07-11-2012, 11:32 PM
[quote TubeDude][cool][#0000ff]Nothing deep, dark and mysterious about Jordanelle. It is one of the newer lakes in Utah and is going through the same aging process all lakes do. At first it was full of structure (trees and brush) and nutrients. All species reproduced well and grew big and fast on the abundance.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]For the first few years there were swarms of chubs and grundles of perch. Plenty of food for smallmouths to get big...and lots of them. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Then the predators (smallmouths and browns) ate up a high percentage of the chubs and three years ago there was a big midwinter dieoff of perch. The food supply has been much less for smallies since then and it has shown up in the numbers and sizes of smallies taken. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Takes a lot of available food to grown large bass. The problems are not related to any DWR regulations or overharvest. The changes in the limits came well after the big decline in bass sizes were an established situation. There are still some good sized bass in the lake, but not the sheer numbers of fish over 20 inches and girthy. They just aren't getting the same amount of food.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Right now the bass are behaving like they always do in summer. After spawning the shallow water temperatures climb above the comfort level of smallies and they drop down to cooler and deeper waters. You can still catch them if you can find them. Drop shotting is a proven method, but deep vertical jigging with plastics will work too. Takes a good sonar to find the fish and a sensitive touch to pick up on the sometimes very light bites.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In years past I have done well vertical jigging small grubs in 20 to 25 feet of water on the flats just west of the personal water craft launch. But you gotta be there early or be prepared to make a lot of noisy new friends.[/#0000ff][/quote]
So it really isn't the DWR's fault?[angelic]
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[#0000ff]For the first few years there were swarms of chubs and grundles of perch. Plenty of food for smallmouths to get big...and lots of them. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Then the predators (smallmouths and browns) ate up a high percentage of the chubs and three years ago there was a big midwinter dieoff of perch. The food supply has been much less for smallies since then and it has shown up in the numbers and sizes of smallies taken. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Takes a lot of available food to grown large bass. The problems are not related to any DWR regulations or overharvest. The changes in the limits came well after the big decline in bass sizes were an established situation. There are still some good sized bass in the lake, but not the sheer numbers of fish over 20 inches and girthy. They just aren't getting the same amount of food.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Right now the bass are behaving like they always do in summer. After spawning the shallow water temperatures climb above the comfort level of smallies and they drop down to cooler and deeper waters. You can still catch them if you can find them. Drop shotting is a proven method, but deep vertical jigging with plastics will work too. Takes a good sonar to find the fish and a sensitive touch to pick up on the sometimes very light bites.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]In years past I have done well vertical jigging small grubs in 20 to 25 feet of water on the flats just west of the personal water craft launch. But you gotta be there early or be prepared to make a lot of noisy new friends.[/#0000ff][/quote]
So it really isn't the DWR's fault?[angelic]
[signature]