03-14-2011, 11:38 PM
A total prohibition against the use of live fish for bait is necessary in Utah due to the unique nature of our fisheries. Utah has many reservoirs that have little or no reproduction of the trout species. The Utah DWR has hatcheries that raise trout to stock in the various lakes and streams to supplement the low reproduction rates. It makes economic sense to raise the trout to fingerling size and then let them grow in the reservoirs. Small trout complete with the other fish in the reservoirs for the available plankton. Other non-game fish also feed on the plankton, so the competition is bad for the young trout.
If Utah were to allow the use of live fish for bait, we would soon see shiners, fathead minnows, chubs and all sorts of minnow species in all of our lakes competing directly with the small trout we all want to become large trout.
States that don't have to contend with raising and releasing small fingerling trout don't have to worry about the competition from non-game species. Those other species are also almost always present in the lakes of other states. By eliminating the competition from non-game fish, Utah can produce quality trout fisheries in lakes that can't naturally produce their own young fish. Even in a reservoir such as Strawberry, the DWR supplements the natural reproduction to increase the number of fish available to anglers.
Bottom line is that the use of live fish is not compatible with a system that depends on the reservoirs growing trout from fingerling size to the size we want to catch. Do your part and obey the regs and report any violations to help the thinly spread Wildlife Officers do their jobs.
Mike
[signature]
If Utah were to allow the use of live fish for bait, we would soon see shiners, fathead minnows, chubs and all sorts of minnow species in all of our lakes competing directly with the small trout we all want to become large trout.
States that don't have to contend with raising and releasing small fingerling trout don't have to worry about the competition from non-game species. Those other species are also almost always present in the lakes of other states. By eliminating the competition from non-game fish, Utah can produce quality trout fisheries in lakes that can't naturally produce their own young fish. Even in a reservoir such as Strawberry, the DWR supplements the natural reproduction to increase the number of fish available to anglers.
Bottom line is that the use of live fish is not compatible with a system that depends on the reservoirs growing trout from fingerling size to the size we want to catch. Do your part and obey the regs and report any violations to help the thinly spread Wildlife Officers do their jobs.
Mike
[signature]