Strawberry Smallies

[Kent]

I recall reading that smallies were part of the restoration plan when it was treated with Rotenone in 1990. They either changed their minds or perhaps through further studies it was determined they would not thrive so they were not planted.
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[bassrods]

I just want to shake up the trout people, the thought of bass in the berry seems to do that...But I don't see why it should...[]
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[Therapist]

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, NO SMB IN STRAWBERRY !!! The only way that they will ever get there is illegally !! It makes no sense to try and make a two tiered fishery out of a lake that is so ideally suited to being a premier trout fishery. Why waste time, money, and other resources on something that the biology says will not be productive.

[Kent]

I didn't realize that I was planning on putting any in there.
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[Therapist]

Wasn't directed at you. I just click on the last reply to post. Need to be more careful !!!!

[pookiebar]

[url "http://wildlife.utah.gov/strawberry/straw3.php"]http://wildlife.utah.gov/strawberry/straw3.php[/url]

The link goes to the State of Utah's stocking and breeding program for Strawberry. Over and over it repeats that the lake is going to be primarily used for breeding a healthy population of Bonneville Cuts.

They won't stock smallies in the lake because if they do they stand a chance of loosing federal financing to keep up the Bonneville Cut protection iniciative.

you can cruise through this 80 pages if you want [url "http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/fish/bct/UtahConservationAgreement.pdf"]http://www.fws.gov/...rvationAgreement.pdf[/url]

but basicaly it says that over time the state of Utah agrees to re-introduce Bonneville Cuts into pretty much every lake and stream where they would have "naturally" existed prior to them becoming a "threatened" species. Logic would say that if Strawberry is the state's primary breeding ground and "facility" for the the Bonneville Cut . . . well they won't do anything to "threaten" that balance now will they.

Just a thought for everyone to consider. Especially bucket bioligists, because this is a case where they WILL throw the book, [#0000bf]deleted [/#0000bf]and anything else that comes to hand at you for messing with their precious resource.

(not that I think you are a bucket bioligist bassrods, this thread was really in no way directed only at you [] )
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[mike4cobra]

Aw heck, just toss some walleye in there. We will just say they climed the mountain from deer creek[]. But seriously, everybody, including lurkers, QUIT DUMPING FISH IN OTHER LAKES. Lets go through the right channels to get fisheries diverse to make everybody happy, including the cohabitating fishys[].
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[fuzzyfisher]

if it's going to be the primarily for bonneville cutt's then why have they been planting bear lake cutt's in it?? lol. i know they are a sub spices but not true bonneville's ether..

and they do have other lakes and rivers with true bonneville's so again why would they be takeing bear lake cutt's from strawberry to plant bonneville's when there are no true bonneville's in strawberry now????

and all of that is going out the window anyway.. anyone thats been there this year can tell ya the chub and sucker are winning!

and this time the can of fix a lake will not help them. i think maybe they found that out the last time they tryed..
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[fsh4fun05]

I'm glad to hear that the chub populations are still in existence. Without them the fishery would crash. As far as smallies go, I've heard 'stories' of them being in there. After so many years of them being in there and so many anglers fishing Strawberry their numbers must be so low that is not even a reasonable affect upon the water.
I have been a member of this board for about six? years and I have not seen one report of a smallmouth bass caught out of Strawberry, I've read other stories but I've yet to see one of our members go up to Strawberry and show us a picture of a Strawberry smallmouth bass.
Going off that and the number of people that fish Strawberry I'm guessing that the population of smallmouth is few to non-existent.
Could they survive there? Sure but why would we want them to?
Let Strawberry have their slimers. It's the only place in the Fall where I can go and target big cutts and not have to worry about water skiers. I don't care about their sub species or anything else. All I know is I get one biggun' to go on the smoker with a bunch that are soooo close.
(not intended for you Ron, just making a reply)
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Here's a picture from Brad Cutler...noted Utah angler and member of a couple of angler organizations in the state. He is also a BFT member but does not post much.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]The fish was 17.5 inches and weighed 3.5 pounds. He has only caught one other smallie in the years he has fished Strawberry.[/#0000ff]
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[bassrods]

I have posted pictures of one or two bass that was caught and released back to the berry, if I can find them I will re-post them..
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[N.E.T.O.]

