Sand Hollow advice

[outdoorfanatic]

I'm headed down to Sand Hollow with the family tomorrow. I know the reservoir is new, but is there a good fish population yet? The kids would be happy with bluegill or small bass, any reccomendations? Thank you.

[fonduvfishin]

There was a write up in the Outdoors section of the Tribune this past week. According to reports this little reservoir will be or already is an outstanding fishery. LM Bass are growing very well which can be expected with a new reservoir containing substantial cover and nutrients. Good luck, hope the kids do well.
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[redlight88]

Angling for bass at Quail Creek Reservoir
Quail Creek and Sand Hollow reservoirs in southern Utah are full of water and largemouth bass - an irresistible combination for fishers who are eager to land the biggest catch in the state


By Brett Prettyman
The Salt Lake Tribune














Zach Alexander, 13, of Salt Lake City, holds a 2 1/2 -pound bass at Sand Hollow Reservoir. (Brett Prettyman/The Salt Lake Tribune )


UAIL CREEK RESERVOIR - Every cast at this Washington County fishery is loaded with expectations: "Will this cast land me in the state record book?"
   That thought has gone through every angler's mind since a 27-inch largemouth was caught at Quail Creek Reservoir, also called Quail Lake, in the spring of 1998. That fish put Californian Dennis Miller in the book, but like a true bass angler, he released the fish without weighing it, so he owns only the record in the catch-and-release category for largemouth.
   Even though Miller didn't report a weight for the fish, anglers and officials alike are sure it would shatter the existing largemouth angling record of 10 pounds, 2 ounces set at Lake Powell in 1974. That fish was nearly 3 inches shorter than Miller's.
   Some believe that Quail Creek Reservoir largemouth could have tipped the scales around 14 pounds, but it is generally agreed the fish probably weighed between 12 and 13 pounds.
   "There







Anglers in boats and on shore are dwarfed by the surrounding cliffs at Quail Creek Reservoir. (Brett Prettyman/The Salt Lake Tribune )


is no doubt there are a couple of fish in Quail that would bust the state record," said Ed Gavin, a bass angler from nearby St. George who says he has landed more than 200 fish over 20 inches and bass up to 8 pounds at Quail. "There are some real toads in there and they are bound to be caught."
   It may be no coincidence that Miller's fish was caught just before a lengthy drought hit Utah. With this past winter's heavy moisture, Quail is full again and anglers are anticipating a growth spurt in largemouth that will keep them dreaming of behemoth bass for years to come.
   The lunkers in Quail keep anglers coming, but fishing for the big ones can be slow. Many bass anglers have made several trips to the scenic reservoir and come away with only the "accidental" catch of a 3-pound rainbow trout.
   To satisfy that urge for the thump of a bass hitting the lure and the occasional tail dance on the surface, bass anglers are turning attention







A fisher at Sand Hollow Reservoir shows off his catch. Sand Hollow has quickly became a destination for largemouth bass anglers, as is Quail Creek Reservoir. During a recent trip, catches at Sand Hollow ranged from 1 to 4 pounds, with the vast majority weighing about 2 1/2 pounds. (Brett Prettyman/The Salt Lake Tribune )


  to another Washington County reservoir less than 10 minutes from Quail.
   Water began to fill Sand Hollow Reservoir in 2002. Approximately 100 largemouth bass - some from Bountiful Pond, but the majority from Red Fleet Reservoir - hit the water in 2003. That doesn't sound like a lot, but some of those fish were full of eggs that were deposited in the reservoir that same year. It is also possible that some largemouth from Quail found their way into Sand Hollow in the early days, either through a tributary or by anglers moving the fish (which is illegal).
   Like Quail, Sand Hollow quickly became a largemouth destination. During a recent trip, catches ranged from 1 to 4 pounds with the vast majority weighing about 2 1/2 pounds.
   "The production is pretty amazing," said Mike Ottenbacher, an aquatic biologist for the Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR). "We planted less than 100 bass at Quail and it took off just like Sand Hollow is now. The reproduction and recruitment






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  took off like gangbusters. We are already hearing reports of fish over 5 pounds."
   That's good, but old news, for Gavin and the other regulars at Sand Hollow. They have been sharpening their hooks and checking lines for nicks since the first drop of water hit the dike at the new reservoir.
   "Sand Hollow will be as good, if not better, than Quail one day," Gavin said. "It's just awesome to have two such excellent bass fisheries this close to a major population area."
   The two bass lakes also attract bass anglers from Nevada and Salt Lake City. Adrian Alexander of Salt Lake recently took his son, Zach, to Sand Hollow to celebrate his 13th birthday.
   "This is my new favorite lake," the smiling teenager said while reeling in a fish to stay ahead of his father in a friendly family fishing derby. "It's nice to head south and enjoy some warm weather before the lakes near Salt Lake start fishing well."
   Largemouth   are warmwater species that do well with seasonal fluctuations in water levels that create brush structure to provide cover for young fish. Low lake levels during the drought have affected largemouth bass perhaps more than any other sport fish in Utah.
   "It is hard to maintain a decent quality of largemouth fishery," Ottenbacher said. "This high water at Quail and the rising water at Sand Hollow will provide some good habitat for young fish and that will help provide good fishing down the road."
   With the drought apparently over, DWR officials also are hoping to re-establish bass populations at a number of fisheries that were lost in the past six years.
   The Southern Utah Bass Anglers fishing club, to which the Alexanders belong, will help things along by handing over many of the smallmouth bass caught during an upcoming tournament at New Castle Reservoir to the DWR for relocation. Possible new homes for the fish include Upper and Lower Enterprise reservoirs,   Ivins Reservoir, Sand Cove Reservoir, Minersville Reservoir, Piute Reservoir and Otter Creek Reservoir.
   brettp@sltrib.com
   
   Special regulations info
   
    Anglers at Quail Creek Reservoir (also known as Quail Lake) and Sand Hollow Reservoir are required to release fish between 10 and 20 inches. They are allowed to keep four bass under 10 inches and two over 20 inches.
   
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