04-29-2003, 10:02 PM
Tightline,
I have to disagree with you on the chubs. They destroy quality trout waters. Chubs compete directly with trout for food. Do you think the DWR would have spent millions treating Strawberry if it had been in balance?. Most trout are very poor predators and although some will get big on chubs, the majority don't surive at all. There is a reason that chubs are on the increase in Strawberry, because the Bear Lake cutt experiment is not working. They were supposed to eat all the chubs. Rainbows feed very little on live fish. Most of their forage is plankton and insects. When the chubs scarf up all the plankton, juvinile trout never survive to get big enough to eat chubs. They are also poor forage in the face of an effective predator. Mackinaw are not the most efficient predators, and they wiped out the Gorge chubs. At Starvation, there has been no chub recruirtment for many years. Most of the chubs in Starvation are 20 to 25 years old and weigh 1 to 1 1/2 pounds. They reproduce every year, but none of the fry recruit to the population. FYI Did you know that Starvation used to be the place for huge rainbows before the chubs took over. The walleye were stocked because there were no other alternatives besides treatment. I love fishing for waldos at Starvation, but it's best to remember our history before we lose any more trophy trout waters in this state. Just my $.02
Good Fishing, Kayote
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I have to disagree with you on the chubs. They destroy quality trout waters. Chubs compete directly with trout for food. Do you think the DWR would have spent millions treating Strawberry if it had been in balance?. Most trout are very poor predators and although some will get big on chubs, the majority don't surive at all. There is a reason that chubs are on the increase in Strawberry, because the Bear Lake cutt experiment is not working. They were supposed to eat all the chubs. Rainbows feed very little on live fish. Most of their forage is plankton and insects. When the chubs scarf up all the plankton, juvinile trout never survive to get big enough to eat chubs. They are also poor forage in the face of an effective predator. Mackinaw are not the most efficient predators, and they wiped out the Gorge chubs. At Starvation, there has been no chub recruirtment for many years. Most of the chubs in Starvation are 20 to 25 years old and weigh 1 to 1 1/2 pounds. They reproduce every year, but none of the fry recruit to the population. FYI Did you know that Starvation used to be the place for huge rainbows before the chubs took over. The walleye were stocked because there were no other alternatives besides treatment. I love fishing for waldos at Starvation, but it's best to remember our history before we lose any more trophy trout waters in this state. Just my $.02
Good Fishing, Kayote
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