01-30-2014, 09:26 PM
stan -- you have to ask why those regulations are in place, and what the population looks like. If pike are left to recruit without any natural system to keep their population in check, you WILL end up with a lake full of hammer handles. This happens all across the country, as well as in Canada and Alaska. So, while in many instances a "save the big fish" regulation may very well be necessary, in many cases it is not, and it is simply a "feel good" regulation.
One example I can give right here in Utah is McGath on the Boulders. Home of world famous big brook trout. Trophy brook trout. Anglers eventually wanted to "protect" these big brook trout by restricting angling during winter months when those trophy fish were more vulnerable. So, the DWR listened to anglers and closed this lake to winter-time fishing. Guess what? Under these regulations to "protect the big fish", the fishery has suffered. Why? Because those big fish are no longer being harvested and thus the population size has increased which results in smaller average size fish. So, by anglers insisting on protecting those big fish we have lost those same big fish!
I have no problem at all with the current regulations at Yuba. I think the managers of Yuba are doing this correctly by allowing high numbers of pike to be harvested, and I think they are working very hard to promote (KSL Outdoors show!) this fishery. They are promoting because they want pike harvested. One fish over 36" is just fine -- it still allows anglers to keep a big fish and also keeps anglers happy because we're protecting the "big ones". At this point, the real issue is simply harvest: harvest the pike you catch under the current regulation. It is going to keep Yuba a quality pike fishery far longer than Yuba would be with more restrictive harvest regulations.
for those few rabble-rousers asking for more restrictive regulations at Yuba, please ask yourself a question:
Why are so many people catching so many pike right now?
The answer:
1. Because there are a ton of them
2. They are hungry!!
(those are problems!!!)
[signature]
One example I can give right here in Utah is McGath on the Boulders. Home of world famous big brook trout. Trophy brook trout. Anglers eventually wanted to "protect" these big brook trout by restricting angling during winter months when those trophy fish were more vulnerable. So, the DWR listened to anglers and closed this lake to winter-time fishing. Guess what? Under these regulations to "protect the big fish", the fishery has suffered. Why? Because those big fish are no longer being harvested and thus the population size has increased which results in smaller average size fish. So, by anglers insisting on protecting those big fish we have lost those same big fish!
I have no problem at all with the current regulations at Yuba. I think the managers of Yuba are doing this correctly by allowing high numbers of pike to be harvested, and I think they are working very hard to promote (KSL Outdoors show!) this fishery. They are promoting because they want pike harvested. One fish over 36" is just fine -- it still allows anglers to keep a big fish and also keeps anglers happy because we're protecting the "big ones". At this point, the real issue is simply harvest: harvest the pike you catch under the current regulation. It is going to keep Yuba a quality pike fishery far longer than Yuba would be with more restrictive harvest regulations.
for those few rabble-rousers asking for more restrictive regulations at Yuba, please ask yourself a question:
Why are so many people catching so many pike right now?
The answer:
1. Because there are a ton of them
2. They are hungry!!
(those are problems!!!)
[signature]