07-19-2015, 07:20 PM
[#0000FF]Wipers are a fairly recent addition...to help reduce the chubs. They are doing what they are supposed to do and this lake seems to be going like other formerly over-chubbed lakes...with predator control. The numbers of larger chubs remains visible but the small ones are disappearing quickly into the predators guts...resulting in fewer and fewer small chubs being seen in DWR net samplings.
Starvation is probably our best example of what heavy predation (walleyes and smallies) can do to a chub population. As you no doubt recall Starvy used to be wall to wall chubs. Couldn't get a bait or lure down to the trout through the chubs. But within a few short years of calling in the cavalry (wallies and smallies) they had eaten themselves out of groceries and started stunting. Then the perch "magically" appeared and the world was saved.
But the big chubs can live to be over 20 years old and they kept spawning each year...while declining due to natural attrition. Some of the last few chubs I caught before about 2010...and they finally disappeared altogether...were chub-ugly. Big distended gut and lesions all over their skin.
Jordanelle has pretty much gone the same way and it is possible that Huntington will too.
There are more and more anglers heading for Huntington to fish for the wipers. Gofish435 on the board lives in Price and is strictly a fly fisherman. He had done well at times on the fairy wand fishing for wipers. Much fun on a six weight.
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Starvation is probably our best example of what heavy predation (walleyes and smallies) can do to a chub population. As you no doubt recall Starvy used to be wall to wall chubs. Couldn't get a bait or lure down to the trout through the chubs. But within a few short years of calling in the cavalry (wallies and smallies) they had eaten themselves out of groceries and started stunting. Then the perch "magically" appeared and the world was saved.
But the big chubs can live to be over 20 years old and they kept spawning each year...while declining due to natural attrition. Some of the last few chubs I caught before about 2010...and they finally disappeared altogether...were chub-ugly. Big distended gut and lesions all over their skin.
Jordanelle has pretty much gone the same way and it is possible that Huntington will too.
There are more and more anglers heading for Huntington to fish for the wipers. Gofish435 on the board lives in Price and is strictly a fly fisherman. He had done well at times on the fairy wand fishing for wipers. Much fun on a six weight.
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[signature]