Posts: 420
Threads: 10
Joined: Jan 2011
Reputation:
5
Word is that they are going to plant LMB in Minersville this year.
Any thoughts?
I don't much care for the idea.
As for the current fishing at Minersville.
For me the last week of fishing at Minersville;
Trout was off and on,,, pretty good the last few days with the wind dying down.
Better down deep off shore during the day, with a few risers near shore very late evening. Most fish are very good shape and fight like crazy.
Smallmouth just started to bed up and are catchable. I got 4 or 5 for the week, but did not really concentrate on them. 15 inches was the biggest.
I did concentrate on Wipers and managed to bring 3,, six or seven pounders off the bottom with a dark green, orange tail 3" curly tail jig. All had big crawdads in them, and were all quite tasty.
Water in most of the lake is super clear. There is a big head of water going in the lake, and is higher than it has been in several years. There is water being released but not near as much as is coming in.
Not a whole lot of people fishing.
[signature]
Posts: 767
Threads: 12
Joined: Apr 2017
Reputation:
8
Thanks for the report.
I don't think LMB will ever do well in Minersville. With so little shore vegetation, brush, etc., and with the typical draw down it suffers, well, I am so convinced it won't work that I would suggest they probably are not thinking about it.
Still, I have been wrong before.[pirate]
Posts: 1,734
Threads: 0
Joined: Jul 2007
Reputation:
0
LMB would be silly. With wipers and smallies why another predator? Leave it as it is for heaven's sake!
[signature]
Posts: 1,397
Threads: 17
Joined: Sep 2003
Reputation:
9
I can tell you from firsthand knowledge that the largemouth bass being planted in Minersville are due to some local political pressure. The thing that people should remember, though, is that largemouth bass have been in Minersville in the past but have never done well. The young of the year largemouth tend to die over the winter months. Personally, I believe this move is the DWR showing local politicians that the bass won't amount to much. Those worrying about more predators shouldn't concern themselves. The only way that Minersville will become a consistent largemouth fishery is if the DWR plans to stock them on a yearly basis...which ain't gonna happen.
Castnshoot, I have been following the water closely at Minersville and am super excited to know that the water level is looking pretty good and still rising. We should have a good year!
[signature]
Posts: 1,985
Threads: 16
Joined: Apr 2007
Reputation:
7
I remember years ago that we couldn't get DWR to stock any warm water fish anywhere. Now, they are going to put LMB in Minersville to satisfy some local hack !! Incredible. Growing up, we used to come west and visit my Grandparents in Milford. I fished Minersville in those days and caught beautiful rainbows that looked like footballs, 14-18 inches long and almost as big around. Grandma would fry them up for breakfast. Now, we are putting LMB in there for political reasons. What a joke!!
Posts: 33
Threads: 0
Joined: May 2013
Reputation:
0
im a hard core bass fisherman and even I think its a stupid idea ...leave it alone
[signature]
Posts: 124
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2015
Reputation:
0
Sounds like it wont hurt anything to try.
[signature]
Posts: 1,985
Threads: 16
Joined: Apr 2007
Reputation:
7
Hard core huh!!, I may have you beat there. Been fighting this battle for the last 40+ years, starting with ol' Don Andriano and the strip bass issue at Lake Powell. Have seen lots of different things, but this one really takes the cake. SMB are there now, so let's see what happens with the LMB. Could be interesting !!
Posts: 1,397
Threads: 17
Joined: Sep 2003
Reputation:
9
[quote Therapist] Could be interesting !![/quote]
I don't even think it will be interesting...they have been tried in Minersville before, more than once. And, they failed. In fact, one fall largemouth fry could be seen all over the shorelines. By the next spring, though, they were gone. With the wipers and the smallmouth already there, it could be that any stocked largemouth fry will quickly be consumed anyway.
In my opinion, the DWR is stocking largemouth bass in there not because they will survive and do well but because they won't. I believe they are using this as an opportunity to show people that they won't work. This is similar to moving perch from Fish Lake to Yuba. The DWR knew it wouldn't work, but it made some people happy.
The only way the DWR could feasibly maintain Minersville as a LMB fishery would be to stock it annually with catchable LMB...something we simply do not have the resources for in Utah.
[signature]
Posts: 1,985
Threads: 16
Joined: Apr 2007
Reputation:
7
And why do we need LMB in Minersville anyway ?? I haven't fished it lately, but it is my understanding that the SMB are doing great along with the Wipers, so why do we need to add LMB to the mix? Are they going to stock a forage base to help provide food down there, the Chubs have to be almost gone by now, so what are they going to eat other than lots of insects and scuds ( oh, that is what the trout used to eat)
Posts: 1,397
Threads: 17
Joined: Sep 2003
Reputation:
9
We don't need need lMB in Minersville, and I don't think the DWR thinks we need them there. I believe this is an attempt to make some people happy, but, more importantly, to show that LMB won't work in Minersville. Again, I don't think the DWR is really trying to establish LMB in the reservoir.
As far as forage, LMB would compete with sallies and wipers for chubs and crayfish. The reality, though, is that any reproduced bass would have to grow exceptionally fast in a short time to get large enough to survive the winter. Like other years when they were tried in the past, they won't make it and will disappear. I have caught Sacramento perch in Minersville and LMB, but neither have fared that well and never amounted to anything. I think any fear about LMB in the reservoir is much ado about nothing.
I will be out there tomorrow though...trying to land a few trout, smallies, or even a wiper!
[signature]
|
