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Can anyone shed some light on what happened at Saratoga Springs Marina and all the vegatation, now the lack of !! It appears that someone took a D9 Cat and scraped all the vegatation off the shoreline of the Marina and down the dikes on the entrance. They also pretty much took out all the phragmites to the south and west of the Marina also. Was this part of the phragmite erradication program or Saratoga Springs trying to remove a fire hazzard from the Marina area ?? Inquiring minds want to know !!!
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No mo bass'? Bummer!!
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Ya i noticed this last year when I went, I use to love pitching jigs from the docks into the cover but now it looks like they have removed most of it..
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Last year I heard they were going to transform my favorite rock structure on the west side to a beach. This winter when I fished it, they already had plowed the cover over and replaced with pure sand. That harbor is done with forever. All the structure is gone and it won't grow back why? Because a layer of heavy black plastic roofing tarp stuff has been placed under the sand layer. That sand won't hold water and the tarp will prevent stuff from sprouting from underneath such as rhizomes and what not from the phrag. That poor phrag. Soon the whole lake is going to be devoid of phrag and you can kiss the bluegills, crappies and lmb goodbye forever. Utah lake renovation is or apocalypse is coming soon. Won't be too many years before it becomes a trash water full of suckers and nothing else. The land they are altering is below meander line. I researched this years ago at state lands and forest. It is state land, not saratoga city land or private land.
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[#0000FF]I am attaching a PDF file that I put together...using links, pics and quotes from several different articles to be found on the Utah Lake Commission website. It is all part of the "shoreline restoration" program.
You have been around long enough to remember a Utah Lake without all of the tamarisk and phragmites. Much easier overall public access...but not as many bluegills, crappies and other species that need the cover for spawning, recruitment, shelter, feeding, etc. The restoration program is not geared toward improving fishing opportunities.
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Won't it, eventually though..... improve things I mean. I keep bearing about phrag being such lousy habitat compared to cattail and bulrushes, and I thought that partially at least they are hoping to have some of that grow back.
Oh, and to quote Jeff Goldblum from Jurassic Park, "life, uh, finds a way." That thick black plastic? Phrag will eat that stuff for breakfast given some time.
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[#0000FF]Most of us who have fished 'Ol Muddy for several decades can remember the course events, as they relate to fishing. While there have always been bluegill, green sunfish, crappies, largemouths and other species that are vegetation and structure oriented, their populations and overall sizes increased greatly during the past few years. That coincides with higher water levels and more phrag growth around the edges of the lake. More cover...out into deeper water. No brainer.
There have also been reeds and rushes since Utah Lake became a vestige of Lake Bonneville. But they seldom have the height (shade) and density (cover) of the invasive stuff. Fish like the originals and use them but they do not provide the same sanctuary favored by the finny critters.
Not many permanent stands of cattails around the lake. Some in inlet areas but can't recall many otherwise. But if there were big cattail beds...out into deeper water, that would be great. Have fished a lot of lakes around the country where the 'tails were prime holding spots.
Too soon to make any accurate evaluations. But from the early input from phraggy regular anglers they are weeping and wailing and gnashing their teeth about the very evident departure of the fish they were used to catching in those areas.
I agree with that quote. One of my favorites. Right up there with Dirty Harry..."A man should know his limitations." "Well, do ya, punk?" Maybe I got 'em mixed up a little.
The combo of low water and decreased shoreline vegetation...of all kinds...has decidedly put a damper on spawning and recruitment for several species. Hopefully they listen to Jeff Goldblum.
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Be careful before you buy into the idealistic rhetoric of transforming UL into something better. That is pure rhetorical garbage the folks behind the campaign are casting out as PR material to make their side look good. Like TD said, they are transforming the lake but if they posit it's going to be good for the fish…….I call BS. Catch and eat every bluegill and crappie while you can up to your limit. They won't be there forever. Once the phrag goes, they go. What the phrag is doing is that it acts as a windbreak, creating areas of windless pockets of clear water where the gills, lmb, and crappie spawn and rear. These bedding sunfish can't make beds on coverless windswept shores. I'm sure you've seen what happens when a cold front hits UL. The chemical treatment is the most toxic. It really kills that poor phrag dead. Phrag is poor habitat for waterfowl but excellent for fish. If I could organize a protest to stop phrag eradication on UL I would lol. Losing battle though. It will eventually be full of pure trash fish in years to come anyway. I have no interest in sport fishing for suckers lol.
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. I had located several trenches and points in the sw corner of the lake, that the walleye were using to ambush bluegill. Now that they've sprayed it that game is over.[frown]