01-13-2013, 12:01 AM
Just can't resist posting my own thoughts to this thread. Let me start by making it clear the I love Henrys Lake...and have for over 50 years. Since retiring, I fish it from opening weekend to the end of October or so. Average about 120 days a year on the lake.
In my experience, the size of the cutts are significantly down from what they've historically been. Don't know if we can blame that on anything other than a possible dilution of the breeding stock. The lack of big hybrids this last year is another matter. While there may be no "scientific" evidence that ice fishing is to blame, it sure is suspicious that after the first year of a full ice fishing season we suddenly see fewer big hybrids. After talking with some of the ice fishermen and hearing their tales of "me and my buddies all took our limit of ten-pounders every day" (for several days at a time), it would lead on the think that the ice fishing mentality isn't doing any wonders for the lake!
As for the F&G doing any sincere creel survey (ie, actually looking with an eye toward game law violation)...it's a laugh. I haven't had a verbal survey taken in the last two years, and I've never been physically inspected for a violation. This is the same "enforcement" I witnessed during the ice fishing opener in 2011. Incidentally, Damons estimate of the take that day was "around 300". Doesn't sound like much of an impact on the population until you think that in ten days it would be 3000 fish! But that's okay because our F&G's policy is that "90% of the fish aren't being utilized". Just what the Heck does that mean, that they aren't being eaten? But that's the same F&G bioligist that told me how barbed treble hooks have no more affect on fish than a single barbless hook!!
If you think that the F&G will do exactly what they want and screw our observations and opinions, you're right!!
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In my experience, the size of the cutts are significantly down from what they've historically been. Don't know if we can blame that on anything other than a possible dilution of the breeding stock. The lack of big hybrids this last year is another matter. While there may be no "scientific" evidence that ice fishing is to blame, it sure is suspicious that after the first year of a full ice fishing season we suddenly see fewer big hybrids. After talking with some of the ice fishermen and hearing their tales of "me and my buddies all took our limit of ten-pounders every day" (for several days at a time), it would lead on the think that the ice fishing mentality isn't doing any wonders for the lake!
As for the F&G doing any sincere creel survey (ie, actually looking with an eye toward game law violation)...it's a laugh. I haven't had a verbal survey taken in the last two years, and I've never been physically inspected for a violation. This is the same "enforcement" I witnessed during the ice fishing opener in 2011. Incidentally, Damons estimate of the take that day was "around 300". Doesn't sound like much of an impact on the population until you think that in ten days it would be 3000 fish! But that's okay because our F&G's policy is that "90% of the fish aren't being utilized". Just what the Heck does that mean, that they aren't being eaten? But that's the same F&G bioligist that told me how barbed treble hooks have no more affect on fish than a single barbless hook!!
If you think that the F&G will do exactly what they want and screw our observations and opinions, you're right!!
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