Henrys Lake

[Ktrout]

Usually there is some chatter about Henrys by now. Any updates on the ice/when it came off?
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[Bmarsh]

Came off first part of last week I think. Talked to a f&g employee that's been up working on the netting/surveys and she said she saw an 8.8 lb hybrid yesterday. I'm planning on going up, not sure if ill haul The camper up, but am planning on the county ramp area.
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[Ktrout]

I had a feeling the ice was going to be gone much earlier than the last few years. Thanks for info and maybe see you there.
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[windriver]

By the time opening weekend comes up the lake will have devoid of ice for almost a month. The fish will most likely be scattered. I would be surprised if there are still many on the banks.

Windriver
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[nymph_pimp]

e e has been off fora month right now. The fish are off the banks there are few but the majorty are gone. For those thinking they are going to make it on the opener, you might reconsider. The crowds aresure to be there but the fishing will not be great like the last few years. You might wait a week until you go the fishing will be the same but far less people. Left there this morning and i can assure you 90% of fish are of the banksIc
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[MMDon]

I'm glad to see the fish disperse so people will actually have to fish for them . . .
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[flygoddess]

Normally I would agree, you all know that, but I also know they planted for the longer season. There are a lot of fish in there that NEED to be harvested if we want to see big fish out of there again.
Not saying they are starving, just a lot of fish eating the same food. Less fish and more food equals big fish! So take the little ones...[]

As far as Crowds....well, not for me. Don't mind people out on the water, but launching and pulling out could get ugly...
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[MMDon]

You won't see large fish from controlling the fish population in Henry's. Large fish require a drought. That brings the chub population to booming proportions which brings a large protein supply to the lake. The fish size goes crazy until they eat themselves out of house and home with another good water year or two. Leeches and scuds will never produce the fish you are looking for but don't tell anyone I told you so . . .
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[flygoddess]

Awww but the Brookies don't limit their diet to Chub, and I was once told that the Cutt don't eat other fish or at least not in the gill netting, which leaves the Hybrid and the Brookies. They are cannibals, and I am thinking the planters look like those chubbletts...maybe.[]

At any rate, there is plenty to go round, so take a limit.
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[mojorizing]

[quote MMDon]You won't see large fish from controlling the fish population in Henry's. Large fish require a drought. That brings the chub population to booming proportions which brings a large protein supply to the lake. The fish size goes crazy until they eat themselves out of house and home with another good water year or two. Leeches and scuds will never produce the fish you are looking for but don't tell anyone I told you so . . . [.img]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/images/gforum/bobwink.gif[/img][/quote]
Will you please explain to me what you just posted/ mean? It completely went over my head.
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[MMDon]

That's interesting. If you look at the Cutts in Pyramid they get very large eating Tui Chubs. When the chub population falls so does the size and amount of Cutts. As for the hybrids, first they eat the chubs and when they run out of them we start pulling brookie imitations. I rarely fish Henry's until a drought kicks the chub population into high gear and makes HUGE fish!
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[MMDon]

[quote mojorizing][quote MMDon]You won't see large fish from controlling the fish population in Henry's. Large fish require a drought. That brings the chub population to booming proportions which brings a large protein supply to the lake. The fish size goes crazy until they eat themselves out of house and home with another good water year or two. Leeches and scuds will never produce the fish you are looking for but don't tell anyone I told you so . . . [.img][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/images/gforum/bobwink.gif[/img][/quote]"]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/...k.gif[/img][/quote][/url]
Will you please explain to me what you just posted/ mean? It completely went over my head.[/quote]

Fish growth is controlled by protein and the amount of effort spent per calorie gained. Baitfish produce larger mass trout then do bugs and small shrimp. Most mature fish only hunt for bugs when large easy prey such as chubs aren't available.
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[mojorizing]

[quote MMDon]That's interesting. If you look at the Cutts in Pyramid they get very large eating Tui Chubs. When the chub population falls so does the size and amount of Cutts. As for the hybrids, first they eat the chubs and when they run out of them we start pulling brookie imitations. I rarely fish Henry's until a drought kicks the chub population into high gear and makes HUGE fish![/quote]
The cutts at Strawberry Reservoir ( Bear Lake strain of the Bonneville cutt) are meat eaters.
Yellowstone cutts and hybrids from Herys Lake are not meat eaters. They feast on scuds, damsels, leeches and snails.
If any fish would go after chub fry, it would be the brooks.
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[MMDon]

That's interesting because I pull very large sticks at Henry's and catch as many cutts as I do hybrids and very few brookies are caught on large stick baits. Most of my large brookies have all come on small flies. Brookies seem to like flies with white wings and peacock herl bodies.
(Think Prince Nymph)
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[flygoddess]

Henry's is a different Lake. FULL of bugs. I went back and read the Henry's Lake and apparently Hybrids are not cannibals which leaves the chub all for the Brookies.
Pyramid is not the same species (Lahontan versus Yellowstone) so cannot comment on their diet, Plus they are limited to when they can be harvested. I do know that Henry's Hybrid and Cutts get large from snails, shrimp, leeches, nymphs, scuds and there is tons of them in there.
The biggest fish I have caught have been the year before the drought.
You can also see how a year will play out by the hatches. Past few years there was very little or no Damsel hatches. To me that tells me fewer big fish.
I am no biologist but I have listen to my e-mails with an open mind.
I do think they need to STOP planting Henry's temporarily.
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[MMDon]

Henry's is not so much a trophy lake as it is now, an out of state revenue producer. For me it just means that for large fish I chase Macs and Ocean Kings rather than Henry's trout.
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[flygoddess]

No disagreeing there.[cool] Hebgen's big browns is another story[]
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[ironrod]

I've been fishing Henry's for 20+ yrs as well, the first 15 were strictly fly fishing. I"ve seen it cycle a few times...seems like cycling of large fish is farely normal. Clark canyon reservoir has done the same..this yr lots of smaller fish.

Yes, diet plays a huge role and harvest/#s of fish have an affect as well. If I'm not pulling flies I'll drag a few stick baits on Henry's. The last two yrs I've caught huge numbers but no huge fish. I'm talking 50+ fish between 2 guys in 6 hrs of fishing[]

I've also seen a rise in the number of brookies the last two yrs- not sure if it's just me or others have seen the same (some very big ones too [cool]).
I'm super happy about having the fish disperse early- I think the bank fisherman will still find some willing fish, I really hope they do. They might even be more inclined to keep a few early and move on. Less crowded banks is always a good thing-especially when trying to launch a boat[crazy]

I'll most likely miss the opener but I may try to get up there on Monday, all depends on the weather and if my girls want to get out of bed[]
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[flygoddess]

I remember a couple of years that NO Brookies were caught so to speak. But, those years I was also catching Chub 14" to 16" long! Every cast for that matter . Pretty alarming, so I told the DWR what was happening. Again, I am 99% sure Brookies are eating the chub.
I can't remember where I read it but I did read they were planting Brookies (because that is what the people want to catch).

I am to the point I say, go ahead, catch them shallow, they will plant more. It is a true Put and Take lake.
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[michael44]

Interesting[]
I have caught Cutts, Brooks, and Hybrids all on minnows.

I seems to me that the last couple years have produced a lot more Brooks.
The Brooks have been great, but the size of the cutts and Hybrids have seemed to decline
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