Henrys Lake

[flygoddess]

I was told, they will attack minnows they are just not part of their diet. Read the Henry's Lake info on google.

It is so hard to tell what exactly will happen. I am sure they got it under control.
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[jabink89]

So the multiple cutts I have caught out of there that were full of baitfish didnt actually eat them? I am pretty sure a cutt takes a minnow to eat it. Scuplin patterns are deadly for trout up there.
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[flygoddess]

I have no idea, I am going off what I was told by the Gill nets, Bill Schiess and right here:

http://henryslakefoundation.com/

I guess they could eat tiny minnows.
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[jabink89]

I mean no animosity towards my posts, but the only thing i have found from exploring that link says the exact opposite. it says "Brook trout tend to eat fish in higher proportions than that of the other fish."

That just means they are more predatory which is obvious with how they attack streamers.

cuts and hyrids definately eat other fish.

Also a few of us from the forum were up that way all weekend and the fish are definately off the banks(if your talking about the normal amount that are at the state boat ramp and county. The fish are still shallow and cruising and I am sure plenty of fish are going to get caught from bank anglers this coming weekend. You just wont be able to walk across the water on fishes backs at state this year.

Good luck to all.
A bunch from the Forum will be camping up there all weekend. Maybe we will run into some of you guys.
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[flygoddess]

[quote jabink89]I mean no animosity towards my posts, but the only thing i have found from exploring that link says the exact opposite. it says "Brook trout tend to eat fish in higher proportions than that of the other fish."

That just means they are more predatory which is obvious with how they attack streamers.

cuts and hyrids definately eat other fish.

Also a few of us from the forum were up that way all weekend and the fish are definately off the banks(if your talking about the normal amount that are at the state boat ramp and county. The fish are still shallow and cruising and I am sure plenty of fish are going to get caught from bank anglers this coming weekend. You just wont be able to walk across the water on fishes backs at state this year.

Good luck to all.
A bunch from the Forum will be camping up there all weekend. Maybe we will run into some of you guys.[/quote]



But it does not mention Cutthroat or Hybrids. I am telling you what the gill netting finds "no fish in stomach" and what long time Henry's Lake fisher and author Bill Schiess told me.

I am not saying they WON'T eat fish. Every year I average at least 1 over 30". It is off small nymphs and leeches.

That lake is already so full of fish I say everyone attending, have a great time, catch fish, keep limits...it needs it.
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[brownieguy]

When it comes down to it any trout is an opportunistic feeder and if it sees an easy target whether it be another fish or a size 20 midge the trout is going to take advantage of the easy pickings and eat. Basic survival instinct there, the thing with Henry's is it has a huge forage base of both types of food so the fish can get large eating pretty well anything they see, it works out great for both fly guys and gear guys. Just my two bits on that. The only thing now is to thin the numbers so that the fish can really get chunky.

Good luck if you're headed up that way, hopefully the fish cooperate. I for one can't do the crowds up there on opening weekend, besides the lake over the hill is nicer and has the right kind of fish.
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[windriver]

Flygoddess you are correct. I usually don't jump in on these type of things, but I would like to any legit evidence that Henry's lake fish eat chubs in any great #s.

I dare anyone to sit at the fish cleaning station and do a survey. Everything I have seen, read, or witnessed shows that chub minnows or minnows of any kind make up less than 3% of the diet in any fish at Henrys.

I know this is hard for people who catch them on minnow baits or spinners to understand. My theory is that they are hitting those baits by reaction. Why would a Henry's lake fish waste energy chasing minnows very far when they can open their mouths and suck in huge amounts of scuds or leeches. It is just cost benefit analysis.

If anyone is at the stateboat ramp this month. Take pics of stomach contents. You may find some chub minnows. I predict it will be a very low part of their diet.

Windriver
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[brookieguy1]

[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]Wrong! I totally disagree. I don't know why, but I just do.
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[jabink89]

here is a brook trout that chris the fish caught up there.

[url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEOsBSePWcQ&feature=player_embedded"]http://www.youtube.com/...ture=player_embedded[/url]

and I caught multiple cutts there that had the same stomach contents of that brook. I am not saying that the fish only eat other fish, I am saying that cutts there definately will eat chubs and other minnows. I thing that come fall/winter time the fish key in on these larger meals becuase they get more bang for their buck. I am by no means an expert on Henrys its just what I have observed on my trips up there.
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[drowning_flys]

Ive never fished there or know much about the place but i do know a person that fishes it regularly. The only bait he takes are shiners that he catches here local in the river. He has told me that he has had several 35 plus fish days. There also large fish he said he has caught several over 7 pounds. I'm sure he will be there this weekend in a 25 foot pontoon boat
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[MMDon]

Cool Vid jabink89!
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[cpierce]

Technically all of you are right! Henrys is a fantastic lake.

