Jordan River

[TheJensenKid15]

Today, just before this stupid storm hit, I was sitting down on the Jordan, nailing the White Bass. They were litteraly BOILING on the little minows in there, and whenever I put anything in they bit. Even caught a few on a gold, bare hook. Fished be the Chesterfeild Trailhead, yet again. All in all, caught about 50 5 to 10 inch white bass, and had one more walleye on. No channels this time, thought.
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[aquaman]

chesterfield trailhead ? where is that located i enjoy fishing white bass and have'nt had a good bite yet this year thanx for any info
chris
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[Matador]

Great report. I have a question for you and anyone else who knows. I've heard all the controversy about whether you can eat fish from Utah Lake. I believe you can and I do. No question there. And I feel the same about the southern parts of the Jordan, like south of 106th. But what about eating the fish from the Jordan River on the northern portions. Is it okay, and if it's not, where on the river does it stop being okay? I've seen some pretty gross places along the northern parts.

m
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[TubeDude]

[cool]Yeah. Whether sewage inflow is treated or untreated, there are still some heavy metals and other contaminants that can't be beneficial to the human body. And, that has nothing to do with the esthetics of eating fish from a food chain that includes human waste and agricultural runoff as part of the nutrition on the lower end of the process.

I spent some time in the New Orleans area...at the tail end of the heavily used and polluted Mississippi River. The joke down there was that night fishing was easier, because all the fish glow in the dark.

Seriously, I have heard from reliable sources (fisheries biologists) that the fish in the Jordan tend to migrate up and down the length of the waterway, and thus do not usually remain in areas of questionable water quality. Those that do stay awhile are not instantly infused with deadly levels of toxic waste. It usually takes awhile for the buildup process to occur.

The flip side of that is that once high levels of mercury, arsenic, DDT or other nasty substances can be found in harmful concentrations, it will not purge from the flesh naturally, even if the fish are relocated into clean waters. Most of those things are absorbed into the fatty tissues of the fish and remain with them forever.

The only sure way to know if the fish are safe is to take them to a testing lab and have them checked for lethal levels of the nasty stuff. If you can't afford to do that, then practice C & R or fish where there is less potential for pollution.

HINT: The presence of trash along the banks and in the water does not mean the water is polluted...just that people are slobs. A pipe spewing a foul-smelling liquid into the water...and fish dying downstream...is a good indicator that you shouldn't fish any farther downstream. And, whatever you do, don't pick up the dying fish and take them home, just to show off. (Don't laugh. I have seen a guy scoop a big dead catfish out of the Jordan and tell his buddies he caught it.)
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[TheJensenKid15]

I was kind of vague with that one, wasn't I! Just go north up redwood, by Redwood Elementry there is a road to the east called Crystal Avenue. Take that till you hit Chesterfield St., then go back to the south. The place I fish it is on the North side of the canal. Usually it is pretty good in there.
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[TheJensenKid15]

I really am not concerned that the fish in this section of the stream are bad. I have never seen any dead (besides one a kid released that he shouldn't have), and they are all really healthy. I have eaten channels out of that section, and I still feel fine. The only way I wouldn't is if the Sewage plant on the Mill Creek leaked out solid waste, but I've only herd of that happening once.
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