06-12-2015, 07:04 PM
[#0000FF]I suspect that is something DWR is studying as part of their newly implemented program. I also had heard that pike were previously introduced into Utah Lake but that they had not done well. Over the years in between the original planting and the sudden showing of large numbers there were only sporadic reports of anglers catching a pike or two. And those reports were usually given the same credibility as reports of giant flatheads.
Introducing a new species is subject to a lot of variables. How many were planted? How large were they? Where (how many places) were they planted? What time of year? What were the water levels, temperatures, water quality, etc.? What was the lake level...and how much available structure? What was the available food supply?
If only a small number of small pike were planted in a single area...with poor water quality, no structure, little food supply and other negative conditions it is likely that the first planting didn't succeed well. That was in earlier times, when Utah was definitely trout-oriented and with little hands-on pike experience. It was a gamble.
It was also likely that the early experiment was only a single planting in one area. I suspect that the Yuba "migrants" of recent times came in several live wells over a period of time...and were of different sizes...and were "downloaded" in different locations.
Another thought is that the big sudden appearance of pike in recent times coincided with the last high water year of 2011...when there was water clear up into the shoreline vegetation all around the lake. Pike like vegetation for spawning, nurseries and for ambush hunting. It also coincided with the previous two years of abundant white bass spawning recruitment...along with bumper crops of bluegill, crappies and other panfish. Plenty to eat.
It's all guesswork. But those are some of the reasons why they might be more abundant now but never took off when originally introduced.
[/#0000FF]
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Introducing a new species is subject to a lot of variables. How many were planted? How large were they? Where (how many places) were they planted? What time of year? What were the water levels, temperatures, water quality, etc.? What was the lake level...and how much available structure? What was the available food supply?
If only a small number of small pike were planted in a single area...with poor water quality, no structure, little food supply and other negative conditions it is likely that the first planting didn't succeed well. That was in earlier times, when Utah was definitely trout-oriented and with little hands-on pike experience. It was a gamble.
It was also likely that the early experiment was only a single planting in one area. I suspect that the Yuba "migrants" of recent times came in several live wells over a period of time...and were of different sizes...and were "downloaded" in different locations.
Another thought is that the big sudden appearance of pike in recent times coincided with the last high water year of 2011...when there was water clear up into the shoreline vegetation all around the lake. Pike like vegetation for spawning, nurseries and for ambush hunting. It also coincided with the previous two years of abundant white bass spawning recruitment...along with bumper crops of bluegill, crappies and other panfish. Plenty to eat.
It's all guesswork. But those are some of the reasons why they might be more abundant now but never took off when originally introduced.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]