12-11-2018, 09:43 PM
Bingo! There were chubs in the lake in small numbers before the 8 fish limit. But there were enough 4 to 5 pound Cutthroat and 3 to 4 pound rainbows that kept them in check.
The DWR had this spectacular idea that Scofield could handle over 2X's the fishing hours that it was currently getting . So the plan was to make the reservoir a fishery where you could "Come fill up the cooler" to incentavise more anglers to use the lake. The large trout numbers were depleted and the smaller trout were caught then taken home in coolers before they could grow to a predatory size. The chubs filled the void and quickly overran the Reservoir.
To me personally this is why it is so frustrating getting told the same story year after year after year. The initial mistake of the 8 fish limit was most likely done in good faith that Scofield could handle the additional fishing pressure and more anglers could enjoy the resource. But the way they are dragging their feet with "The Long Game" and "Cost Effective" solution is not acceptable. The "resource" is without question under utilized now and has been for over a decade. And there is a cost of lost revenue to running with a under utilized Scofield that needs to be considered as a offset to a rotenone treatment. That $$$ number has never been addressed and is very relevant!
In my opinoin the biggest obstacle to doing a rotenone treatment on Scofield is not the price tag. I believe it has a lot more to do with saving face than the money. The DWR needs to come to grips with-
1) The 8 fish limit was a mistake.
2) What they have done the last 10+ years has not worked and just prolonged the inevitable.
[signature]
The DWR had this spectacular idea that Scofield could handle over 2X's the fishing hours that it was currently getting . So the plan was to make the reservoir a fishery where you could "Come fill up the cooler" to incentavise more anglers to use the lake. The large trout numbers were depleted and the smaller trout were caught then taken home in coolers before they could grow to a predatory size. The chubs filled the void and quickly overran the Reservoir.
To me personally this is why it is so frustrating getting told the same story year after year after year. The initial mistake of the 8 fish limit was most likely done in good faith that Scofield could handle the additional fishing pressure and more anglers could enjoy the resource. But the way they are dragging their feet with "The Long Game" and "Cost Effective" solution is not acceptable. The "resource" is without question under utilized now and has been for over a decade. And there is a cost of lost revenue to running with a under utilized Scofield that needs to be considered as a offset to a rotenone treatment. That $$$ number has never been addressed and is very relevant!
In my opinoin the biggest obstacle to doing a rotenone treatment on Scofield is not the price tag. I believe it has a lot more to do with saving face than the money. The DWR needs to come to grips with-
1) The 8 fish limit was a mistake.
2) What they have done the last 10+ years has not worked and just prolonged the inevitable.
[signature]