More Reservoirs Opened for Salvage

[duksnfish]

Even though I cant get out fishing any longer due to my Pulmonary Fibrosis, I keep in close review of what is going on to some of our best fishing areas. I just saw this morning that ALL of the Consolidated Canal Company reservoirs near Preston are now going to be opened to salvage fishing. A couple of these reservoirs are and have been HOT for slabs, gills and not to mention trophy size Large mouth Bass. But now, F&G is once again bowing to the wants and needs of the Consolidated Canal Company. For years there have been many uproars between the public, F&G, and the canal company. All started years ago over the boating fees (I was involved in that one and we lost) and now, F&G over many years has established probably one of the best crappie, blue gill and large mouth bass fisheries in East Idaho. But now, due to the canal company draining the reservoirs, we are going to loose one h***l of a fishery. And now how long is it going to take to get at least Glendale back to a reasonable fishery that has good trophy size LM Bass and pan fishery?

I think it's time now for the F&G and the public to really rethink the fishery that is put back into the several reservoirs owned by Consolidated Canal Company. The public and F&G are at the beckon wants and desires of the canal company and we, the public and F&G always loose because of the private ownership of several reservoirs. 

The article I just read said that Glendale had Walley in it. I had fished Glendale for many many years and talked to many public and F&G and never once heard of any Walley, let alone a viable Walleye fishery in that reservoir. And now with almost all of the water being drained from Glendale  they are not going to allow any motorized boats on this body of water due to the boat ramps supposedly out of commission due to low water. A lot of money goes into the facilities, fishery, and other items by F&G and it's our tax money that goes into it. Stocking of rainbows and in the past crappie has resulted in one heck of a great fishery and about anyone can catch fish there by just getting on the water. But now, when the supposed work on the reservoirs is done, what is it going to take in time, labor, and just plain money to get any one of these reservoirs back to a reasonable fishery? And will F&G do anything to re-establish the pan fishery in Glendale, Lamont, Johnson etc? These luscious fish had one heck of a great impact on the public and what they could do let alone the LM bass populations there. It was not uncommon to land trophy LM bass when not even trying out of Glendale and now, that is most likely going to be gone. Sad but true.

So, what does the public want as far as a decent fishery out of the reservoirs owned by Consolidated Canal Company and what they will let F&G and the public due once almost all of the fish are going to be gone and gone soon?

I for one think it's time to put some really hard pressure on F&G to either stop planting trout into these reservoirs and I have no idea about restocking at least Glendale with LM bass, crappie, blue gill, perch and other awesome fish. And remember folks, when the water is gone this summer and the fish are gone, dont even try to ice fish there this winter. Draining these reservoirs are going to have a much larger impact on the fisheries around Preston than one thinks. The impact on the $$$$$$ spent in and around Preston by folkls fishing these reservoirs is going to have a much larger impact that what anyone thinks. But, we, the public, are going to loose and loose big time and I dont think I will ever see the fishery in at least Glendale back to what it has been in my lifetime anytime soon. And I'm 71 so what is going to happen? We dont know, but, the work etc it has taken to put all of these reservoirs into what they were, I'm not sure it will ever come back anytime soon to what it has been.

Here is the link to the article that I just read. Read it and weep  because it's gone and gone for one long time.

https://idfg.idaho.gov/article/fish-salv...%2C%202025.

And here is what I ued to catch in Glendale on slabs.