03-04-2015, 04:59 PM
IfishUtah -- hmmm...not sure how to reply, but I'll try:
1. Like rats? NO!! Stripers are a FANTASTIC sport fish!
2. Control? You are correct. Their numbers are not controllable. They go in boom/ bust cycles dependent on available forage. When shad numbers are down, stripers starve.
3. Get them out? NO WAY. Harvest all you catch, and use some as bait / chum? You bet.
Lake Powell does NOT want stripers to go away. They are the staple sport fish.
[quote Therapist]
Another question I would ask is, if the stripers crash, will people be willing to adjust their fishing tactics to focus on the walleye as an alternative ?? [/quote]
No. Not me. I can fish for walley at any other number of fisheries in Utah. Same with smallmouth bass. The unique sport fish of Lake Powell is striped bass. You can't find them anywhere else in Utah. I spent $50k on a boat specifically to fish for striped bass. I wouldn't have spent that money to fish for walleye at Powell.
People think stripers are easy to catch, and they can be at times. Specifically when they are starving to death. But watch the fishing reports this spring and summer and see how many people struggle to catch the stripers this year -- a year where the population is thriving and healthy. Also, watch how many "big" stripers are caught.
We make trips to Powell in October, November, February, March, and April specifically for stripers. They are a blast to catch -- and for anyone that hasn't fished a striper boil, you don't know what you are missing. Easy? maybe. Violent, out-of-control, agressive, intense action? You bet.
Walleye? boring. They don't fight. sure, they taste great -- but they just are not fun to catch. Stripers are.
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1. Like rats? NO!! Stripers are a FANTASTIC sport fish!
2. Control? You are correct. Their numbers are not controllable. They go in boom/ bust cycles dependent on available forage. When shad numbers are down, stripers starve.
3. Get them out? NO WAY. Harvest all you catch, and use some as bait / chum? You bet.
Lake Powell does NOT want stripers to go away. They are the staple sport fish.
[quote Therapist]
Another question I would ask is, if the stripers crash, will people be willing to adjust their fishing tactics to focus on the walleye as an alternative ?? [/quote]
No. Not me. I can fish for walley at any other number of fisheries in Utah. Same with smallmouth bass. The unique sport fish of Lake Powell is striped bass. You can't find them anywhere else in Utah. I spent $50k on a boat specifically to fish for striped bass. I wouldn't have spent that money to fish for walleye at Powell.
People think stripers are easy to catch, and they can be at times. Specifically when they are starving to death. But watch the fishing reports this spring and summer and see how many people struggle to catch the stripers this year -- a year where the population is thriving and healthy. Also, watch how many "big" stripers are caught.
We make trips to Powell in October, November, February, March, and April specifically for stripers. They are a blast to catch -- and for anyone that hasn't fished a striper boil, you don't know what you are missing. Easy? maybe. Violent, out-of-control, agressive, intense action? You bet.
Walleye? boring. They don't fight. sure, they taste great -- but they just are not fun to catch. Stripers are.
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