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What do you think the future holds for Sand Hallow?
Is there enough forage base and cover to continue to offer world class bass fishing?
What about the huge amount of growth in the area and the new road that is going from St. George to Hurricane?
Just curious to see what you think fishing at Sand Hollow will look like in 10-20 years?
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It's hard to see that far into the future with a water like sand hollow. If it holds like lake Powell or a few of the other big lakes it should be pretty decent.
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[quote RapalaUt]What do you think the future holds for Sand Hallow?
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No question, a decline is in the future for Sand Hollow. But not for any of the reasons you stated.
Q: What do largemouth bass require to thrive?
A: Vegetation
Q: over time, what happens to vegetation in Utah reservoirs?
A: It disappears
Just like every other lmb fishery in Utah, Sand Hollow went through an intial "boom" when it was first created. There was a lot of flooded vegetation that created fantastic habitat for lmb. Over time that flooded vegetation (sage brush) deteriorates and disappears. New vegetation (flooded trees, sage brush, etc.) does not replace the old because the area is underwater. Thus, the habitat required by lmb slowly disappears leaving very little for the bass to thrive. The quality of lmb slowly goes down hill.
Unfortunately, that is how it is with lmb fisheries in Utah. There really isn't much you can do. Quail Creek did get a "reboot" when it's dike failed, which allowed new vegetation (tamarisk, willow, sage brush, etc.) to regrow, and then was flooded when the new dike was completed. Gunlock is also getting a reboot due to flooding / dam problems. Lake Powell gets help at times due to severe draw down, which allows regrowth of vegetation -- but current levels spell disaster for lmb in Lake Powell because the level is currently below ANY vegetation at all!
So, the future of Sand Hollow isn't really a mystery at all.
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All lakes go through cycles. Sand Hollow, (being a relatively new lake) is at a high point. There are sooooo many 2 to 3 pound fish in that pond that it's just a matter of time before they eat everything that swims and/or crawls in it. When that happens, it'll suck for a few years. Nothing new, happens to lakes all the time.
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The differance between most of lakes you listed and sand hollow is grass. GRASS will help them keep thriving. Sand hollow is full of grass. Just my opinion
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bk1 -- just keep telling yourself that. And then when Sand Hollow falls into mediocrity, you can blame the DWR for mis-management.
I will agree, kind of, with rapala. There will certainly be cycles of ups and downs with bass populations in Sand Hollow. But it will not be able to sustain the quality fishery it has been for the first 10 years. It will decline. That is fact. No regulations will be able to sustain it's high level. Without good habitat the lmb will start to struggle.
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Oh, thanks for the insults. Im sure your right, [  ] just ask ya. Everyone bow to pbh
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[quote bk1]Everyone bow to pbh[/quote]
'bout freaking time.
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Maybe the state can do what Arizona did down at Havasu and place permanent artificial habitat specifically on Sand Hollow and specifically for bass. This has worked wonders at Lake Havasu. I am sure they could find PLENTY of volunteers who would donate the time and materials to do it...
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UVU -- while I think it's a fantastic idea, it isn't the State the would be the people to work with in order to accomplish this. It would be the water owner.
Washington County Water Conservancy District owns the reservoir (Sand Hollow), and thus they would be the people to work with on placing "permanent structure" in their reservoir. I honestly don't think they'd go for it.
It really isn't much different than the same issues at Yuba. When it comes to structure, or the lack thereof, the water owners would be the ones to dictate what goes into the water. Convince them that the reservoir needs "structure" in the water, and I think you'd have plenty of volunteer help lined up ready to tackle the issue!
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Well for a start next year the spear fishing will hit the lake and within two years the lake will be another Jordanelle or Deer creek with lots of little fish..
We have a DWR in Utah that seems to build up a bass lake and then change the limits or fishing laws and there goes the fishing..
You can't take the bigger bass out of the lakes and keep a good fishery going not in Utah..
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[quote bassrods]
We have a DWR in Utah that seems to build up a bass lake and then change the limits or fishing laws and there goes the fishing..
[/quote]
BK1 -- see what I mean? Cliff is already blaming the DWR for the decline due to spear-fishing regulations. What Cliff doesn't realize is that those bass are already doomed, whether spear fishermen shoot a bunch of bass or not. Without the habitat there is nothing to protect.
