01-19-2024, 07:19 PM
(01-18-2024, 11:55 PM)castnshoot Wrote:(01-16-2024, 05:48 PM)wormandbobber Wrote: I wish more were stocked too...but, you have to remember that biologists have to put in quotas in advance. In other words, without the crystal ball of knowing that last winter was going to bring so much good water, the quota was going to be smaller because hatcheries only produce so many and quotas are scheduled prior to the production. With that being said, gill netting numbers last spring were much higher than expected. I bet there are more fish there than you think or realize...and, with lower numbers, growth will be really good. Fishing may be tougher, but sizes are going to be awesome! Those fish that survived the open regulations and low water from two summers ago will be hogs!!
Let's look at how last year's stocking compared to previous years: 2017--about 45,000 bows were stocked and about 27,000, cutts 2018--14,000 bows were stocked, 2019--17,000 bows were stocked and 10,000 browns, 2020--32,000 bows were stocked, 2021--30,000 bows were stocked, 2022--15,000 bows were stocked. So, last year's trout stocking was higher than any other year in the past 6 other than 2017 when the cutthroat stocking combined with the rainbow trout stocking were higher. And, last year's stocking of rainbow trout was higher than any other year. I'm happy with the 48,000 because it shows that they are trying to up the numbers. Also, those beat up fish were probably extras that were not initially scheduled to be dumped into Minersville. That, too, is a sign that they are trying to increase numbers and is a good thing.
With the high water this past spring the LMB spawn was off the charts,, at least on my end of the lake.
It'll be interesting to see if the LMB spawn will impact the LMB numbers. LMB, in the past, had successful spawns, but those young of the year fish didn't grow large enough by winter to survive until the next spring. I will be curious to see if the DWR has to continue to plant LMB for the population to remain at all viable. My bet is that they will...
...I also believe that 2024 will be a good year at Minersville and am, for one, excited to get out there this spring and summer.