05-27-2016, 04:27 PM
[quote doggonefishin]
The only place in Utah I hear that consistently produces smallies as large as what we enjoyed during the lake X heyday is Pineview. What is the forage at Pineview? Those nasty perch and crappie.
Finally, W&B: No crawdads in OC? No way. My FIL and I dined on them one year. Large ones too. Lots of dads in the OC.[/quote]
I will only reply to these two comments...
1) I would totally disagree with the idea that Pineview is the only smallmouth fishery that has consistently produced smallies as large as what we enjoyed at Jordanelle. I would contend that Newcastle has been doing it for a longer period of time than what Jordanelle ever did...and, Minersville has done it prior to the last draining of the reservoir and since. I would also say that places like Upper Enterprise Reservoir, Piute, and Otter Creek have all pumped out big smallies consistently over the past couple decades.
2) Crawdads were not even in the Sevier River drainage until about 5-10 years ago. They did NOT even exist in Otter Creek and Piute. Yet, smallmouth bass were growing to trophy sizes without them utilizing chubs as their main forage. I never said that they did not exist; I said that they aren't there in large numbers...and, they are not. You may find some at certain times of the year, but nowhere near what you would find at Minersville or Newcastle or even Flaming Gorge. Also, FWIW, crayfish also exist in Jordanelle just not in large numbers.
Finally, I will repeat the FACT that smallmouth have NEVER eliminated chubs when they are the top predator. Again, at Flaming Gorge, the only way chubs were eliminated was with the help of lake trout. Also, Fish Lake has a very extensive amount of millfoil that allows for great fry habitat and allowed for young of year chubs to escape lake trout predation. I have never seen that kind of millfoil at Flaming Gorge. At these other "warm" water fisheries, other top level predators exist--like walleye and even white bass in Utah Lake. But, in a place like Otter Creek before crawdads even existed in the system, the reservoir was routinely poisoned because of chubs and despite of smallmouth bass. The same concept holds true at Newcastle, Upper Enterprise, Minersville, and Piute.
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The only place in Utah I hear that consistently produces smallies as large as what we enjoyed during the lake X heyday is Pineview. What is the forage at Pineview? Those nasty perch and crappie.
Finally, W&B: No crawdads in OC? No way. My FIL and I dined on them one year. Large ones too. Lots of dads in the OC.[/quote]
I will only reply to these two comments...
1) I would totally disagree with the idea that Pineview is the only smallmouth fishery that has consistently produced smallies as large as what we enjoyed at Jordanelle. I would contend that Newcastle has been doing it for a longer period of time than what Jordanelle ever did...and, Minersville has done it prior to the last draining of the reservoir and since. I would also say that places like Upper Enterprise Reservoir, Piute, and Otter Creek have all pumped out big smallies consistently over the past couple decades.
2) Crawdads were not even in the Sevier River drainage until about 5-10 years ago. They did NOT even exist in Otter Creek and Piute. Yet, smallmouth bass were growing to trophy sizes without them utilizing chubs as their main forage. I never said that they did not exist; I said that they aren't there in large numbers...and, they are not. You may find some at certain times of the year, but nowhere near what you would find at Minersville or Newcastle or even Flaming Gorge. Also, FWIW, crayfish also exist in Jordanelle just not in large numbers.
Finally, I will repeat the FACT that smallmouth have NEVER eliminated chubs when they are the top predator. Again, at Flaming Gorge, the only way chubs were eliminated was with the help of lake trout. Also, Fish Lake has a very extensive amount of millfoil that allows for great fry habitat and allowed for young of year chubs to escape lake trout predation. I have never seen that kind of millfoil at Flaming Gorge. At these other "warm" water fisheries, other top level predators exist--like walleye and even white bass in Utah Lake. But, in a place like Otter Creek before crawdads even existed in the system, the reservoir was routinely poisoned because of chubs and despite of smallmouth bass. The same concept holds true at Newcastle, Upper Enterprise, Minersville, and Piute.
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