01-18-2014, 05:29 PM
[quote GEEZER]Just my two cents on the abyss controversy. I'd almost bet that a whole mob of fishertypes could invade that place and literally fish it out without materially affecting the white bass population in U.L. I submit that within just a week or two a whole new population would move in.[/quote]
[#0000FF]Those of us who fish the old muddy pond a lot know that the overall white bass population took a drop this past year...for a variety of reasons. Angling pressure was not one of them. It would be virtually impossible for fishermen to clean out Utah Lake of white bass.
Howsomever, I have seen Utah Lake much lower than it is right now...and white bass populations down to almost nothing, due to spawning problems and predator pursuit. In every case it only takes one or two years of decent spawning to fill the lake with whities again. After all, the first plantings were of only a few hundred white bass fry. They are hardy and prolific.
You may be at least partly right about the abyss repopulating by itself if it WAS to be "fished out". Even though white bass roam freely about the lake, there are a few areas where they seem to remain in a general area without going too far away. That's why there are some zones around the lake that see poorer current fishing than others. Winter kill and poor food supplies last year hit some local populations harder than others. But there are still plenty left for future spawning and recruitment.
By the way, ol' buddy, are we gonna get a shot at that pond over by your old stomping grounds this winter? The ice came off the week before our planned trip last year.
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[#0000FF]Those of us who fish the old muddy pond a lot know that the overall white bass population took a drop this past year...for a variety of reasons. Angling pressure was not one of them. It would be virtually impossible for fishermen to clean out Utah Lake of white bass.
Howsomever, I have seen Utah Lake much lower than it is right now...and white bass populations down to almost nothing, due to spawning problems and predator pursuit. In every case it only takes one or two years of decent spawning to fill the lake with whities again. After all, the first plantings were of only a few hundred white bass fry. They are hardy and prolific.
You may be at least partly right about the abyss repopulating by itself if it WAS to be "fished out". Even though white bass roam freely about the lake, there are a few areas where they seem to remain in a general area without going too far away. That's why there are some zones around the lake that see poorer current fishing than others. Winter kill and poor food supplies last year hit some local populations harder than others. But there are still plenty left for future spawning and recruitment.
By the way, ol' buddy, are we gonna get a shot at that pond over by your old stomping grounds this winter? The ice came off the week before our planned trip last year.
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