I am not an expert on Henrys...I don't even fish it....but I do read the reports. F&G net THOUSANDS of fish every year from Henrys to study. In those studies they have found that the big fish of Henrys are different from most 20 inch plus trout. In most other situations the large fish will feed almost exclusively on minnows, but at Henrys they don't have to. Fish only make up a small portion of their regular diet.

That doesn't mean they don't ever eat minnows, and it doesn't mean that they only eat minnows. It just means that there is enough insects in there that they don't have to switch to minnows only to grow. They can still grow huge on the bugs.

Fish are opportunistic feeders. If it is an easy meal they will eat it. I am sure there are areas of the lake that the minnows are the meal of the day, and other areas that the fish will bump bugs out of the weeds all day long. Time of day or area may also affect the diet. Is it the type of day that the fish feel safe enough to chase minnows in the shallows? Then they probably will. Are the weeds well grown? Then they may stay in them. There is so much food, they don't have to cruise far to find a meal of either sort.

If you fish a minnow, a streamer, a nymph, a leech, or a snail, you are likely to catch fish. There are a lot of big health fish in there.

Good luck to all of you that are going up to fish the opening week.......whatever bait/fly you choose to use! [cool]
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[flygoddess]

Not sure when they do the netting but I thought they were in the colder months. But, sounds like you have proven them wrong.
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[MMDon]

Thanks for your write up cpierce. That has been my experience as well. I also only find good numbers of fish over 10 lbs. when there are large concentrations of chubs in the lake.
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[jaklakmak]

You guys go ahead and over think this all you want. I just go there to fish and that's all. Anyway I'll be heading to a remote lake in Western Wyoming for monster lakers this coming weekend. I prefer not to engage in bottle neck fishing this particular weekend of the year. I'll leave that to the people from down south that are used to traffic and tailgating behavior to rub shoulders with the rest of their neighbors from Zion land. LOL Have fun and get their early!!!
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[flygoddess]

[quote jaklakmak]You guys go ahead and over think this all you want. I just go there to fish and that's all. Anyway I'll be heading to a remote lake in Western Wyoming for monster lakers this coming weekend. I prefer not to engage in bottle neck fishing this particular weekend of the year. I'll leave that to the people from down south that are used to traffic and tailgating behavior to rub shoulders with the rest of their neighbors from Zion land. LOL Have fun and get their early!!![/quote]


huh, I am not thinkin about it let alone over thinking it. I am heading east for Memorial. I don't deal with the crowds.
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[lone_wolf]

There was a big write up in the Post Register two weeks ago on Henry's with Dan Garren from the F&G now admitting there are fewer big fish in Henry's today. They attribute it to too many fish in the lake supposedly. It said fish are successfully spawning which is attributing to the issue. I am surprised no one saw this article yet it would seem.
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[flygoddess]

I just got done talking to Dan. The rest of that story is, yes they have been planting, but there is a large rise in numbers for natural recruitment. More so than in past years. "Depleting the normal food supply". Gill netting is going on and I was told (again, not like past years) more chubbletts are being eaten by all, because of the depletion. So, past five years, catching cutts and hybrids with chub meat in them is very real.

Quick and easier fix are reducing hatchery fish going into the system.

There is also NO talk of extending the season or the limit.

F&G are concerned with the unusual slow growth rate and they are aware so keep your fingers crossed and take your limit[laugh][laugh]
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[MMDon]

[quote flygoddess]I just got done talking to Dan. The rest of that story is, yes they have been planting, but there is a large rise in numbers for natural recruitment. More so than in past years. "Depleting the normal food supply". Gill netting is going on and I was told (again, not like past years) more chubbletts are being eaten by all, because of the depletion. So, past five years, catching cutts and hybrids with chub meat in them is very real.

Quick and easier fix are reducing hatchery fish going into the system.

There is also NO talk of extending the season or the limit.

F&G are concerned with the unusual slow growth rate and they are aware so keep your fingers crossed and take your limit[laugh][laugh][/quote]

During a drought with low water conditions and low oxygen you will find the bigger fish stuffed with chubs. During the winter under these conditions I think chubs are the main forage for large fish. I've never caught a fish over 8 lbs out of Henry's that didn't have minnows in it.

I can see how the lake could become over populated and the fish perhaps deplete their food sources. Still, I go back to my original statement that large fish require large food.
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[flygoddess]

Yes, large fish require bigger food, OR more. I still say, and so did Dan, the Cutt and Hybrids do not have fish as their main diet.
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"Looking back on this past year, there was more dry fly action on Henrys than in any prior year, suggesting a shift in feeding behavior. We are also seeing more predation on chubs than in years past, and a resulting decrease in chub abundance."

So you see, this is new feeding habit. Not like other lakes.

So you have a bunch of smaller Hybrids and Cutts eating all the scuds, leeches, sow bugs, snails, etc, what is left....chub. Did not use to be this way, times, they are a changing. Good/bad...to soon to tell.
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