02-22-2013, 03:17 AM
A couple of points
1. RE" From a consuming perspective, I figure that's what Rainbows are for anyway. "
and
"I fished Scofield in the late 90's (nearly 10 years after the last treatment). It was Strawberry-lite. "
That is the dilemma with Scofield. Yes, there are some huge tigers and a few good cutts, but the rainbow fishing still is poor. This is important because the "old" Scofield produced very nice rainbows that many people went up there to take home. A lot of folks miss that. I would bet that the overall usage is down because the rainbow/catch and keep fishery is still bad. That will be the problem the trophy crowd will have going forward. Trophy fisheries are popular with a small segment of die hard anglers (me included) but are not as popular with the masses. Just go to a DWR open house and listen to people whine about the slot limits at Scofield and Strawberry and you will see. In the case with Scofield, the DWR has to weigh trading in the old Scofield, (once one of the best rainbow fisheries in the state) for a new trophy tiger fishery that will benefit fewer anglers, but occasionally will yield spectacular individual results.
2. RE" For those who think a lake treatment will have no effect on the trophy quality of Scofield: I'd like to know if that's the case, how do you explain Scofield not being a trophy lake until the current "unhealthy" state. "
I don't think anyone is arguing there will be "no effect". There obviously will be. The question is rather whether people would prefer to catch 1 6lb tiger trout in a day of fishing or 6-7 3 lb fat rainbows in a day. I think each person will answer that question differently, and there isn't a definitive answer that fits everyone.
3. RE"From a consuming perspective, Tigers are my least favorite trout species."
Try Huntington. The tigers there are as red meated and yummy as you'll find.
[signature]
1. RE" From a consuming perspective, I figure that's what Rainbows are for anyway. "
and
"I fished Scofield in the late 90's (nearly 10 years after the last treatment). It was Strawberry-lite. "
That is the dilemma with Scofield. Yes, there are some huge tigers and a few good cutts, but the rainbow fishing still is poor. This is important because the "old" Scofield produced very nice rainbows that many people went up there to take home. A lot of folks miss that. I would bet that the overall usage is down because the rainbow/catch and keep fishery is still bad. That will be the problem the trophy crowd will have going forward. Trophy fisheries are popular with a small segment of die hard anglers (me included) but are not as popular with the masses. Just go to a DWR open house and listen to people whine about the slot limits at Scofield and Strawberry and you will see. In the case with Scofield, the DWR has to weigh trading in the old Scofield, (once one of the best rainbow fisheries in the state) for a new trophy tiger fishery that will benefit fewer anglers, but occasionally will yield spectacular individual results.
2. RE" For those who think a lake treatment will have no effect on the trophy quality of Scofield: I'd like to know if that's the case, how do you explain Scofield not being a trophy lake until the current "unhealthy" state. "
I don't think anyone is arguing there will be "no effect". There obviously will be. The question is rather whether people would prefer to catch 1 6lb tiger trout in a day of fishing or 6-7 3 lb fat rainbows in a day. I think each person will answer that question differently, and there isn't a definitive answer that fits everyone.
3. RE"From a consuming perspective, Tigers are my least favorite trout species."
Try Huntington. The tigers there are as red meated and yummy as you'll find.
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