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"The champ" and I headed up to Scofield last Friday afternoon. The weather was beautiful, not too hot and not too cold, a little bit of wind, and a lot of sun going down. We parked by the pole fences on the southwest shore, and we launched our tubes about 5:00 pm. I tried my old standby, a blood leech on a sinking tip line, and it produced nothing. Then I switched to a black jig. Ditto. I tried a "Scofield special" on a floating line because it matched the insects that were flying everywhere in the air and landing all over the water, but the fish just were not rising. Once again, nada. "The champ" tried a minnow and then a nightcrawler behind a water filled bubble on a spinning rig. Very different set up, but she had the same results I did. After three hours with nary a strike or bite, we packed up and went home. Everybody else who was fishing there seemed to be having about the same success. A few kids caught a couple of small rainbows from the shore, but that was it.
Does anybody know what's happening at Scofield? Is it just me, or has the fishing taken a definite turn for the worse? I used to catch lots of nice fish every time I went there, but the last few times I've been to Scofield (starting last fall, continuing through the ice fishing season, and now in the spring) it seems that I haven't caught hardly anything.
I heard the DWR was planting a lot of tiger trout in Scofield, but I haven't seen any tigers on the end of my line. Do I need to change the way I fish to catch them? Any Scofield success stories would be welcome, especially if they include details on how to catch fish there.
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[cool]I'm not sure what is up with Scofield this year. Some people have had success, and others have not. I haven't been there yet, and didn't even make it up for ice fishing last year. Went to Hunington instead for my first ice day of the year.
Regarding the tiger trout, the DWR planted 80,000 last year which was the first year they've planted them, so they are gonna need a year or two more till they get nice and big, but they should still be in there, at least the ones that didn't get eaten by bigger fish...
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I'm a little dissapointed at the down turn as well. I don't know what is up with that lake. As far as the tigers go, because of their German Brown heritage, they are very cyclic in how they bite. Some days they will be very aggressive, and others, you can't buy a bite. You just need to catch them on a good day.
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You would think that I would be able to catch at least one of those 80,000 tiger trout they planted, wouldn't you? Has anyone caught any of them, or have they gone the way of the small rainbows planted in Strawberry (eaten by big cutthroats)?
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I caught about a dozen of them last november just before ice up. They were jumping all over the place just infront of the dam. They were only 3-5" long then. Got em on a little, itty bitty silver spoon. Purdy lookin fish.
I will say, though, I noticed some cutthroat and rainbows rolling on them. My dad and I saw one cutthroat come up infront of us we figured was atleast 26-28" long. Big fishy. I bet a lot of them got it from bigger trout.
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My son and I were there in our toons and fly's from 7 am to 1 pm,
I landed 3 very small and 2 18" rainbows, my son landed 3 very small bows. It was a very poor day by scofield standards.
It is good to see the lake full again, must be too much space for all those fish to hide in ????
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The fish just got done spawning so that may have some affect on the catching. During the spawn we would cast out and had a hard time keeping them off our lines. They were good sized fish and everyone fishing seemed like they had to keep every fish they caught or it would ruin their trip. I know a ton of fish got taken. Also, I don't remember seeing Scofield on the stocking list from another post.
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You just hit the nail on the head, everyone driving all the way down to Scofield feels like they have to keep a limit of fish. All the people who used to fish Strawberry for a fish dinner have now gone to Scofield because they can't catch any fish out of the slot at the Berry.
Good bye Scofield!
Rut
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Just another place like Strawberry where you can expect not to bring a fish Home.
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Good point on everyone taking home limits. Sounds like you guys have done well up there the past few weeks????? I hope so.....cause yours would be one of the very few encouraging report from that lake since before winter. Did you see any of the tiger trout being caught????
Just a few general questions for whoever cares to respond.....and hopefully this isn't hijacking this thread....... It seems like the lake is in trouble as far as not being well balanced. It has gone from low water and lots of fish (which means high harvest rates) to high water and not too many fish (or are the fish just well dispersed throughout the lake?) It seems like the low fish counts presents a perfect opportunity for the chubs which are starting to show up in numbers to really get a good hold on the lake. That is why they planted the tiger trout. It would be nice if everyone voluntarily released all tigers and cutts at Scofield so that they could do their part on keeping the chubs in check. However when people are not catching very many fish to take home (hopefully rainbows) cause the fishing is slow.....they are more apt to keep everything they catch (ie cutts, rainbows, and tiger trout). This seems counter productive!!! And talking about counter productive why are they considering raising the limit at scofield to 8 fish????????? It seems like the fish numbers are already depleated enough and isn't 4 fish enough for a meal? If the DWR and the fishermen who use Scofield are not very careful the chubs will claim another victory in Utah and then we have to kill the lake off and start all over. I would like to see the lake kept as a put and take type lake for people to be able to catch a limit of bows to take home and eat (which at this time seems like the stocking needs a boost) but their needs to be a way to protect the cutts and tigers to keep the chub numbers down.......
I hate to see this great fishery falling apart!
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A few random responses on this thread.
1. For the last 2 years, the DWR planted Scofield heavily in the fall with the small bows they use. None were put in during the spring and summer. I imagine they will do this again this year. This is why nothing has shown up yet on the stocking report.
2. I only fished Scofield twice on the hard deck (and once my daughter wanted to sled more than fish) but I did catch a tiger trout through the ice. It was already 9 inches long and looked healthy. They are in there.
3. DL, I understand that the 8 fish limit at Scofield is pretty much a done deal, so harvest to your hearts content.
4. I find the proposed 8 fish limit inexplicable and would love to hear a sensible explanation for it.
Tight lines.
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I don't get what the DWR's doing with that lake at all. The past few years when I fished it it was always decent fishing. Last year it started going down hill. Big time. A couple trips we were actually struggling to catch fish. Fish numbers were down, although Cutt numbers were up quite a bit(at least in the area we fish). Seems like the Rainbows are being cycled out.
Not planting Rainbows in the spring and summer is foolish to say the least. The fish that're planted in there are definately going to grow bigger than the fish planted in the fall. Wouldn't it make sense to have more slightly smaller fish planted and let them get big off of the lake's produce, rather than paying for smaller and less fish?
I'm thinking this 8 fish limit is a way for the DWR to demolish the fishery, and have to start all over again. Another Strawberry Cutthroat hatchery, pretty much. I don't mind the Cutts, but the big old Rainbows in there are a sight to behold. 8#'s of Rainbow furry on the end of your line is incredible.
The DWR hasn't taken any steps to protect the Cutthroats or Tigers. In all truth and honesty those two fish are the only way the chubs are going to be kept in check. And yet nothings being done! The 8 fish is so counter-productive it isn't even funny.
Say goodbye to Scofield. I predict it'll be 5 years before it's treated with Rotenone.
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