05-03-2012, 02:17 PM
[quote flygoddess]Sadly, Henry's is going quantity as well. They planted large numbers and extended the season, but people didn't keep the numbers they expected. People want QUALITY and not keeping the small guys. Problem is, they can't get big because there are now too many of them. Crazy. Does not make sense to try to please the quantity people with a blue ribbon fishery.[/quote]
So, you mean to tell me that in order for some fish to grow larger that anglers should harvest more fish? Wow!! Amazing concept!
sounds a bit like the Provo River and the brown trout population!
Therapist -- you are close. Your concept is on the money, but I don't believe that the problem at Strawberry is based on this concept. Why? Because you don't have a "full bucket" at Strawberry. Strawberry has the food base for the trout. The problem at Strawberry is harvest. The rainbows get yanked out of there before they ever have a chance to grow big. More harvest (or mortality) at Strawberry is not the answer. In this particular case, the fishery is managed as a "put and take". The rainbows are stocked in large quantities so that anglers can harvest large quantities.
Now, if you cut back on stocking, you very well might increase the average size of rainbows. The reason would be due to lower catch rates. Lower catch rates could increase the size -- but is that what anglers really want??
Henry's Lake is a pretty hard lake to compare any Utah lakes to. It is a very large surface area, shallow, fertile lake. Comparing that to steep sided, deep reservoirs that experience dramatic water level fluctuations, like most of our reservoirs in Utah, is a pretty tough comparison to make.
[signature]
So, you mean to tell me that in order for some fish to grow larger that anglers should harvest more fish? Wow!! Amazing concept!
sounds a bit like the Provo River and the brown trout population!
Therapist -- you are close. Your concept is on the money, but I don't believe that the problem at Strawberry is based on this concept. Why? Because you don't have a "full bucket" at Strawberry. Strawberry has the food base for the trout. The problem at Strawberry is harvest. The rainbows get yanked out of there before they ever have a chance to grow big. More harvest (or mortality) at Strawberry is not the answer. In this particular case, the fishery is managed as a "put and take". The rainbows are stocked in large quantities so that anglers can harvest large quantities.
Now, if you cut back on stocking, you very well might increase the average size of rainbows. The reason would be due to lower catch rates. Lower catch rates could increase the size -- but is that what anglers really want??
Henry's Lake is a pretty hard lake to compare any Utah lakes to. It is a very large surface area, shallow, fertile lake. Comparing that to steep sided, deep reservoirs that experience dramatic water level fluctuations, like most of our reservoirs in Utah, is a pretty tough comparison to make.
[signature]