Fuzzy wrote:
"and all of that is going out the window anyway.. anyone thats been there this year can tell ya the chub and sucker are winning!"

I was puzzled when I read this...I've fished Strawberry a lot in the last 6 years and I've seen a lot of fish caught by myself and those I have been with, including this year. I know there are some chubs in there, and from what I understand, that is actually a good thing (food base, etc.), however, in the 6 years I've fished it, I have never once seen a chub caught out of that lake. I've heard of them being caught, but I personally have not caught one nor have I been with anyone who has caught one.
I've been on other bodies of water (Scofield/Joes Valley, etc.) where the large percentage of fish caught each time...are chubs!

My personal opinion differs from Fuzzy's (yet he is entitled of course to his opinion...and actually probably knows better than I!), is that the chubs aren't winning there (yet), however, I have noticed a slight decline in fish quantity and quality this last couple years that I have caught. And I go just as often as ever. I've also noticed that some previously really good fishing holes hold no fish anymore. The lake is definitely changing over time.

My opinion? I think that there are a lot of people that keep slot fish and take too many of them home. I've seen it at the ramp, I've seen it out on the lake, and I've even seen people dumping fish about 1/4 mile before the mandatory checkpoints at Strawberry (when they do them). We report it when we can. I'd be 100% in favor of a mandatory 24/7/365 checking station as you leave Strawberry..but alas, there is no way that could ever be financed. It's just not in the budget. I applaud those that obey the regulations even when people aren't looking.

I've taken people from the corporation that I work for out on that lake, who live out of state, who fish regularly in their home states. They simply cannot believe how well managed Strawberry is. You should see their eyes when they catch their first fish and it measures out to 21" or so!
They think they've caught the trophy of the lake! And then they continue to catch the same size fish over and over...it blows their minds! It really is a nice resource and is managed well, but I just wish it could be enforced a little stronger.

....I'll stop now, it appears I'm just rambling!

Randy
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[fuzzyfisher]

well Randy go to Strawberry at night and drop a green light over the side of your boat wait about 10 min's and tell me what ya see all around your boat? lol there is a ton of chub in there allready and the bear lake cutt's are doing no better job then the brown's, and bonniville cutt's of the past did at keep there numbers down.. in the end the chub will win the lake.. what then?

it was that way at scofield too.. no one realy caught any tell last year.. now ya can't keep them off whatever ya fish with.. i have even caught them trolling.. do not worry the same is going to happen at strawberry sooner then ya might think.. chub are like carp they take over a lake by just out re-produceing the other fish.. and they got it down a lot better then the DWR does.
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[N.E.T.O.]

Hey Ron,
I'm going camping this weekend with my family to Strawberry and if I get my way, we'll be staying out on the water on the boat overnight (I don't always get my way), and I own a green light, so I'm going to try that out if I can! Although...I'm almost afraid of what I'm going to see after reading what you've observed!

Are they BIG or SMALL chubs that you've noticed? And most importantly...by using the green light, to attract the chubs...does that bring in the cutts? ie: Does it make for some good night fishing?

Thanks!
Randy
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[fuzzyfisher]

oh yeah the cutt's will hang right under the light a pick off the smaller chub.. use a small strip of chub on a pearl 3 inch tube jig and fish under the light.. the cutt's will be there.. lol you will even see them chasing the chub in and out of the light.. [sly]. kind-a fun to watch..

well thats the problem a lot of the chub in there are getting to big! and the bigger chub dont get eaten by the cutt's only the smaller ones do..

oh and BTW if any of the other lakes in the state got 80% of the fishing budget like Strawberry does they would be as good or better then Strawberry is as well.. kind-a that one lake get's it all and the rest suffer becouse of it!!
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[bassrods]

You can go along the shore and watch the chubs some places has more then others, but like the Fuzzy one says its only time...
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[fsh4fun05]

Thanks for the pic TD.
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[tomegun]

I've caught thousands of snake fish there. Not one smallie. Its discrimination of smallmouthasaurs' IMHO.

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[pookiebar]

i am just pulling my info from the sites the state has running. Not my info, or my problem, that's the state of Utah's issue(s) to deal with.

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