Might as well join Cliff right now. The fishery is going
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I will call a spade a spade, if its the dwr that causes it I ll say it, if its natural decline its natural decline ill say it. But if the dwr is as arrogant pbh then its probably going to be their fault. I dont know why your diggin at me. Sounds like someone had an opinion that was differant than yours so you are trying to pick a fight. Good day sir
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well there will be enuogh cover in sand hollow rember sand hollow get darwdown durring the summer month as forge in the lake that hole differant story forge in the lake will go down cycle right along with the bass the lake is at high peak right now . if the dwr want good bass lake the should put shad in the lake good forge for the bass there .
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stock more forage fish. I guess that would work. To be honest, I'm not sure why the biologists haven't ever thought about that. It just seems so simple.
(are you related to Cliff?)
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Just gotta say it.
Quote:Sounds like someone had an opinion that was differant than yours so you are trying to pick a fight. Good day sir
Sounds like you got all butt hurt because someone doesn't agree with you. PBH didn't insult you or pick a fight. He's just telling you what happens in reservoirs. Because of fluctuations in water level the structure doesn't allow favorable conditions for either forage or bass. The UDWR doesn't have control over that, but go ahead and blame them for it.
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When you look at the dwr track record on any bass lakes in Utah you can see how the handle them..
Beating up on the dwr yes I am until they start doing or treating the bass lakes and bass as good as they do the trout...
Name us one just one trout lake that the dwr has only planted once and had that lake stay fishing as long and as good as some bass lakes have done...
Trout the best fish for Utah waters????
Only if they have a lot of hatchery and keep stocking them by the thousands..
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cliff -- it's  to see comments like yours. It only shows your lack of understanding.
Just a few comments:
1. Track record of bass lakes: as has been mentioned already, habitat is the key. LMB require flooded vegetation in order to thrive. Our lakes and reseroirs in Utah do not have this flooded vegetation -- or, rather, the flooded vegetation deteriorates over time and disappears. This is exactly why many bass lakes start out "with a bang", and then taper off into mediocrity.
2. Stocking: stocking is done as needed, not just to stock. You stock the bass, they spawn, their population increases, they maintain population numbers. If something happens (reservoir drained?) then additional fish would be stocked.
2a. Trout stocking: in the majority of Utah lakes/reservoirs, the trout do not successfully reproduce. So, we annually stock trout.
3. Stocking vs. naturally reproducing. This is where some get differing opinions. Which is better? It depends on the water. Let's use brook trout as an example. Many lakes in Utah could go with Cliff's option of "trout lake" with a single initial stocking of brook trout. They could have a population of brook trout for years, and years, and years without any additional stocking. Would that be good? Probably not. The lake would most likely be full of stunted brook trout, which nobody wants. Sometimes reproduction is a BAD thing. Thus, the need for hatcheries and continual stocking. Like our rainbow trout waters. Population control.
What Cliff fails to see is that with stocking comes population control, and with population control comes quality. If you want quality waters, then you MUST have a way to control population numbers.
How does this fit with bass waters? Habitat. The lack of good habitat will limit bass populations, and thus quality will suffer. Improve the habitat, and you improve the quality of bass.
How do you improve the habitat? Therein lies the problem with bass (lmb).
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Saw this in So Cal in the 80s when I lived down there. The lakes where drinking water supplies. After the initial filling the nutrients get used up and they don't get replenished fast enough to feed the food base of the larger predators, kinda like the gin clear waters of Lake Mead. Us Jarheads being the resource lot, decided to improve conditions so we would just pee in the water, replenishing the much need nutrients. I still wouldn't drink the water in Chula Vista. Just Saying. . . Dale 
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[quote bassrods]When you look at the dwr track record on any bass lakes in Utah you can see how the handle them..
Beating up on the dwr yes I am until they start doing or treating the bass lakes and bass as good as they do the trout...
Name us one just one trout lake that the dwr has only planted once and had that lake stay fishing as long and as good as some bass lakes have done...
Trout the best fish for Utah waters????
Only if they have a lot of hatchery and keep stocking them by the thousands..[/quote]
PM sent
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