors/story.aspx?content_id=84d15476-c4be-44c4-a4bb-6166a6b12226[/url]
We are out here tagging fish with DWR and anyone who catches a fish gets a prize that's tagged," said Contest Promoter Teena Christopherson.
Teena Christopherson reels another Steinaker Reservoir rainbow. But she isn't going to keep this fish.
It's part of a summer promotion sponsored by Uintah Basin radio stations, Utah State Parks and the DWR. This fish is one of 100 getting a bright red tag and being released back into the lake, just waiting for you to catch him and turn in the tag for a prize. Until now tagged fishing events were all but outlawed in Utah.
"In the past, tagged fish tournaments not allowed in Utah except special circumstances state parks came to us to promote parks and we're always interested in ways to get kids interested in fishing so other states have been doing this we ran it by the Wildlife Board and they approved it," said Kevin Christopherson.
Thirty-three fish will be caught, tagged and released at three Uintah Basin lakes.
"This year it will be Steinaker, Red Fleet and Big Sand Wash in Duchesne County."
Joe Evans owns three basin radio stations and he has agreed to put up the prizes.
“We're giving away a couple of flat screen TVs."
"Xbox car stereos who bevy of things anybody in family would enjoy," said Joe Evans, 98.5 KNEU AM and B92.5
The DWR has always frowned on turning recreation into commercialized competition.
"We're not seeing this as commercialization because there is no entry fee added bonus for people 9.47 and they don't even have to harvest a fish, just bring us the tag we're encouraging people to harvest fish in these reservoirs," said Kevin.
The contest ends August 9th with a grand prize drawing party at Steinaker.
"We just thought this would involve a lot more people in the community, anybody can take your kid fishing and it's really random your five year old could win a really great prize. You don't have to be a great not the biggest fish, just the fish with little red tag on it," said Teena.
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Thanks for that added info Braz, I'm still surprised they are only doing this around Vernal. Not that some folks from the Wasatch front won't travel to those lakes to go after the tagged fish but with the price of gas it pretty much means this will be just for the folks in the Uintah Basin. Oh well, they might be trying it out there and if it works out maybe they will expand it to other areas of the state.
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I havent read everyone's comments on this post yet since I have to go really quick, but I know in Idaho they have been doing that for a looooong time now. My Uncle caught 3 tagged fish up there last year and won over $400 for all 3. I think I did see TD say something about it is for biologists' recordings of how the fish grow and he is right on that, because when my Uncle called about it to get his prize they ask for the tag number and all kinds of info and they also let you know when they marked the fish how big it was and such. Anyhow, I think it is a good idea to an extent, but then again the fishing pressure will rise also!!! Just my two worthless pennies!!!
TS
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Couldn't agree with you more on the note that the DWR is understaffed and pretty much severely underpaid. It is and depressing how little their biologists recieve in yearly pay. Now after knowing that the owner of a a few talk shows channels is donating the prizes, I guess whatever prize people like goes.
What got me a little worried is that it is like what Wyobraz is saying, it is almost entirely a contest for prizes. The research value out of it is only a "by-product." It is better than the DWR undertaking a survey at their fund's cost, but those fish they are tagging did come from their limited fund.
Anyhow, I think Steinaker is a good place to do it. The bows they are tagging will all mostly be caught so it doesn't hurt to tag anyway. I would just offer some more worthy prizes, that would actually keep people on fishing instead of watching the MTV or plalying video games.
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[cool][#0000ff]Yeah, it does look commercial...all the way. But DWR is neither spending or gaining much in the way of hard dollars. It looks like they are participating mostly to keep everything legal and to get some return data. No doubt it will increase angler hours on those lakes, but...as I stated...it will do nothing one way or the other for Utah fishing in general. Strictly a local affair. Good by me.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]And, if it involves hatchery pet rainbows it is just a "toy tournament" anyway.[/#0000ff]
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